High-calorie foods are regarded by many as “flood beasts”, and if they want to lose weight, they will take the initiative to avoid them. However, the dominant view in nutrition has long since equated “high calorie” with “getting fat” simply and crudely. The effect of food on body weight, far more complex than one figure.
Recently, a nutritionist introduced 5 high-calorie foods, 4 of which “eat the right ones” also help to lose weight.
01
Avocado:
Nicknamed “Forest Butter”, it can actually lose weight
When it comes to avocados, many people's first reaction is “greasy”. Indeed, avocado has a fat content of up to 15.3 g/100 g, almost 77 times that of common fruits such as apples, oranges, mangoes, and bayberries. The calories far exceed most fruits, up to 171 kcal/100 grams. The calories of half a medium-sized avocado are approximately equal to a small bowl of steamed rice.
In reality, however, avocados, which seem like “huge fat”, are a recommended food to eat during fat loss.
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that adding half a fresh avocado to lunch improved outcomes for overweight and severely obese adults compared with subjects who did not eat avocado. Satisfaction and reduced appetite within 3 to 5 hours, and significantly reduced blood insulin levels. Eating avocado helps to increase satiety, which in turn reduces snack intake, reduces total calories throughout the day, and helps with weight management. This is due to the abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber and other nutrients in avocados, which have many health benefits.
Avocados, although high in fat, are mostly “good fats” and contain 80% unsaturated fatty acids, mainly monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic acid, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, while also helping to improve blood lipid levels.
In addition, avocados have a total dietary fiber content of up to 6.7g/100g. A medium-sized avocado contains about 10 grams of dietary fiber, most of which is soluble dietary fiber. It can help stabilize postprandial blood sugar levels and avoid hunger caused by sudden rises and falls in blood sugar. and insulin resistance. Smooth insulin levels help the body use energy more efficiently, rather than converting it into fat for storage.
Avocado also has a good potassium content, up to 599 mg/100 grams, which is 2.3 times that of banana, and is also beneficial for blood pressure control.
Scientific advice on consumption
Control between half and one (about 100~150 grams) per day; control the total calories, replace some other foods, such as eating a few bites less rice, two bites less pork belly, and reduce some cooking oil; suitable for eating at breakfast or lunch, taking advantage of its high satiety characteristics to control appetite throughout the day.
02
Nuts:
Half is oil, but you won't gain weight if you eat it right
Nuts such as walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, etc., are recognized as high-calorie foods. Many nuts have a fat content of about 50% or even higher. Just one handful of melon seed kernels, about 10 grams, can consume nearly 60 kcal. Therefore, many people who lose weight stay away from nuts for fear that the heat “exploding” will affect weight loss if they are not careful.
However, epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that moderate nut intake not only does not lead to weight gain, but may instead contribute to weight management and reduce the risk of obesity. A 2010 systematic review published in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition pointed out that eating nuts as a snack can significantly reduce energy intake in subsequent meals. To put it simply, eating a handful of nuts in the morning, and most likely eating less at lunch, can help with weight loss.
A 2014 3-month study involving 100 overweight and obese women published in the Journal of Medical Research found that subjects who consumed almonds had lower body weight, BMI, waist circumference, Waist-to-hip ratio, cholesterol and total triglycerides, fasting blood glucose and diastolic blood pressure all decreased significantly.
The many benefits that nuts bring are related to the fact that they are rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, dietary fiber, antioxidant ingredients, etc.
Scientific advice on consumption
The daily intake is a small handful, about 10 grams, which is equivalent to the amount of 1 handful of melon seed kernels or seven or eight cashews or 1 to 2 walnuts; and choose raw nuts that are salt-free, sugar-free, and not deeply baked or fried; it is best to eat them between meals.
03
Salmon:
“Big fat pig in the deep sea”, very healthy
Salmon is loved by many people because of its thick, tender mouth. As a typical high-fat fish, the fat content of salmon per 100 grams can reach 7.8~14 grams, which is higher than that of bass, croaker, and hairtail. It is more than 15 times that of cod. Its heat is naturally not low, 139~208 kcal/100 grams. People who are in the weight loss period will inevitably worry about eating long meat.
Salmon, although high in fat, wins in “good quality”, mostly Omega-3 fatty acids (including DHA+EPA“, which makes it a ”superstar on the fat-reducing table, even for weight loss.
