Research

Energy balance

High intake of dietary fiber and nuts is associated with less long-term weight gain in adults, whereas high intake of meat is associated with more weight gain.

To prevent weight gain, prioritize high-fiber foods like vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, and limit high-fat dairy, refined grains, meat, and sweets. Do not focus on changing the ratio of protein to carbs or fats, as the type of food matters more than the macronutrient breakdown.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
We found probable evidence for high intake of dietary fibre and nuts predicting less weight gain, and for high intake of meat in predicting more weight gain.
Mikael Fogelholm et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2012

Why this rating

The paper assigns 'probable' evidence grade, based on multiple prospective cohort studies with consistent negative associations for fiber/nuts and positive for meat.

Source

Dietary macronutrients and food consumption as determinants of long-term weight change in adult populations: a systematic literature review

Mikael Fogelholm et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2012

DOI 10.3402/fnr.v56i0.19103

systematic_reviewCited 214×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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