You can eat MORE and still lose weight: Experts explain how 'volume eating' can totally transform your health (and waistline) in 2026 | Retrui News | Retrui
You can eat MORE and still lose weight: Experts explain how 'volume eating' can totally transform your health (and waistline) in 2026
SOURCE:Daily Mail
The problem with traditional dieting is that it is largely focused on restricting calories, meaning we are often left feeling hungry, unfulfilled and ultimately unmotivated to keep going.
Many of us will have made a bold, champagne-fuelled resolution last night: Lose weight in 2026... and keep it off.
But the problem with traditional dieting is that it is largely focused on restricting calories, meaning we are often left feeling hungry, unfulfilled and ultimately unmotivated to keep going.
The day might start off well with a nutritious, balanced breakfast, perhaps a bowl of greek yoghurt and fruit, smashed avocado on toast or a protein smoothie.
But by lunchtime we often crave something more satiating, and by dinnertime our stomachs aren't so much rumbling as they are roaring.
It's a double-edged sword that leaves millions of people feeling helpless in the battle against the bulge, with some even deciding that they have no choice but to take more extreme measures such as undergo bariatric surgery or spend hundreds of pounds a month on weight loss jabs.
But, according to one of the UK's leading nutritionists and the scientist behind ZOE nutrition, Dr Federica Amati, when we're dieting we shouldn't be afraid of upping the volume of food we eat... as long as it's healthy and not loaded with empty calories.
'The problem with classic dieting is that it tends to focus almost exclusively on eating less, rather than eating well,' Dr Amati says.
Dieting doesn't always have to mean eating less, leading nutritionists explain
'When we cut calories too aggressively, the body often responds defensively.
'Metabolism can slow down, hunger hormones increase, and satiety hormones fall, all of which make us feel hungrier and more tired, not more in control or energised to continue.'
Dr Amati adds: 'Psychologically, rigid dieting is hard to sustain: people feel deprived, food becomes something to “resist,” and this frequently ends in cycles of restriction and rebound eating.'
The answer to this conundrum? Volume eating, which essentially means eating the same amount - or sometimes even more - than your usual diet.
'In short', Dr Amati says, 'the body isn't designed to tolerate prolonged nutrient scarcity. Diets that fight biology rarely win in the long term.'
Volume eating, coined by Dr Barbara Rolls, an expert in nutritional sciences at Penn State University, however works by selecting foods that pack fewer calories per bite.
For example, swapping chocolate digestives for popcorn, or calorie dense pasta for courgette ribbons.
'These foods take up more space on the plate and in the stomach, helping people feel full and satisfied without needing to drastically reduce portion sizes,' public health nutritionist Dr Emma Derbyshire adds.
One of the main bonuses of volume eating is that, if done correctly, it increases the amount of fibre you're ingesting.
The NHS recommends adults eat around 30g of fibre a day, but the average Briton usually only eats around 20g.
Also sometimes referred to as 'roughage', fibre is vital for digestion, helping food move through the intestinal system and feeding the gut microbiome, an invisible, billion-strong army of friendly bacteria and funghi which helps the body extract nutrients from what we've eaten.
Low fibre diets are associated with higher rates of bowel cancer and weight issues which are liked to a slew of life-limiting and fatal conditions and illnesses.
A sobering report last year warned that Britain's spiralling obesity crisis has fuelled a nearly 40 per cent rise in type 2 diabetes, with excess weight considered the second biggest preventable cause of disease in the UK.
'Fibre slows gastric emptying and digestion, contributing to sustained fullness after meals,' registered nutritionist and best-selling author, Rhiannon Lambert adds.
'Importantly, volume eating isn’t about removing energy-dense foods, but about redistributing the balance of a plate so meals feel substantial and satisfying - something that tends to be more effective than simply reducing portion sizes.'
Dr Amati is a big fan of volume eating herself, as one of the key pillars behind ZOE's app, which helps support long-term weight management.
Starting the day with a bowl of porridge rather than granola means fewer empty calories, more protein and less additives
Foods higher in fibre take longer to digest, releasing sugar into the bloodstream more slowly, for better glucose control-so energy levels remain steady.
She says: 'Rather than working against human physiology, volume eating works with it.
'Our stomachs and brains are strongly influenced by the physical volume of food, not just the calorie content.
'Foods that are high in fibre and water - such as vegetables, fruits, pulses and whole grains - take up more space, slow digestion and trigger satiety signals more effectively.'