First, the type and quantity of fat in the diet are important factors in determining the risk of obesity, and plasma Omega-3 fatty acids are negatively associated with metabolic syndrome and also with a reduced risk of obesity, which can promote the burning of fat. And, a 2022 study published in "Cureus" mentioned that increased intake of Omega-6 and decreased Omega-3 in the diet were associated with an increased risk of obesity. Insufficient intake of Omega-3 fatty acids leads to increased general obesity and abdominal obesity in adults, and increasing Omega-3 levels in the diet is crucial to preventing obesity.
Secondly, salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein, containing about 17~20 grams of protein per 100 grams. A high-protein diet can significantly improve satiety and increase food heat effects, which is more beneficial for weight loss.
In addition to this, salmon is one of the few foods rich in vitamin D, with a content of 11 micrograms/100 grams. The "Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Chinese Residents (2023 Edition)" recommends that adults supplement with 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day, which means that eating 100 grams (the size of a palm) of salmon can meet the demand and is crucial to maintaining human bone health.
Scientific advice on consumption
Salmon can be as big as 1 palm at a time. In terms of cooking methods, it is recommended to steam, make soup, microwave, lightly fry at low temperature, and bake with tin foil to help retain more nutrients.
04
Potatoes:
Actually, it's a staple food for weight loss
Potatoes have long been classified as “fat food” because their carbohydrate content is 17.8 grams/100 grams, and most vegetables are below 5%; potatoes have 81 kcal, which is not low in “vegetables”, but much lower than rice (346 kcal/100g).
In fact, potatoes, which are potatoes, are a high-quality staple food that helps to lose weight. Potatoes are very satiating, with boiled potatoes topping the list with a staggering 323% in one “food satiety index” study, more than three times that of white bread of equal calories. This means that eating potatoes allows you to get a longer-lasting feeling of fullness with less calories, significantly reducing your total energy intake throughout the day.
Potatoes also have a core secret to help lose weight, which is that after the potatoes are cooked and cooled, the molecular structure of a portion of the starch will change, forming a resistant starch. Resistant starch functions like dietary fiber and cannot be digested and absorbed in the small intestine, so it produces extremely low amounts of heat. Not only is it good for your gut health, but it also improves your insulin sensitivity and reduces your effects on your blood sugar.
There were studies that found that after replacing high-calorie foods with cooked and refrigerated potatoes, participants lost an average of 5.6% of their body weight (about 5.8 kg), improved insulin resistance, and felt full despite unintentional caloric reduction.
So, replacing part of the rice with potatoes during weight loss helps to reduce the intake of calories and carbohydrates, enhances satiety, eats less and loses weight better. At the same time, more nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium can be consumed.
Scientific advice on consumption
Potatoes as a potato food, it is recommended to eat 100 grams per day (about 1 fist of small potatoes); avoid frying (fries, chips), it is recommended to steam, boil, and bake with the skin; replace some of the cooked and cooled potatoes with white rice, white noodles, white bread, etc. as the best staple food; do not use fried shredded potatoes as a dish.
05
Dark chocolate:
Cardiovascular-friendly and healthy snacks
Dark chocolate is a typical high-calorie food, with calories of more than 600 kcal/100 grams. Even if you only eat 20 grams, you will consume 131 kcal, which is equivalent to more than half a bowl of steamed rice. Given its high calories, many people are afraid to eat it for fear of gaining weight.
Even though there is a risk of gaining weight if you eat too much dark chocolate, if you choose correctly and eat in moderation, there is absolutely no need to reject it outright for losing weight. Because, it is rich in polyphenols and friendly to cardiovascular health and blood sugar.
The main component of dark chocolate is cocoa butter, a meta-analysis published in "Nutrients" in 2024 included a total of 31 studies involving 1986 participants. The results showed that the consumption of cocoa had a protective effect on the main cardiometabolic risk markers, reducing total cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose.
A 2024 study published in the British Medical Journal conducted a detailed risk assessment on the total chocolate intake and different flavors of chocolate. The results showed that eating chocolate regularly, especially dark chocolate, can reduce the risk of diabetes. People who consumed more than 5 servings of dark chocolate per week (28 g/serving) had a 21% lower risk of diabetes compared to those who did not eat chocolate. And "for every additional serving of dark chocolate, the risk of type 2 diabetes decreases by 3%".
Scientific advice on consumption
The key to choosing the right “real” black chocolate is the high cocoa content. It is best to choose black chocolate with a total cocoa solid content of no less than 70%. The higher the cocoa content, the richer the polyphenols; eat up to 20 grams per day. That’s it, avoid eating too much and gaining weight.
