Energy Density — the Volume Eating Chart
The volume-eating number in one column: how many grams of food 100 kcal buys. Water-dense vegetables run to hundreds of grams; oils stop at 11. Ranked lowest kcal per 100 g first, with protein and fiber beside them so nobody eats air.
| Food | kcal / 100 g | Grams per 100 kcal | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watercress (raw) | 11 | 909 g | 2.3 g | 0.5 g |
| Hot sauce (tabasco-style) | 12 | 833 g | 1.3 g | 0.6 g |
| Bok choy (raw) | 13 | 769 g | 1.0 g | 1.3 g |
| Iceberg lettuce | 14 | 714 g | 0.7 g | 1.2 g |
| Kimchi | 15 | 667 g | 1.1 g | 1.6 g |
| Celery (raw) | 16 | 625 g | 0.5 g | 1.6 g |
| Radish (raw) | 16 | 625 g | 0.7 g | 1.6 g |
| Napa cabbage | 16 | 625 g | 1.2 g | 1.2 g |
| Nopales (cactus pads, raw) | 16 | 625 g | 1.3 g | 2.2 g |
| Zucchini (raw) | 17 | 588 g | 1.2 g | 1.0 g |
| Romaine lettuce | 17 | 588 g | 1.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Endive (raw) | 17 | 588 g | 1.2 g | 3.1 g |
| Tomato (raw) | 18 | 556 g | 0.9 g | 1.2 g |
| Vinegar (distilled) | 18 | 556 g | 0.0 g | 0.0 g |
| Swiss chard (raw) | 19 | 526 g | 1.8 g | 1.6 g |
| Bamboo shoots (canned) | 19 | 526 g | 1.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Sauerkraut | 19 | 526 g | 0.9 g | 2.9 g |
| Chayote (raw) | 19 | 526 g | 0.8 g | 1.7 g |
| Pumpkin (cooked) | 20 | 500 g | 0.7 g | 1.1 g |
| Purslane (raw) | 20 | 500 g | 2.0 g | 0.9 g |
| Rhubarb (raw) | 21 | 476 g | 0.9 g | 1.8 g |
| Asparagus (cooked) | 22 | 455 g | 2.4 g | 2.0 g |
| Mushrooms (white, raw) | 22 | 455 g | 3.1 g | 1.0 g |
| Okra (cooked) | 22 | 455 g | 1.9 g | 2.5 g |
| Spinach (raw) | 23 | 435 g | 2.9 g | 2.2 g |
| Alfalfa sprouts (raw) | 23 | 435 g | 4.0 g | 1.9 g |
| Cauliflower (raw) | 25 | 400 g | 1.6 g | 1.9 g |
| Arugula (raw) | 25 | 400 g | 2.6 g | 1.6 g |
| Kohlrabi (raw) | 27 | 370 g | 1.7 g | 3.6 g |
| Turnip (raw) | 28 | 357 g | 0.9 g | 1.8 g |
Common questions
What is volume eating?
Filling up on foods that are high in water and fiber and low in calories per gram — the grams-per-100-kcal column here is exactly that number. A plate of spinach costs the same 100 kcal as a single cookie; one of them fills a bowl.
Does volume eating work for weight loss?
It's the research-backed core of every 'eat more, weigh less' approach (Croll Rolls' energy-density work, Volumetrics): same fullness, fewer calories. The failure mode is forgetting protein — pair it with the protein-per-calorie chart.
How does this fit a GLP-1 appetite?
It runs the other way: small appetite means every bite must earn protein and fiber first. Volume eating is the maintenance-phase tool, when the job is staying full on less.
Method
Energy density = kcal per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central, same rows as every table here); grams per 100 kcal is its inverse — the portion size a fixed calorie budget buys. Protein and fiber columns are per 100 g.