This week our Diet Spotlight shines on the The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet ^[1], by nutritionists Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., and Mindy Hermann, R.D.

Rolls' original Volumetrics Eating Plan was included in the top 5 by U.S. News & World Report as 2012's Best Weight-Loss Diet (#5), Easiest Diet to Follow (#5) and Best Diet for Healthy Eating (#4).

Type of diet: Low-calorie; low-fat
Lifestyle: Budget-friendly; exercise plan; appetite control
Cook/prep effort: Medium to high
Cost: $$ (medium)
Main goal: Satisfaction; better nutrition
Consider for: High Cholesterol ^[2]

Plan Basics: The Volumetrics plan is intended to let you eat a lot of food and lose weight. That's because it focuses on ingredients that have a low energy density, meaning they have fewer calories per gram.

These low-density foods, such as fruits and vegetables, fill you up faster and keep you full longer. High-density foods must be eaten in limited quantities.

The book comes with meal planners, including more than 120 recipes.

How it Works: You eat based on a food's energy density. Food groups include:

Category 1 (very low-density): nonfat milk, broth-based soup and non-starchy fruits and vegetables.

Category 2 (low-density): starchy fruits and vegetables, low-fat meats, legumes and grains.

Category 3 (medium-density): meats, cheese, salad dressing and bread.

Category 4 (high-density): candy, cookies, nuts, butter and oil.

Dieters eat more of Categories 1 and 2 foods and take it easy on Categories 3 and 4. The diet calls for three meals a day, plus a couple of snacks. You're in charge of your calories and food intake.

Some dieting suggestions:

Reduce your calorie intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day. The result should be a loss of 1-2 pounds per week.
Limit fat to 20%-30% of total calories.
Carbs should take up 55% of your total calories.
You're allowed 20-30 grams per day of fiber.
About 15% of daily calories, or 0.4 grams per pound of body weight, should come from protein foods.
Drink about 12 glasses of water a day.
Exercise at least 30 minutes per day.

Pros

You're unlikely to feel hungry.
Low-energy-density foods tend to be nutritious.
Most dieters will lose weight if they follow the energy-density rules.

Cons

Food preparation from scratch may take more time than some dieters are used to.
Foods are filling, but some dieters may not find them satisfying.

Recommended Foods

Fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, berries, melon, greens, broccoli and cucumbers
Lean proteins such as chicken breast or egg whites
Low-fat dairy products (cottage cheese or fat-free yogurt)
Soups and stews
Whole-grain breads and other complex carbs

Foods to Avoid

Snacks like crackers, popcorn and pretzels
Fried foods
Processed foods
Fatty meats
Dairy, such as cheese and ice cream

What our Nutritionist Says:
"This is a nutritionally sound diet," says Judith Stern, Sc.D., M.S., a nutrition professor at the University of California, Davis. "It not only emphasizes foods that are calorically less dense, but also emphasizes [those] that are tasty. Drinking large amounts of water helps fill you up. There should be more protein, but that one is easy to fix. This is a plan that you can eat for the rest of your life and enjoy it."

Check out our whole list of diet plans featured in Health Bistro's "Diet Spotlight ^[3]" category.