Volume Eating: 20 Everyday Foods You Can Eat in Mass for 300 Calories or Less
Volume Eating: 20 Everyday Foods You Can Eat in Mass for 300 Calories or Less
Eat Your Heart Out
If you’re unfamiliar with volume eating, it’s essentially a practice for those that want to lose weight but want to eat as much as possible. It’s built on the basis that some foods are so low in calories that you can have a huge bowl of them, and it would be the equivalent of three Oreos. To help you get started, here are 20 foods you can volume eat as much as you want.
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1. Popcorn
The absolute king of volume eating is undoubtedly popcorn, as you can get up to four serving cups of popcorn for just 140 to 150 calories. Plus, there are plenty of low-calorie seasonings you can mix in for even more fun.
2. Sugar-Free Jell-O
Here’s a surprising fact for you! Did you know that the zero-sugar strawberry-flavored Jell-O pack has only 10 calories per serving? That’s probably shocking news. But it means you can go ahead and eat as much as you want without the guilt – it would take you 30 packs to hit 300 calories alone.
3. Pickle Spears
Some people love the tangy and savory taste of pickles, and if you’re one of those people, you’ll love volume eating them. One pickle spear only has 3 calories, which means you can go ahead and eat 100 of them if you want.
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4. Cottage Cheese
When you think of tasty snacks, you probably think of chips or cookies. But go ahead and give cottage cheese a chance. Half a cup comes in at 100 calories, but you can easily spice it up with some seasonings.
5. Dried Seaweed Snacks
If you’re feeling adventurous and looking to replace boring old chips, give dried seaweed a chance. Most packs come in at only 30 calories, which means you can go ahead and eat 10 of them if it suits you.
6. Watermelon
Did you know you could have a whole overflowing bowl of watermelon for barely any calories? That’s because watermelon is essentially 92% water. So next time you’re hungry and trying to avoid calories, just go ahead and eat watermelon until you can’t move.
7. Sugar-Free Pudding
When you think of pudding, you assume it must be super sugary and unhealthy, but it turns out the sugar-free variants are pretty bang for your buck. For instance, one snack-pack sugar-free vanilla pudding only comes in at 60 calories, which means you can essentially go ahead and eat five.
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8. Leafy Greens
If you’re a fan of munching on vegetables, you’ll have a breezy time volume-eating. Anything from lettuce, spinach, or kale can be enjoyed in massive bowls for a fraction of the calories. Try adding some low-fat dips or seasonings for a little extra oomph.
9. Edamame
Edamame is great for multiple reasons. The complex way you have to eat it slows you down, making the meal last longer. Secondly, half a cup of edamame only comes in at 100 calories, meaning you can go ahead and load up on them. Just be sure to add some sea salt.
10. Bran Cereal
If you’re missing that crunch but want to keep things sweet, it turns out there are plenty of alternatives to sugary cereals that you can volume eat to your heart's content. One of those foods is bran cereal, which comes in at 131 calories for 1 cup. Of course, if you shop around, you’ll probably be able to take it down to 90 calories per cup.
11. Chips and Salsa
Most people would be shocked to see any mention of chips, but the secret is in the preparation. Find some healthy or baked chips, and go ahead and smother them in some low-calorie salsa. You’ll have to be mindful of how much you can have, but you can hit about 2 cups of chips in under 300 calories.
12. Cruciferous Vegetables
If the leafy variants are your language, you can go ahead and relish in all your options. Everything from cabbage to cauliflower to Brussels sprouts are all acceptable options. Eat them raw for the lowest amount of calories, or go ahead and bake them for a low-cal snack nonetheless.
13. Root Vegetables
Nothing quite beats radishes in terms of texture and flavor, but of course, you can go ahead and have some carrots or beets instead. After all, carrots and ranch are a classic pairing.
14. Greek Yogurt
Everyone always talks about how healthy Greek yogurt is, with some even claiming it’s a decent ice cream alternative. While that last bit is debatable, Greek yogurt is certainly low calorie, with one non-fat variant coming in at 59 calories per 100 grams.
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15. Ice Cream
Everyone loves ice cream, and it’s certainly the hardest food to give up. Luckily, you don’t have to. Many companies have come out with high-protein and low-sugar and calorie ice cream. Plenty of these allow you to have a whole pint in 150 to 300 calories. Keep an eye out for Cool Way and Halo Top in particular.
16. Stem Vegetables
One final contender in the world of vegetables are the stemmy ones. This includes things like zucchini, onions, celery, and more. Everyone knows celery works great with some low-fat ranch or peanut butter.
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17. Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella
One pairing that has gained popularity in the volume-eating world is cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. You can go ahead and take one cup of tomatoes, throw in some mozzarella, and add a sprinkling of balsamic glaze. All that comes around to an impressive 150 calories, meaning you can go ahead and double dip.
18. Kale Chips
If you enjoy cooking at home, then you can go ahead and experiment with kale chips, with some successful cooks putting out recipes that clock in at 152 calories for 4 cups. Whether it’s a good substitute for regular potato chips or not, it’s certainly a crunchy and fun snack.
19. Chicken Caesar Salad
If you follow the right recipe, you can easily make a chicken Caesar salad that comes in at 300 calories. By focusing mainly on the veggies and finding a low-calorie dressing alternative, you’ll be able to have a whole bowl-full.
20. Fruit
This might be the most boring option, but yes, fruit is a snack you can have in abundance. To take things to the next level, have it with a puff of sugar-free and low-fat whipped cream. Nothing’s sweeter than strawberries and whipped cream.
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