A little creativity can go a long way to get kids more interested in low-calorie dense foods.

Humans, some researchers maintain, are hard-wired to desire calorically dense foods.

He said, "Even children learn to prefer calorically dense foods; they are more efficient at satisfying hunger."

Throughout most of human evolution, calorically dense foods were in relatively short supply, which kept the species lean.

Americans are surrounded by temptations to consume calorically dense foods.

These children were found to have similar patterns of selective eating and favored more energy dense foods such as nuts and whole grains.

One major source of energy- dense food are the protein and energy supple-ments that come from rendering animals.

"If you miss meals, you tend to gain weight because you get hungrier and eat calorically dense foods," Dagher said.

Clinical studies have found that sweetened drinks and "calorie dense" foods (those high in sugar and fat) promote obesity.

This makes mayonnaise a calorically dense food.