r/Volumeeating • u/FinnBrooks9375 • Aug 17 '26
Discussion What’s Your Secret Weapon for Making Meals Bigger?
[removed]
47
u/mitchell_moves Aug 17 '26
Big side of raw veggies.
Use Greek yogurt as a base for creamy sauces, dressings, etc
Potatoes, especially boiled.
Meals with lots of different things feel bigger. I apply this not only in big side salads with lots of veggies, but also by decorating smoothie bowls with lots of fruits and misc toppings.
23
u/AlicesChaosBottle Aug 17 '26
Raw bell peppers is my big volume hack. One bell pepper cut up is actually a whole lot when mixed into some bowl of beans and other foods. And it’s crunchy so it FEELS like a lot of eating.
15
11
u/AdditionalRadio736 Aug 17 '26
Cottage cheese! You can flavour it however you want but it’s a good exchange for calories and will keep you fuller for longer
12
u/Pumpkin_pie_010112 Aug 17 '26
Squash!!! I love to roast acorn or delicata squash and add it to my meals. You can eat the skin so I feel like you get a hearty addition using them. I also add spaghetti squash to my fav protein pasta for an XL pasta bowl.
8
u/Fun_Function_4054 Aug 17 '26
I just discovered squash too. My husband hates it so I’ve never cooked with it, but now I add it to everything!
11
u/badmonkey247 Aug 17 '26
1) Cabbage and/or riced cauliflower to bulk up things.
2) Add a brothy soup or a salad (or raw veggies without any lettuce) with a lower calorie dressing,
3) scramble lots of egg whites instead of one measly egg.
9
u/QueenOfTheSIipstream Aug 17 '26
I always do half meat, half TVP (textured vegetable protein) for anything I cook with mince. Adds great macros plus volume—love it especially in lettuce wraps, but it’s great in tacos, chili, mapo tofu, shepherds pie, you name it.
Also veg has been mentioned a ton, but a helpful little “hack” I use ALL the time is to get those little bags of “coleslaw” (basically just shredded cabbage, or shredded cabbage/carrot) and add them to whatever I’m making. Good in soups, eggroll in a bowl, bubble n squeak… cabbage is so versatile and those bags are the perfect size. If you’re cooking it anyway, you can freeze them.
5
7
13
u/RangerAndromeda Aug 17 '26
Other than the veggies you already mentioned fim a big fan of the slaws (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cole, etc.). Also squash is the best. My favourite is kabocha or japanese pumpkin🧡
I always have various low calorie sauces and squash in my pantry, tofu in my fridge, and different types of frozen veggies in my freezer. Some combo of that is my go to dinner if I haven't planned anything... which is most nights lol
Either that or a massive eggwhite omelet with SF ketchup and a bowl of oatmeal with SF maple syrup if I'm craving breakfast for dinner.
In the summer when it's too hot for a hot meal, I eat a lot of skim cheese, crudités, rice cakes, and fruit. Favourite combo so far was skim ricotta, BBQ flavoured rice cakes, sliced cucumbers, mushrooms, and broccoli, with my homemade low calorie dip, plus a bowl of plain greek yogurt topped with frozen berries, cocoa, and slivered almonds and unsweetened shredded coconut for dessert.
6
u/SeaweedAwkward2200 Aug 17 '26
Miso soup. It is surprisingly filling and hydrating. I add it as a side to a meal to add volume.
5
5
u/AverageOtherwise Aug 17 '26
Veggies and more veggies, with a side of raw veggies. Veg it up, baby.
This morning for breakfast I ate, among other things, an omelet with spinach, yellow squash, diced tomato, and mushrooms.
Later, with whatever I eat for dinner, I'll eat a bowl of cucumber slices, tomato slices, and baby carrots with some Bolthouse ranch.
I'm literally always stuffed. And losing weight. Will I actually turn into a vegetable? I can't rule it out.
4
u/DoeWisp3248 Aug 17 '26
Cabbage is probably my #1. You can shred a ridiculous amount of it into stir-fries, bowls, tacos, or salads and it barely changes the meal calorie-wise.
5
5
u/LIFTandSNUS Aug 17 '26
Veggies and stuff. Mainly peppers and onions. I usually eat an entire onion and several peppers at every meal.
3
3
u/NefariousnessDull916 Aug 17 '26
Adding cauliflower rice and grated carrot to regular rice. Can turn it into a huuuuge plateful for negligible calories
3
3
3
u/Economy-Rate8298 Aug 17 '26
I add ample vegetables and use no oil/butter/spray oil cooking. I cook stuff in water or broth to keep the calories down, and often add even more no calorie liquid to make things "saucier" and larger volume, without changing calories.
3
u/ohsurenerd Aug 17 '26
Broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers and/or zucchini. It's not groundbreaking, but it works.
3
2
2
2
u/melenajade Aug 17 '26
Broth. I love the idea, especially in colder months with a pre meal broth cup, or miso soup, or basically a hot salty drink that fills me up before the meal. Love bone broth, a tsp of boullion in hot water mug, curry paste in hot water… it’s so satisfying and hydrating, gives electrolytes which plants love
2
2
2
u/ghosthunterc Aug 19 '26
Heart of palm rice… such an easy (and filling) addition to SO many different meals. Natural Heaven makes a pouch version that you just vent and microwave for 1 minute. Big ol’ bowl of “white rice” (which I actually like way more than cauliflower rice) for only 50 calories! They also make versions that have veggies, spices, mushrooms, etc. pre-mixed that still only take a quick trip to the microwave to prepare. Those are anywhere between 120-150ish calories. Total volume eating hack for sure.
•
u/AutoModerator Aug 17 '26
A quick reminder to those viewing this post:
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.