5 high-volume, low-calorie meals and snacks to help you feel full and lose fat, from a dietitian

• High-volume foods can help keep you full while in a calorie deficit for fat loss.
• High-volume foods are usually whole foods that are high in fiber too.

Prioritizing high-volume foods, which take up a lot of space on your plate and in your stomach but have relatively few calories, can be helpful for weight loss.

To lose body fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit, where you burn more energy than you eat. But eating foods that are high in calories but not very filling, from chips and cookies to fries, can make a deficit harder to stick to.

Eating high-volume foods, however, can help you feel full and satiated while sticking to your calorie target (whether or not you actually count them) and less likely to reach for higher calorie foods that could throw you off course.

And eating nutrient-dense, high volume whole foods has benefits outside of weight management — they tend to be higher in fiber and other nutrients, so can boost our overall health.

Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine shared five meal and snack ideas with Insider that include high-volume foods to help you keep hunger at bay.

1. Fat-free Greek yogurt with berries

Ludlam-Raine said this is perfect at breakfast or as a snack and will keep you feeling full. Depending on the brand, a 200 gram serving of 0% fat Greek yogurt contains just over 100 calories and over 20 grams of protein, which can help you feel satisfied.

"Berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries (fresh or frozen), are also great for adding fiber and antioxidants to your meal, while keeping the calories down if you're trying to lose weight," Ludlam-Raine said.

2. Cottage cheese vegetable omelet

"Cottage cheese is another low-fat, high-protein food to add to a meal to provide volume and bulk," Ludlam-Raine said.

She recommended adding three tablespoons of fat-free cottage cheese to an omelet made with two eggs and some vegetables to keep calories down and protein high.

Cottage cheese also works well in pancake mixture, blended in as a substitute for eggs and oil, Ludlam-Raine said.

"Use egg whites for a lower-calorie and higher-protein dish, although the whole egg contains more nutrients," she said.

3. Spinach salads, sauces, and smoothies

"Spinach is a fantastic addition to the diet as it's a good source of vitamin A, folate, and plant-based iron," Ludlam-Raine said. "It's low in calories but packs a nutritional punch when added in volume."

She recommended using spinach as the base of a salad or adding to pasta sauce, curries, homemade soup, or smoothies. To keep the volume, don't cook for too long though, Ludlam-Raine said.

4. Stir-fry

Stir-fries become high-volume meals when you use lots of vegetables, such as peppers, bok choy, and beansprouts, whether pre-prepared or chopped yourself.

"Not only are they low in calories, but they provide a wide variety of different nutrients from the different coloured vegetables which is good for your gut," Ludlam-Raine said.

She recommended eating them with wholegrain rice or noodles for fiber and a protein source such as chicken, lean beef, tofu, or prawns.

5. Popcorn

Lightly sweetened popcorn can be a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth and fill you up, Ludlam-Raine said, with some individual servings containing as few as 70 calories.

"Popcorn is a surprisingly good source of fiber too, so why not experiment with using herbs and spices to make your own savory or sweet snack," Ludlam-Raine said. "For example, sweet cinnamon spiced popcorn or spicy paprika and chili."