We're always talking about nutrient density and how High Nutrient Dense foods provide what our bodies need to heal, to restore balance and thrive. Today we're going to look at Calorie Density and how the numbers of calories per pound in a food can reveal a lot about why our world is experiencing such high rates of obesity.
Calorie Density is just that, how densely calories are packed into a food. Dark leafy greens, for instance, are about 100 calories per pound, with fruits around 300 and beans and legumes around 600. The average calorie density for a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) meal comes in around 700 calories per pound.
The average American meal based on meat and bread or pasta is around 1200 calories per pound. That's almost twice that of WFPB. Is it any wonder that so many Americans are overweight or obese? The latest statistic I saw from MedPageToday was that 73% of Americans were overweight or obese.
Fortunately, we've seen how resilient the human body is and with changes in diet and lifestyle, chronic weight conditions can be reversed.
Chef AJ, one of our favourite WFPB chefs, has some things to say about calorie density and the importance of veggies to lose weight and be healthy. Join us to hear more:
So, there you have it. How about that? Chef AJ has a simple formula where you don't need to think about calorie density, nutrient density or anything else. WFPB with half the plate being veggies. Could it be that simple? We've found that it is for us.
If you'd like to learn more about shifting to WFPB or explore the new understanding we share with others about the no willpower way to overcome poor eating habits, let us know in the comments below.
This week the recipe is an Applesauce Oat Cookie. We have tons (not literally) of apples right now from a friend's organic orchard and we're making everything we can think of with apples. This is a simple, tasty oatmeal cookie with applesauce and raisins. Try it and let us know what you think.
Applesauce Oat Cookies
- 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax in 5 tablespoons water)
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup almonds, chopped
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup date paste
- 1 dropper (16 drops) liquid stevia
- ¼ cup purified water
- 2 cups rolled oats
In a small bowl, add ground flax to water and stir well. Set in fridge for 10-15 minutes.
In a large bowl, mash the banana and then add the raisins, nuts, applesauce, date paste, stevia, water and mix well.
Add the oats and flax eggs and mix thoroughly.
Drop 2-4 tablespoon size dollops of batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to form a nice round cookie.
Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes until cookies are golden brown.
If you would like to make bars, pour the batter into a parchment paper lined 8” x 12” baking dish and flatten. Bake at 350º 30 to 40 minutes until the bars are golden brown. Then cut to size you desire.