Do you want to feel full and still lose weight?

Would you like to be able to add more foods into your menu without hindering your weight loss efforts?

You can, by utilizing the strategies of Volumetrics®.

What is Volumetrics®?

Volumetrics® is an eating approach designed to help control hunger and enhance satisfaction while managing calories. It is a sensible approach that can be tailored and flexed to fit your individual preferences and needs. Based on the research of Barbara Rolls, PhD, a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University, Volumetrics® shows you how to eat more food, keep hunger in check and manage portions to lose weight.

How does it work?

Volumetrics is about optimizing food choices. Choosing foods rich in water, fiber, and protein and lower in fat will make your menu more “volumetric” and will provide more satisfying portions. For example, mixing non-starchy vegetables, such as tomatoes, broccoli and peppers into your pasta dish will lower the calorie density and enlarge your portions. This is because non-starchy vegetables contain a lot of water and fiber. Selecting lean meats over higher-fat meats helps to lower the calorie density of your meals because there is less fat and more protein in the lean cuts, which leads to fewer calories for an equal portion size.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Strengthen your success with soup!

Soup, which has a high water content, is another example of a food with a low calorie density that supports healthy weight management. When eaten before a meal, soup can be a powerful tool to help you feel full and maintain satisfaction. This was demonstrated in a recent study conducted by Dr. Rolls. People who consumed soup as a first course ate 20% less calories for that meal, compared with those who didn’t have soup.1 Try eating a Soupitizer™ before your next meal to curb your appetite and help to prevent unplanned eating.

Make your meals more “volumetric” with vegetables

Non-starchy vegetables provide one of the best ways to “volumize” your favorite dishes. Vegetables are water-rich, high in fiber and low in calories. Fiber has been shown to increase satisfaction, not only by lowering the calorie density of foods, but also by slowing the rate that foods pass through the digestive system.2 In addition, fiber is only partially absorbed as it moves through the digestive tract. To maximize your fiber intake, eat vegetables whole, peeling only when necessary. Add them to your favorite casserole or pasta dish to lower the calorie density and increase satisfaction.

Start with a salad

Like other non-starchy vegetables, salads are low in calorie density, rich in fiber and high in water. In fact, studies show that eating a low-calorie-density first course, such as a salad, enhances satiety and reduces overall meal calorie intake.3 Saving 50 to 100 calories per meal can really add up over time to help you lose weight and prevent weight regain later on. Enjoy salads full of non-starchy vegetables, and go easy on the toppings (i.e. cheese, nuts), to fill up on fewer calories. To complement your salad and provide variety, try all flavors of Jenny’s Dressing. These tasty dressings come in individual packets that are pre-portioned and convenient.

Add Volumetrics to your Jenny Craig Menu

Here is a sample day on a 1200 Calorie Jenny Craig Menu with additions to make your day more “volumetric.” Remember not to exceed 3 Limited Free servings in one day.

Breakfast
French Toast
Lite Table Syrup
1 cup nonfat milk

Snack
Peanut Butter Anytime Bar

Lunch
Beef Chow Mein
1/2 cup pea pods (Free)
Garden Salad
1 cup sliced red bell peppers (Free)
Jenny’s Asian Style Sesame Dressing

Snack
1 pear
1 cup sliced jicama (Free)

Dinner
Chicken Carbonara
Tomato Florentine Soupitizer™ (2 Limited Free)
Garden Salad spritzed with lemon juice (Free)
1/2 cup grilled zucchini, eggplant and mushroom skewers (Free)

Snack
S’mores Bar
1/2 cup fresh strawberries (1 Limited Free)

Dining Out — Volumetrics® Style

Most people enjoy dining out but keep in mind that for consistent calories and results, limit your dining out during the early phase of your program.

• Start your meal with a broth-based Soupitizer™ (1 Soupitizer™ is equal to 2 Limited Free servings).
• Add an extra serving of non-starchy vegetables, such as asparagus, carrots or green beans to your meal.
• Add a garden salad to your meal.
• Order fresh strawberries or watermelon for dessert (1/2 cup is equal to 1 Limited Free serving)
• Choose lean protein. Research has shown that diets high in protein can decrease hunger and prolong satisfaction more than foods higher in either carbohydrate or fat.4 Try to include a source of low-fat protein in your meal, similar to that modeled in your Jenny’s Cuisine® entrées. Keep portion sizes moderate and choose lean sources such as poultry, seafood, low-fat dairy, egg whites, tofu or legumes.

Here is a sample meal for dining out

First Course
Broth-based soup (you can eat a Soupitizer™ before leaving home) or
Salad with low-fat dressing (you can bring a packet of Jenny’s Dressing)

Entrée Options
Large vegetable salad with chicken or
Lean meat or fish vegetable stew or
Pasta and vegetables with marinara sauce or
Lean meat or fish with extra serving of vegetables

Dessert Options
Fruit sorbet or
Fresh fruit or
Angel food cake

Cooking with Volumetrics®

• Add frozen mixed non-starchy vegetables to soup or chili-you can double your portion for “Free.”
• Stir sautéed vegetables into rice or grain dishes.
• Add raw vegetables to sandwiches, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and sprouts.
• Enhance the flavor of food with fat-free condiments like salsa, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce or vinegar.
• Prepare foods with less fat by using nonstick pans and skillets, seasoning with herbs and spices, and using water, low-sodium broth or cooking spray.
• Select nonfat or lower fat versions of salad dressings, sour cream and cheese to reduce the amount of fat in a recipe.
• Refer to The Volumetrics Cookbook for Jenny Craig or the Creative Recipes cookbook for additional ideas on how to enhance your Jenny’s Cuisine® and incorporate Volumetrics® into your meals.

Remember to include Volumetrics® in your menu everyday!

Rolls BJ. The Volumetrics Eating Plan. New York, NY: Harper; 2007.

Roll BJ, Barnett RA. The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan. New York, NY: Quill; 2000.

1. Flood JE, Rolls BJ. Soup preloads in a variety of forms reduce meal energy intake. Appetite. 2007;49:626-634.
2. Slavin JL. Dietary fiber and body weight. Nutrition. 2005;21:411-418.
3. Rolls BJ, Roe LS, Meengs JS. Salad and satiety: energy density and portion size of a first-course salad affect energy intake at lunch. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104:1570-1576.
4. Veldhorst M, Smeets A, Soenen S, et al. Protein-induced satiety: effects and mechanisms of different proteins. Physiol Behav. 2008;94:300-307.

VOLUMETRICS® is a federally registered trademark of Barbara Rolls, PhD, used under exclusive license by Jenny Craig, Inc.

Jenny Craig®, Jenny’s Cuisine® and Soupitizer™ are trademarks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland.