Low Calorie Density = High Quality

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Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Low Calorie Density = High Quality

An article in the August J Am Diet Assoc. evaluated the diets of 7,500 American adults who participated in the 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Not surprisingly, those who consumed diets with a lower calorie or energy density (ED) consumed fewer calories than those who consumed higher ED diets. Despite consuming fewer calories, those consuming the lower ED diets also consumed more fiber and nutrients.1
People who consumed the fewest calories tended to eat less fat and more carbohydrate, fiber and protein than those consuming diets with a higher ED. The results of this study give further the support to the concept of promoting lower ED diets as means of producing weight loss while maintaining adequate nutrient intake.Shifting the traditional focus away from counting calories and toward consuming nutrient-rich low calorie dense foods should assist people in losing weight while achieving a more nutrient dense diet. Indeed, given the long-term failure of calorie counting for producing long-term weight control it seems this paradigm shift away from calorie counting is long overdue. The new focus should be on nutrient-dense foods, with a low-energy-density, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean animal protein, and fat-free dairy products.Not surprisingly the vast majority of Americans who have attempted to lose weight while eating high fat, calorie-dense foods with little fiber fail repeatedly. Perhaps it is time to tell people who seek our counsel that foods like cookies, candy, pastries, chips, fried chicken, etc. that are high in fat and calorie dense but low in fiber and nutrients are fattening?. They also may be addicting so that attempting to eat such foods in controlled amounts proves as futile as counseling alcoholics to control their portion sizes. It may be time the dietetic profession move away from the questionable mantras like all foods can fit into a healthy diet and the key to weight control is careful portion control and accurate calorie counting.?By James J. Kenney, PhD, RD, FACN1. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006;106:1172-80
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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Calorie-Density Classifications for Foods