In my quest for nutrition information I have researched a lot. Mario Kratz, Phd, has a Youtube channel that I watch called “NourishedByScience”. He has published some really convincing arguments for understanding weight gain and how to reverse it. One of his theories is that we will naturally eat until we no longer feel hungry. Different meals can vary in the number of calories consumed, which has a direct bearing on weight gain. A meal can be satiating, where we stop early, and therefore consume less calories. Another meal can take a lot more food to make us feel full, therefore increasing calorie consumption and therefore gain weight. This is what he calls the satiety index
There are 3 factors involved in satiety: 1) high protein content, 2) high fiber content, 3) Low energy density (number of calories per gram of food). High protein is certainly satiating. It is quite difficult to overeat protein because you naturally feel full and then naturally stop eating. High fiber will also quickly fill you up.
The most complex of the three is energy density. Low energy density foods have a lot of water for their weight, such as vegetables, and will contain low calories, which will reduce fat gain. Conversely high energy density such as nuts also come with a lot of calories. Pure oils, fats, starch, carbs and sugars are energy dense, and therefore a lot of calories per gram. High energy dense foods are low in water and high in fats, protein and carbs. Nuts and seeds have a high energy density and therefore should be limited. If you overeat them you can add many extra calories in a small amount of food, thus increasing weight gain.
Choose a meal higher in protein, high in fiber and low in energy density and you will feel satiated with less food, eat less calories and therefore have less of a problem with weight gain. All this, without counting calories and still feeling satiated. Conversely choosing foods that are lower in protein, less fiber and with higher energy density, and you will need more food to feel full, which means eating more calories, which promotes weight gain. Over a long period of time this can have a huge effect on weight gain.
22:00″Foods with a high satiety score generally are expected to spontaneously lower our overall calorie intake, without us counting calories or paying any attention to calories, while foods with a lower satiety score will likely lead to higher calorie intake.”
If you wish to lose weight, eat foods with a satiety score of 50 or more.
This is not a diet, per say, but a different way of selecting what you eat in a meal so that you reduce calories while still feeling full. This method of eating seems more flexible than keto, and encourages fiber, while discouraging oils.
