# SHOCKING: Caloric Density Comparisons

Published: 2015-07-14T11:09:17.104091-04:00
Canonical URL: https://www.getmealplans.com/blog/2015/07/14/shocking-caloric-density-comparisons-photos/

Want to feel satisfied on less calories?

Are you hungry for abundance instead of deprivation?

Ready to change your life (and your approach to food!) FOREVER?

**You’re going to LOVE the concept of CALORIC DENSITY.**

Caloric density = the concentration of calories in a serving of food. For example...

**What would leave you more satisfied?**

¼ cup of almonds or almost 2 whole cups of blueberries?!

![https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/blueberries-vs-almonds.jpg](https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/blueberries-vs-almonds.jpg)

They’re both about 100 calories!

Nuts are very high in caloric density, but blueberries (like most fruits and veggies) are low in caloric density since they’re full of water and fiber.

**Thinking of it another way:** How fast can you eat a handful of olives?

Can you eat 1 whole cucumber that fast? What about 45 celery stalks? Or 3½ bell peppers?

![https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/cucumber-vs-olives-1.jpg](https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/cucumber-vs-olives-1.jpg)

*They’re all about the same amount of calories!*

**Learning about caloric density, and then choosing foods based on it…**

CHANGED MY LIFE.

I wasn’t hungry anymore. I wasn’t tired or lethargic from too few (or too many) calories.

Choosing the right foods to eat became a no-brainer.

Weight-loss became easier, too, almost effortless. And maintaining? A breeze.

**If you have a ravenous appetite (like me)...**

**Or you battle the urge to EATALLTHEFOODS…** (If that [appestat](https://www.getmealplans.com/blog/2015/03/17/does-eating-smaller-portions-shrink-your-stomach/) is set too HIGH…)

Caloric density will make a HUGE difference in your health and food satisfaction.

![https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/caloric-density-stomachs.jpg](https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/caloric-density-stomachs.jpg)

**If you focus on selecting foods with a low caloric density, you can worry less about how much of them you’re eating.**

PLUS the most filling foods are the most nutritious foods!! WINNING.

This is why our meals are so big and filling -- they center on caloric density.

Take a look at this caloric density comparison of common foods:

**Food** | calories per 1 cup

spinach *7*

lettuce *8*

broccoli *31*

carrots *45*

strawberries *49*

apple *57*

pineapple *78*

tofu *176*

black beans *210*

chicken *214*

brown rice *218*

lentils *226*

beef *263*

garbanzo beans *269*

oats *310*

raisins *434*

flour *455*

almonds *546*

sugar *774*

cashews *786*

oil *1728*

If you want to lose weight without scrimping on your portion size, it’ll be OBVIOUS what types of foods you need to center your diet around.

AND if you need to gain weight, or you often run into the “I ate a big salad but I’m hungry an hour later…why?” issue…you’ll see what you need to do differently.

Here are some more comparison pics...

![https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/apple-vs-peanut-butter.jpg](https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/apple-vs-peanut-butter.jpg)

*1 tbsp peanut butter vs. 1 apple*

![https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/sweet-potato-vs-avocado-1.jpg](https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/sweet-potato-vs-avocado-1.jpg)

*¼ avocado vs. 1 sweet potato*

![https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/kale-vs-brown-rice-1.jpg](https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/07/kale-vs-brown-rice-1.jpg)

*¼ cup cooked rice vs. 1¾ cups kale*

And here's a video comparing 100 calories worth of food. [Click here to watch!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSUtXePw7Aw)