My favorite “filler foods”
Let’s face it, a girl’s (and probably a guy’s) biggest dream is eating A LOT of food without gaining weight. Or – even better – eating A LOT of food while losing weight!! Ha!
It’s not so easy though, is it?! But with a few tricks, it’s definitely doable.
Remember, a little while ago when we talked about caloric density and volume of food? This is what’s important in this context.
As a little refresh, caloric density simply measures how many calories are in a given weight of food and volume is….well the amount of space it occupies.
In order to be able to eat a lot without gaining weight, we want to make sure we eat a lot of foods that have a low caloric density and high volume. I like to call those foods “filler foods” because they a) keep you full (Duh!) and b) can be used as fillers to increase the volume of your meal.
Here are my favorite 4 filler foods and how I use them in my own meals:
1) Riced cauliflower
This stuff is AMAZING!! It has hardly any calories and by itself, it doesn’t really taste like anything either, which means you can add it to pretty much any meal without it ruining the taste of it. I like to use it in my omelet or mix it with rice or quinoa.
2) Kale
Kale has a ton of fiber (which fills you up quickly and keeps you full longer), lots of vitamins, and is simply DELICIOUS! My go-to snack are kale chips. They are super easy to make and ae perfect to munch on while watching TV. I season them with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and sometimes turmeric or paprika powder. You want to use some cooking spray to make the spices stick to the kale. About 5-6 minutes in the air fryer at 350 degrees and they are good to go. Just make sure you give them a little shake once in a while so they don’t burn.
3) Cucumbers
Cucumbers contain a lot of water, which makes them great filler foods. I will sometimes eat them as a snack with yogurt dip but usually, I use them to give my salads more volume or as a side for omelets.
4) Watermelon
Last but not least: Watermelon! We all should have something sweet in our lives! Watermelon consists mostly of – you guessed it – water. It’s high in antioxidants, satisfies that sweet tooth we get once in a while, and is more versatile than you might think. You can simply eat it plain as a snack, you can add it to your salads, or you can even grill it (no seriously, you can, it’s delicious. Try it!).
Next time you’re hungry, think about which filler foods you could add to make your meal more satisfying without adding a ton of calories to it.
And if you need more inspiration, click below to download my free Better Mind – Better Body Recipe Book. 😉
