The book, Mayo Clinic on Healthy Weight, recommends paying close attention to the energy density of foods in order to maintain a healthy diet. The January issue of Mayo Clinic Women s HealthSource contains guidelines and information about this new way of thinking about food.
Energy density is the number of calories in a given volume of food.
For example, one cup of lettuce has fewer calories than one cup of ice cream, so the lettuce has a lower energy density. Eating more foods with low energy density will allow you to eat a healthy diet while still feeling full after meals. But you don t have to eat lettuce at every meal to enjoy the benefits of this diet plan. One example of how to lower the energy density of your diet includes skewing the ratio of vegetables to pasta in your favorite Italian dishes. Instead of eating one cup of pasta with a small amount of tomato sauce, try serving a half-cup of pasta mixed with one cup of vegetables.