To Eat Less, Start Meals with a Low-Calorie Salad

ARTICLE: "Salad and satiety: Energy density and portion size of a first-course salad affect energy intake at lunch", Rolls, BJ et al, J Am Dietetic Assoc, October 2004, 104(10):1570-1576

ARTICLE SUMMARY: Eating a salad at the beginning of a meal may cause you to eat less food.

Forty-two women ate a test lunch once per week for 7 weeks. They were given one of six first-course salads, or no salad in the control condition, followed by a main course of pasta. Subjects were required to consume the entire salad, but ate as much pasta as they wanted. The salads varied in energy density (0.33, 0.67, or 1.33 kcal/g) and portion size (150 or 300 g). The energy density (calories) of the salad was reduced by changing the amount and type of dressing and cheese.

Lunch comprised one of six first-course salads, or no salad in the control condition, followed by a main course of pasta. The women were required to consume the entire salad, but ate as much pasta as they wanted. The calorie density of the various salads was reduced by changing the amount and type of dressing and cheese.

Compared with having no first course, consuming the low-calorie salads reduced meal energy intake (by 7% for the small portion and 12% for the large), and consuming the high-calorie salads increased intake (by 8% for the small portion and 17% for the large). When two salads with the same number of calories were compared, meal intake was decreased when the large portion of the lower-energy-dense salad was consumed.

Eating a low-calorie first course enhances satiety and reduces meal energy intake. Consuming a large portion of a low-energy-dense food at the start of a meal may be an effective strategy for weight management.

DOCTOR'S COMMENTS: If you have a weight problem and find yourself eating more at a meal than you like, we recommend that you have a sizeable mixed garden salad first. Use a dressing that is low in calories. Also, don't add cheese, ham, luncheon meats or other fatty animal foods. Some avocado is OK. Eat 2-3 cups of garden salad before starting the rest of your meal.

You may be pleasantly surprised to find that even though it feels like you're eating a lot of food, you'll actually be reducing your total calorie intake. The study suggests a 12% reduction in calories is possible, which is quite significant. Calorie reduction is a proven way to improve symptoms of PCOS.

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