Barbara Rolls holds a doctorate degree in nutrition. She is the endowed Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University . The author has also conducted 20 years of research studying hunger and obesity. Rolls has also authored over 200 academic articles.

Diet Overview:

The Volumetrics Eating Plan focuses on the scientific principles of satiety – the body’s signal that it’s full – by enhancing the feeling of fullness while simultaneously consuming fewer calories. Foods with higher water content have fewer calories but control appetite better, i.e., fruits, vegetables and soups are 80-95 % water whereas oils are 100% fat, 0% water. For instance, 100 calories = ¼ cup raisins (low water content) or 1-2/3 cups grapes (high water content). The larger volume of grapes provides greater satiety than the dried fruit without increasing caloric intake.
Rolls’ studies on hunger/satiety reveal that most people eat the same weight or volume of foods at meals. Hence, by eating nutritious foods with lower caloric value, dieters can experience a feeling of fullness and improve nutrient intake while losing weight.
Energy density (ED) of food is another key concept of the Volumetrics Eating Plan. ED is defined as amount of calories of a given food divided by its gram weight (usually 28 grams or 1 ounce). Commonly eaten foods are then assigned to one of four ED categories:

Category 1- Very Low ED Nonstarchy fruits/vegetables, nonfat milk, broth type soups
Dieters can enjoy eating plenty of these foods on a daily basis.

Category 2-Low ED Starchy fruits/vegetables, grains, chili, spaghetti
Dieters eat suggested portioned-controlled amounts of these foods on a daily basis.

Category 3-Medium ED Meats, cheese, pizza, salad dressings, pretzels, ice cream Dieters eat suggested portioned-controlled amounts of these foods on a weekly basis.

Category 4-High ED Crackers, chips, chocolate, cookies, candy, butter and oils. Dieters eat suggested portioned-controlled amounts of these foods on an occasional basis.

Other principles of the Volumetrics Eating Plan are as follows:

1. Reduce caloric intake by 500-1000 calories/day to promote 1-2 pound per week weight loss.
2. Diet composition-20-30% total calories from fat, 15-35% total calories from protein and carbohydrates are at least 55% total calories.
3. Fiber intake: 25-38 grams/day; high fiber foods are low ED, high satiety value.
4. Water-9 cups/day for women, 13 cups/day for men.
5. Exercise-30-60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on a daily basis.

Foods Allowed:

Focus on fiber-rich foods with a high moisture content. Fruits (mostly fresh), vegetables (mostly those with high water content; e.g. tomatoes, broccoli, greens) whole grain pasta, rice, breads and cereals; soups, salads; low-fat poultry, seafood, meats and dairy. Moderate amounts of sugar and alcohol are permitted, too.

Foods Restricted:

No foods are forbidden but limiting fatty foods like deep-fat fried items, sweets and fats added at the table are recommended. Limited amount of dry foods (crackers, popcorn, pretzels, etc.) due to their high caloric value and low satiety index.

Sample Menu:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal:
    1-1/3 cup oatmeal made with water
    1/2 medium apple
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 grapefruit
Coffee

Lunch:
Grilled Chicken Salad:
   3ounces grilled chicken breast
   3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
   4 slices red bell pepper
   2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
   1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
   2 tablespoons light dressing

1 whole wheat pita bread
1 cup sliced strawberries

Snack:
1 cup Cheerios
1/2 cup nonfat milk
2/3 cup fresh blueberries

Dinner:
Steak Fajita:
   3 ounces trimmed sirloin steak grilled
   1/2 cup grilled green pepper
   1/2 cup grilled onion
   1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
   2 tablespoons salsa
   1/2 cup shredded Romaine lettuce
   1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
   2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
   1-10 inch flour tortilla
   1/2 cup corn
1 cup diced cantaloupe

Nutrition Analysis of Sample Menu:*

Calories:		1735
Protein:		102 g	23% calories
Total fat:	35 g	18% calories
Carbohydrate:   	274 g	61% calories

Saturated fat:	10 g
Cholesterol:	150 mg
Sodium:		3237 mg
Fiber:		35.2 g

                  

Comments:

• Sensible, effective and nutritionally balanced eating plan that promotes healthy food choices and portion-control that are consistent with USDA Food Guide Pyramid.
• Recipes with colorful photos of high energy density portions versus low energy dense portions are educational as well as practical resources.
• High volume of fiber-rich foods recommended for meals and snacks may cause gastrointestinal distress for some dieters.

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