It's an approach which works to support gut health, through its focus on whole foods, blood sugar control and long-term adherence, which is where Dr Amati says most diets fail.
'By building meals around these lower-energy-density foods, people can eat generous portions of nutritious foods, feel satisfied and naturally consume fewer calories overall - without counting or restriction.
'Importantly, volume eating isn’t about eating “diet food.” It’s about eating real food in a way that supports fullness and enjoyment,' she adds.
We asked the experts to break down some easy high volume, low-calorie food swaps, meal by meal, to help inspire people looking to lose weight this year without going hungry.
Breakfast: Swap sugary cereals for porridge
Calories saved per serving: 60+
Protein added: 1g
Fibre added: 1g
A quarter of people in the UK start their day with a bowl of cereal, but the amount of sugar they contain can be disastrous for our gut, let alone our energy levels.
The NHS suggests that adult men eat no more than 30g of sugar per day, and women eat no more than 20g.
It's obvious that sugar-coated cornflakes are very high in added sugar and low in fibre (they often contain the equivalent of three sugar cubes per serving), granola can also be packed full of hidden calories, Dr Amati warns.
Grain-based bowls are a great way to cut down on ultra-processed foods, whilst still getting a good amount of protein
Crunchy nut granola may not seem overly calorific, but just one serving contains 11g sugar - close to half the recommended daily allowance - and is also lower in both fibre and protein than porridge- which is almost guaranteed to cause a blood sugar spike that will leave you hungry by lunch.
'I would always recommend starting the day with porridge, choosing a plain, high-fibre option then adding your own toppings like fresh fruit, nuts and seeds.
'This option is more filling, supporting blood sugar balance and keeping you satisfied for longer.'
Lunch: Swap sandwiches for salads or grain based bowls
Calories saved: 127
Protein added: - 14g
Fibre added: 2g
For lunch, Dr Amati suggests thinking of vegetables and grains as the base, rather than a side, swapping supermarket sandwiches—which are full of empty calories and additives—for salads, chicken and fish.
For example, swapping a supermarket ham and cheese sandwich, as featured in Waitrose's meal deal, for their couscous and roasted vegetable salad, will save 127 calories, over 5g of saturated fat and offer more protein per serving.
However, this is a less protein dense option so Dr Amati recommends pairing it with some lean meat, fish or a handful of nuts to boost protein intake, helping you feel fuller for longer.
Rather than shrinking your plate, Dr Amati suggests adding beans, courgettes or pulses to your pasta for more fibre and nutrients per mouthful than plain pasta or rice
Ultra-processed meats like ham and bacon have long been considered a group one carcinogen - placing them in the same risk category as smoking.
Earlier this year, scientists called for a ban on supermarket ham after the chemicals used in their production were linked to more than 50,000 bowel cancer cases.
But if you're looking for a meat fix, Dr Amati says its best to stick to lean cuts like chicken, rather than ham, as its naturally lower in calories and saturated fat.
Dinner: Add to your pasta and swap rice for lentils
Calories saved swapping rice for red lentils: 243
Protein added: -0.1g
Fibre added: 3.7g
A portion of red lentils is significantly less calorie dense than a bowl of rice - meaning that you can have twice as much with and still eat fewer calories.
Lambert says: 'I strongly believe in the motto “it’s about what you add in, rather than what you take out”.
'For example, adding vegetables, pulses or wholegrains to familiar dishes can increase fibre and texture without changing the meal entirely or restricting certain food types.'
A large bowl of popcorn contains around 60 fewer calories than three chocolate digestive biscuits and a bowl of Tyrell's salt and vinegar crisps - and more protein and fibre per serving
This simple swap provides an extra 3.7g of fibre, which has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and bowel cancer.
Supplementing your pasta or gnocchi for courgette is another great way to reduce calories-per-bite, Dr Amati says.
A standard 170g bowl of cooked spaghetti contains 268 calories, while the same amount of courgette contains just 40 - thanks to the vegetables high water content - with the added benefit of half your daily vitamin C requirements.
Snacks: Swap biscuits for popcorn
Calories saved: 70
Protein added: 0.1g
Fibre added: 2.9g
Swapping chocolate biscuits for popcorn not only slashes calories, but increases eating time, controlling feelings of hunger.
The additional fibre in the popcorn will also help slow down digestion time, in comparison to digestive biscuits made from refined carbohydrates which are broken down quite quickly, Dr Amati says.