Are Calorie-Dense Foods Good for Weight Loss?

Calorie-dense foods contain a high number of calories in a relatively small serving size. You can lose weight if you eat calorie-dense foods like red meat, milk, nuts, and potatoes, in moderation and if you exercise.

Many people struggle with weight loss, but there is so much conflicting advice about the variety of fad diets available. Some tell you to eat all the food you want, as long as it’s low-carb. Others tell you to restrict your calorie intake and avoid calorie-dense foods. Some emphasize historical food habits, while others take advantage of more recent advances in nutritional science. It can be easy to give up and revert to our favorite comfort foods, but what if you could lose weight even while eating those comfort foods? Is it possible to live a healthy lifestyle while still eating calorie-dense foods?

Calorie-dense foods contain a high number of calories in a relatively small serving size. When we think of high-calorie foods, we commonly picture junk food because foods that are high in sugar or fats typically contain more calories. However, calorie-dense does not necessarily mean unhealthy. 

There are a number of foods that are high in calories but add plenty of important nutrients to your diet as well. The key to eating these foods healthily is moderation. Make sure that you’re only eating as many calories as you need that day.

Milk products. Milk is high in calories, but it’s also a key source of calcium, which is critical for bone strength. Milk products, including yogurt and soft cheeses like ricotta, are rich in whey and casein proteins, as well, which are good for building lean muscle. The leucine in these proteins is a key amino acid involved in muscle protein synthesis.

Red meat. Although red meat has developed a poor reputation due to its possible connection to heart disease and colon cancers, when eaten in moderation, it serves as a key source of zinc, iron, B vitamins, and leucine-heavy proteins. For the best health outcomes, choose cuts that are lean, and use slow, low-heat cooking methods such as oven broiling to allow excess fats to drip out. Avoid grilling, as the carcinogens present in the smoke may increase cancer risk. Additionally, more well-done cuts are more strongly associated with a variety of cancers.

Nuts. Containing about 170 calories per ¼ cup, nuts are an easy and satisfying snack that packs a nutritious punch. They are loaded with fiber, protein, and even iron. High-fiber foods have been shown to be helpful for weight loss while also promoting digestion and gut health.

Potatoes. Potatoes contain a number of vitamins and minerals, and they can be prepared in a number of different ways. As a bonus, their fiber content helps you feel full for longer periods, so you’re less likely to overeat.

Studies have shown that weight loss from calorie restriction alone will cause both fat and muscle loss. Unfortunately, muscle helps regulate your metabolism, processing glucose and other sources of metabolic energy, so losing muscle makes it harder to lose weight over time. If you’re able to add exercise to your routine, though, you will build muscle while you burn fat, and you may find weight loss easier. The ideal workout for both fat loss and muscle growth is a combination of aerobic and resistance exercises. 

Additionally, calorie-dense foods are a great source of energy for working out. Combining those extra calories with important muscle-building nutrients such as protein and leucine can help you build muscle even faster and improve your metabolism. 

If you’re not coupling your food intake with adequate exercise, calorie-dense foods may be detrimental to weight control. It takes much less of these foods to reach your daily energy needs, so it’s far easier to overeat if they are your foods of choice. You may not even feel full after consuming a healthy daily allotment of calories. So, if you’re used to eating large meals or don’t plan to alter your lifestyle to include considerably more exercise, you may be better off filling your plate with low-calorie foods. 

Although restrictive diets can help you lose weight rapidly, they are often difficult to maintain, and as soon as you stop restricting your food intake, the weight may come right back. Studies of restrictive diets have shown that participants spent more time focused on food, and when they were allowed to remove the restrictions, they were more likely to engage in binge eating behaviors. Most restrictive diets, in fact, are largely ineffective, as studies have shown participants consistently gain back the lost weight (or even more) within a few years.

For this reason, if you’re trying to lose weight, limiting yourself to low-calorie foods – or smaller servings of calorie-dense foods – may not be as effective as you would hope. Although you’ll probably lose some weight fairly quickly, the muscle loss associated with rapid dietary weight loss may cause you to plateau. 

Then, if you don’t fully commit to maintaining those calorie restrictions, you’ll likely gain all the weight back anyway. The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is a combination of long-term diet modification and a regular exercise routine.

The short answer is yes. However, the caveat is that you can’t just eat whatever you want. Moderation is the key to any healthy lifestyle, so you’ll either need to eat less of your favorite calorie-dense foods or add some nutrients and regular exercise to your routine to make up for it.

Of course, each body is unique and processes food differently, so always talk with a doctor or qualified dietician before making any significant changes to your diet or eating habits. Just because a diet works well for one person doesn’t mean it will be healthy for you. Even when you are restricting your food intake, your body still needs all of the necessary daily nutrients to function properly.