Food Quality vs Food Quantity

 

One of the great debates of nutrition, what is more important, food quality vs food quantity

 

Really, it’s redundant

 

Both are important, and synergistic 

 

Eating higher quality of foods, typically more nutrient dense foods, helps keep the quantity you eat in check

 

Vegetables and fruit, contain fibre and contain lower calories so just the bulk means you’re fuller on less calories

 

Meats are similarly filling with less calories, due to the protein content 

 

What this boils down to is moving towards eating ingredients more often than you eat lists of ingredients

 

The more you can do that, the more you find that maintaining a stable weight and body fat range becomes easier and easier

 

And the bonus is, you can do that without having to count calories 

 

You know this makes sense, eating a steak and potatoes is much more filling than eating a bag of corn chips

 

Even though the corn chips contain more calories, you feel the same amount of fullness

 

Would you rather eat 2,000 calories a day and remain full throughout the entire day

 

Or, eat 2,500 calories and feel hangry at 3pm everyday? 

 

Great, so what to do with this information 

 

Well, you don’t have to meal prep to eat more ingredients

 

3 simple ways to move towards more whole foods 

 

1. Leftovers – if you can eat leftovers, do it! Not only do you avoid unnecessary waste, you help your waistline too

2. Better takeaway – Coles and Woolies have everything you need for a quick lunch, a roast chicken and a salad aren’t the sexiest option, but it’s better than most

3. Swap snacks – nuts for crackers, fruit for chocolate. Just pick ones you love, so that you actually enjoy it, at least at first, then you can optimise later

 

Make eating whole foods as easy as possible, ingredients over lists of ingredients!