In order to achieve your body composition goals we know that total energy intake is king. However, whether your chronic energy intake has you in a surplus, deficit, or at maintenance, this is going to influence your appetite hormones and level of desire to eat.
Given this, it’s worthwhile being strategic with your food choices depending on your energy intake and body composition goals! Doing so will allow you to meet your requirements, feel nourished and energised, and find a balance between feeling satiated but not overly stuffed!
For example, if you are in an energy surplus and have high energy requirements, then strategically consuming a portion of your daily carbohydrates from the “carbohydrate dense” options in this infographic may be helpful! This can allow you to consistently achieve your carbohydrate requirements while simultaneously obtaining nutrition and minimising gastrointestinal discomfort (e.g. too much fibre)
On the other hand, if you are in an energy deficit and appetite is relatively high, then strategically consuming the majority of your carbohydrates from less carbohydrate-dense options (per 100g) may be helpful. This is because these examples have high amounts of fibre and hydration capacity, such as strawberries and potatoes, and are relatively low in energy given their serving size, thus contributing to increased satiation.
Bear in mind that there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, rice cakes are the second highest carbohydrate-dense option on this list per 100g, yet they’re one of the most commonly consumed “diet foods”. Likewise, bananas are the third lowest carbohydrate-dense option per 100g, yet many people wouldn’t opt to “spend carbs” on bananas when dieting. This is because despite their weight, rice cakes are more volumous than bananas, and hence more appealing because people experience the sensation that they’re eating more food.
Please take note that these are simply just examples of foods you can eat to match energy and food intake to meet your satiation cues and caloric requirements. There’s no right and wrong, and it’s perfectly fine to enjoy any nutritious source of food regardless of the phase you’re in!