Calorie density describes the amount of calories in a given volume or weight of food.

Understanding how it works can help you lose weight and improve your diet (1Trusted Source).

What's more, focusing on low-calorie foods allows you to eat a large volume of foods while still reducing calories (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

This can have many health benefits, including increased nutrient intake and weight loss.

This article explains everything you need to know about calorie density.

What is calorie density?
Calorie density is a measure of the caloric content of a food in relation to its weight or volume.

It is also called energy density and is usually measured as calories per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of food.

Choosing foods with a low calorie density can help you lose weight. It makes you automatically eat fewer calories while eating large and hearty portions (5Trusted Source, 6).

An easier way to understand this is to imagine a plate full of food. The less calories the dish contains, the lower the calorie density of the food.

A vegetable with 30 calories per 100 grams has a low calorie density, while chocolate that has 550 calories per 100 grams has a very high caloric density.

While calorie density may be less known than other weight control concepts, such as calorie counting, the choice of foods according to this measure may be simpler and more effective (7Trusted Source).

For example, basing your diet on low-calorie foods tends to limit you to predominantly healthy and nutrient-rich whole foods.

You can quickly clean your diet, eliminating most processed and high-calorie foods that are generally unhealthy and easy to overeat.

SUMMARY
"Calorie density" refers to the amount of calories by weight or volume of food. It is a very simple and effective method to improve your diet.
How does calorie density affect weight?
Eating too many calories is a key factor in weight gain (8, 9 of reliable origin).

Several studies have shown that people who consume low calorie diets also consume fewer total calories per day. This is linked to a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (10 Source Source, 11 Source Source).

Consequently, studies reveal that those whose diets comprise mostly high-calorie foods have a higher risk of weight gain and obesity (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).

Caloric density also affects hunger.

Low calorie foods tend to provide less fat and more water and fiber. This is excellent for making you feel full and reducing your daily calorie intake (13Trusted Source).

In contrast, many high-calorie foods are highly processed and extremely tasty, so they are easy to overeat.

Research indicates that whole foods tell your brain to stop eating, while this effect is delayed when you eat highly processed foods (14 from a reliable source, 15 from a reliable source).

In one study, participants consumed 56% more calories when they were provided with a high energy density meal, compared to a low energy density meal (2 from a reliable source).

Another study compared calorie intake for high and low calorie foods that were combined for palatability and macronutrients.

People consumed an average of 425 calories more when they were given a calorie-rich meal than when they were given a low calorie density (3 from a reliable source).

SUMMARY
Research has linked the intake of high-calorie foods with weight gain and obesity. Those who eat more low-calorie foods tend to eat fewer calories and have a lower body weight.
A low calorie diet helps you lose weight

A low calorie diet can help you lose weight.

It focuses on whole foods and limits the intake of processed foods, which naturally increases the intake of protein, vegetables and fruits.

All of these foods have been shown to help you lose weight by reducing your total calorie intake per meal or per day (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

A low-calorie diet can decrease hunger because your stomach detects the volume of food you have consumed in a meal.

A low calorie meal also fills your plate. This helps your food to last longer and forces you to chew, which further increases your feelings of fullness (13 from a reliable source).