What Foods Have Low Energy Density?

November 30, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, foods with high water or fiber content are typically low in energy density. These lower energy density foods allow you to eat a larger volume of food for the same number of calories, which is key for feeling full and managing your weight.

Quick Summary

This article explores the concept of food energy density and highlights key food groups rich in water, fiber, and lean protein that have a low energy density. Learn how to incorporate these satisfying and nutritious foods into your daily meals for effective weight management and improved overall health.

Key Points

Water Content: Foods with high water content, like most fruits and vegetables, provide volume and weight for very few calories.
Fiber Rich: High-fiber foods, including whole grains and legumes, add bulk and take longer to digest, increasing satiety.
Lean Protein: Choosing lean proteins, such as chicken breast, fish, and tofu, provides a feeling of fullness without adding excessive calories from fat.
Increase Volume: Using broth-based soups and adding extra vegetables to meals is an effective way to lower energy density and increase portion size.
Satiety Mechanism: Our bodies respond more to the total volume and weight of food than the number of calories, making low energy density foods beneficial for appetite control.
Sustainable Strategy: The low energy density approach focuses on abundance, allowing for larger, more satisfying meals compared to restrictive calorie-counting.

Understanding the Principle of Energy Density

Energy density is a measurement of the number of calories a food contains relative to its weight. Foods with a low energy density provide fewer calories per gram, while high energy density foods pack many calories into a small amount. The reason low energy density foods are so effective for weight management is rooted in the way our bodies register fullness. Research suggests that satiety is influenced more by the volume and weight of food consumed than by its caloric content. This means you can eat larger, more satisfying portions of low energy density foods without consuming excess calories. The primary factors that influence a food's energy density are its water, fiber, and fat content.

The Role of Water and Fiber

Water and fiber are crucial for lowering energy density. Water adds volume and weight without contributing any calories, while fiber adds bulk and slows down the digestive process, which helps prolong feelings of fullness. Most fruits and vegetables, for example, are composed of a large percentage of water. For instance, watermelon is over 90% water, and many salad greens are similarly high in water content. High-fiber foods, such as whole grains, legumes, and most fruits and vegetables, also contribute to satiety by adding bulk.

Key Categories of Low Energy Density Foods

Fruits and Vegetables

Most fruits and vegetables are excellent examples of low energy density foods. Their high water and fiber content means they provide a lot of volume with a minimal caloric load.

Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and lettuce are foundational for low energy density meals, often with less than 30 calories per cup.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are packed with fiber and nutrients, offering a lot of bulk for few calories.
Berries: Raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are rich in water and fiber, making them very filling for their calorie count.
Melons: Watermelon and cantaloupe are mostly water, providing a refreshing, low-calorie snack.
Root Vegetables: Carrots and potatoes (with skin) offer fiber and volume. A medium carrot has only about 25 calories.

Lean Proteins and Legumes

Protein is known for its satiating effect, and choosing lean sources helps keep energy density low. Legumes combine protein and fiber for a doubly beneficial effect.

Lean Meats and Poultry: Skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, and lean beef cuts are high in protein and low in fat.
Fish and Shellfish: White-fleshed fish like cod, halibut, and tilapia are very lean and high in protein.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and peas are fantastic sources of both protein and fiber, making them incredibly filling.
Tofu: A versatile plant-based protein, tofu is relatively low in calories and fat, especially the firmer varieties.

Whole Grains and Low-Fat Dairy

Certain whole grains and dairy products can also be part of a low energy density diet when prepared correctly.

Whole Grains: Oats, quinoa, and brown rice can absorb water during cooking, increasing their volume. Oatmeal, for example, is very filling.
Low-Fat Dairy: Plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, low-fat milk, and cottage cheese provide protein and calcium without the high-fat calories of their full-fat counterparts.
Soups and Stews: Broth-based soups and stews loaded with vegetables and lean protein are a great way to increase portion size with water, significantly lowering the overall energy density of a meal.

Comparison: Low vs. High Energy Density Meals

To illustrate the impact of energy density on portion size and satiety, consider the following meal comparison, demonstrating how you can feel full with fewer calories by making smart food choices.


Meal Component	High Energy Density	Calories	Low Energy Density	Calories
Snack	1 oz of potato chips	150	3.5 cups of air-popped popcorn	150
Breakfast	Large glazed doughnut	400	Bowl of oats with skim milk and berries	400
Lunch	Bacon cheeseburger	600	Large salad with grilled chicken, vinaigrette, and vegetables	600
Dinner	Alfredo pasta with creamy sauce	790	Pasta with extra lean ground beef, tomato sauce, and extra veggies	650

How to Apply the Low Energy Density Approach

Prioritize Water and Fiber: Build your meals around foods with high water and fiber content, like fresh produce, legumes, and whole grains.
Choose Lean Protein: Select lean cuts of meat, poultry, or fish to get a filling protein boost without excess fat.
Use Water as a Volume-Booster: Start meals with a broth-based soup or a large salad. Adding extra water to dishes like stews and pasta sauces also increases volume.
Practice Smart Combinations: Pair a smaller portion of a higher energy density food with a large portion of a low energy density one. For example, have a smaller serving of pizza alongside a large, mixed-green salad.
Be Mindful of Cooking Methods: Opt for baking, grilling, steaming, or poaching over frying, as added oils significantly increase a meal's energy density.

By strategically incorporating more of what foods have low energy density into your diet, you can enjoy generous, satisfying meals while effectively managing your weight. This approach focuses on abundance and flavor rather than restriction, making it a sustainable and enjoyable path to better health. For more in-depth information on dietary strategies, authoritative resources like the Mayo Clinic can provide valuable insights. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20044318]

Conclusion

Understanding and applying the principle of energy density is a powerful tool for weight management. By focusing on foods naturally high in water and fiber and low in fat—including a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains—you can significantly increase your meal volume and satisfaction while reducing overall calorie intake. This evidence-based strategy promotes lasting healthy habits by allowing you to eat until you are full, without the feeling of deprivation often associated with traditional calorie-counting diets. Embracing low energy density foods is a practical and effective way to achieve your health goals and maintain a healthy weight for the long term.

Frequently Asked Questions

Energy density is the number of calories per gram of food, while calorie counting simply tracks the total calories. A low energy density approach focuses on eating a larger volume of food with fewer calories, whereas calorie counting can sometimes lead to feeling hungry on smaller portions of higher-calorie foods.

Most whole fruits are low in energy density due to their high water and fiber content. However, dried fruits have a higher energy density because the water has been removed, concentrating the calories.

You can lower the energy density by replacing some ingredients with water-rich alternatives. For example, use lean ground meat instead of regular, add extra vegetables, and use broth or water to stretch sauces.

Yes, numerous studies have shown that consuming a diet of low energy density foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, can lead to weight loss and better weight maintenance.

High energy density foods that should be limited include fried foods, sugary snacks, cookies, cakes, nuts, and high-fat cheeses, as they pack many calories into a small serving size.

Yes, cooking can change a food's energy density. Adding water, like when making a soup, lowers it. Conversely, adding oil or butter increases the energy density significantly because fat is the most calorie-dense macronutrient.

Yes, cooked potatoes (especially with the skin) are generally considered a low energy density food. They contain water and fiber that contribute to satiety and are much lower in calories than people often assume.