Foods that help you feel fuller!
Everyone trying to lose a few pounds will usually do everything they can to avoid a growling stomach and those terrible pangs of hunger that are the dieter’s worst enemy.
Foods that give short, sharp bursts of energy can leave you crashing a couple of hours later and ravenous once again, but there are many superfoods that can help you lose weight by keeping you feeling very satisfied until your next mealtime.
Much of what keeps us feeling full hinges on how the constituents of the food we eat act once consumed, and how quickly they pass through our digestive system. We’ve listed some of the best examples of foods which will give you not only excellent nutrition but also banish hunger in some very tasty ways!
The high fibre content of beans mean that they are excellent at offsetting hunger. Best examples include kidney beans and black beans. They also have relatively few calories, so as well as feeling full up, you won’t pile on the pounds!
Why not try this splendid three bean chilli recipe or this super-filling kidney bean burger?
Oats contain a great amount of fibre, and they swell when liquid is added, both of which mean they travel slowly through the digestive system. They also contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre which this research paper showed helps your stomach feel satisfied for a longer time.
Flaxseed contains a good amount of fibre, but also has healthy Omega-3 fats, which work in conjunction with the fibre to increase feelings of fullness.
A study in 2012 found that a group given flax experienced a significant decrease in feelings of hunger and chose to eat fewer calories than a group without flax.
Chia seeds are magic little things with an excellent nutritional profile and an array of health benefits. One of the very best things about them is the way they act when liquid is added. They produce mucilage, which thickens liquid and makes it pass more slowly through the gut, leading to increased feelings of fullness and preventing spikes in blood sugar. This reduces cravings, making us eat less.
Most vegetables have a low energy density, which means they provide bulk without providing calories – superb at filling you up without increasing your waistline! Among the best vegetables to eat in this regards are broccoli (which also reduces inflammation, helps fight cancer and is very heart-healthy), carrots (which help with eye health) and spinach (which a research study showed had an excellent effect on feelings of fullness).
Quite apart from being one of the most nutritionally perfect things you can put in your body, quinoa is fantastic at keeping you full up and keeping hunger attacks at bay, mainly due to its excellent double whammy of fibre and protein. Quinoa grains swell when cooked (especially when popped like popcorn) so also provide some excellent bulk to meals.
Soup, especially thick soup, passes slowly through the human stomach, meaning it will keep you full up for a longer time, as outlined in this research paper from 2005. The beauty of soup is that you can put anything you like in it – so why not make some using some of the other filling ingredients in this list, like quinoa and vegetables? Or you could make this fantastic, warming rice and red bean soup.