Food Optimising is Slimming World’s healthy eating plan. Based on the principles of energy density and satiety, Food Optimising empowers members to make slimming-friendly food choices, satisfy their appetite and lose weight without calorie counting or obsessive weighing and measuring. It’s continually developed by experts in nutrition, weight loss and weight management to be a balanced and easy-to-follow way to eat healthier for life.
Food Optimising has three main components:
- The concept of Free Food promotes consumption of plenty of low energy dense and highly satiating foods, eg poultry, fish, lean meat, pasta, grains, vegetables and fruit. Members are encouraged to use these foods to satisfy their appetite while reducing overall energy intake. With Free Food, members don’t have to monitor every mouthful – so healthy changes are easy to establish and sustain.
- Healthy Extras help provide a good overall balance of nutrients in addition to those obtained from Free Foods, with particular emphasis on calcium and fibre-rich foods, plus healthy fat sources like milk, cheese, cereals, wholemeal bread, nuts and seeds.
- The synergy between Free Foods, Healthy Extras and Syns makes Food Optimising effective and easy to follow long term. Syns are how members can enjoy the foods that many diets ban – without a shred of guilt! Counting Syns helps members naturally limit consumption of saturated fats, alcohol and sugar, ie those foods with high energy density and very little filling power.
Your patients can find information about Food Optimising – plus recipes and example menus – on the Slimming World website.
Discover our healthy eating plan
The science behind Slimming World's Food Optimising
Research has shown that the nature and composition of the foods we eat (dietary macronutrients and energy density) impact our sense of satisfaction and fullness (satiety). . Encouraging a higher intake of more satiating foods limits energy intake and results in weight loss. Slimming World has been actively involved in this field of research and, along with the Scottish Office, sponsored research conducted by Dr James Stubbs at the Rowett Research Institute. There is now a robust evidence base which shows that foods higher in protein and carbohydrates are far more satiating than foods rich in fat .
Research also shows that people feel full due to the amount of food they eat, not the number of calories they take in. Choosing low energy dense foods can increase the volume of food eaten, while reducing energy intake, and thus satisfy appetite .
A study led by the University of Leeds found that participants who consumed low energy dense meals (based on Slimming World’s recipes) felt significantly more full and less hungry than those eating high energy dense meals, despite consuming the same number of calories . Those who followed a plan based around Slimming World meals for 14 weeks lost significantly more weight than those calorie-counting over the same time period (6.2% body weight compared to 3.8%). Those following the Slimming World plan also reported increased feelings of control around their food choices and a greater confidence in their ability to stick to their weight loss plan.
Since its inception in 1969, Food Optimising has always successfully embraced the scientific principles of appetite regulation and energy density in a practical way to regulate energy intake. This allows members to eat unlimited amounts of highly satisfying foods, which will naturally help limit calorie intake without the chore of counting or feeling deprived.
Slimming World members have more than 2,000 delicious, healthy recipes to choose from on the app and website – with dishes to suit every dietary requirement and lifestyle.
Browse Slimming World recipes
A balanced approach
Food Optimising provides a flexible and practical weight loss plan while also encouraging a balanced approach in line with current healthy eating guidelines.
It promotes a reduction in fat intake, particularly saturated fat, and the inclusion of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day alongside starchy carbohydrates and lean protein-rich foods to satisfy the appetite. Measured portions of fibre and calcium-rich foods are included on a daily basis.
All major food groups are encouraged in line with the Eatwell Guide, and health notes in the Food Optimising book guide members to follow current government recommendations around healthy eating.
Realistic and flexible, Food Optimising:
✓ takes into account individual needs and preferences
✓ adapts to all lifestyles, cultures and budgets, and is suitable for all the family
✓ encourages members to feel free and relaxed about food, eliminating distress caused by guilt, hunger, deprivation and loss of control
✓ enables members to take control of their own health and lifestyle for the long term
✓ doesn’t ban foods or food groups
✓ doesn’t use expensive or specialist ‘diet’ products
Two ways to join Slimming World
Our research
Various research , including that conducted by the British Nutrition Foundation, has found that members consume a diet that more closely meets UK dietary guidelines than the average UK adult. On average, members:
- eat more fruit and veg than the general population and exceed the five-a-day recommendation
- meet the recommended calcium intake
- eat more fibre than the general population and are more likely to meet the recommended daily intake
- consume less sugar, fat and saturated fat than the general population
- have less salt than the general population (in line with the recommendation of no more than 6g/day)
- eat more oily fish than the general population
- cook from scratch more often since joining and more frequently than the general population
- have takeaways/fast food less often since joining
- reduce their units of alcohol soon after joining and meet the recommended guidelines of <14 units of alcohol per week
Research also shows that members following Food Optimising have an average percentage energy intake of 47% from carbohydrates, 23% from protein and 27% from fat.
References
- Stubbs, J., Whybrow, S. and Lavin, J. 2010. Dietary and lifestyle measures to enhance Satiety and Weight Control. Nutrition Bulletin, 35: 113-125.
- Weststrate, J.A., et al. 1992. Effects of nutrients on the regulation of food intake. Unilever Research: The Netherlands: Vlaardingen.
- Stubbs, J., Ferres, S., and Horgan, G. 2000. Energy density of foods: Effects on energy intake. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 40(6): p. 481-515.
- Ello-Martin, J.A., et al. 2007. Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: a year-long trial comparing 2 weight-loss diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 85(6): 1465-1477.
- Buckland N J et al. 2018. A Low Energy-Dense Diet in the Context of a Weight-Management Program Affects Appetite Control in Overweight and Obese Women. The Journal of Nutrition May 1;148(5): 798-806.
- NHS choices. The Eatwell Guide. Available from: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-eatwell-guide.aspx
- Avery A., Toon J., Kent J., Holloway L., Lavin J., Bennett SE. 2021. Impact of COVID-19 on health-related behaviours, well-being and weight management. BMC Public Health 21, 1152.
- Strathearn L, Kaçar HK, Avery A. 2020. Changes in dietary patterns when females engage in a weight management programme and their ability to meet Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition's fibre and sugar recommendations. Public Health Nutrition 23(12): 2189-2198.
- Coe, A. Spiro, S. Lockyer and S. Stanner 2019. Ensuring a healthy approach to long-term weight management: Review of the Slimming World programme. British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin, 44, 267-282