To lose those remaining stubborn pounds, many of us just need to tweak our diets and cut our portion sizes. One secret is to incorporate low fat, low calories foods, like these, into your diet. The following twenty filling foods deliver the goods as far as dietary fiber, powerful protein, and essential nutrients so you get more bang for your bite…
1. Apples
How do you like dem apples—especially since they rank number one on our list of satiating foods. Apples contain a secret-weapon when it comes to slowing digestion and creating that full feeling for longer—it’s called pectin.
According to nutritionists at Tufts University, pectin in a whole apple is more filling than the equivalent amount of fruit in juice. After all it takes effort (just ask your jaw) to devour an apple so your brain and body have adequate time to register a feeling of hunger satisfaction.
2. Eggs
You don’t have to be shy when cracking eggs (including the yolks) to eat. According to dietary research from Saint Louis University, people who consume eggs for breakfast, eat roughly 330 fewer calories daily compared to those who eat cereal, toast, or bagels for their morning meal.
Food scientists dub eggs the “complete protein,” which refers to the nine essential amino acids contained within a single egg. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, claims this collection of amino acids is what suppresses the appetite and tells your brain and body that you’ve reached food capacity.
3. Oats
A belly full of oats is a happy belly. Just ask anyone who gobbles down this high fiber breakfast bowl. Oats stall mid-morning snack attacks because they absorb liquid (i.e., water, milk, almond milk) like a sponge—meaning you’ll eat less calories, but feel full until lunchtime.
The secret of slow digesting oats is that they take much longer to work their way through the digestive system, which compared to the quick fix you’ll get with most breakfast cereals, quells hunger pangs and regulates blood sugar so you’re satisfied for much longer.
4. Figs
Not only are they naturally sweet if you’ve decided to cut out refined sugars in favor of natural sweetness, figs are thick and fleshy for a satiating bite. That means you’ll get sticky-sweet without the added calories.
On top of a caloric cut, figs are great source of dense, filling fiber. For instance, one fig clocks about 37-calories and 1 gram of fiber to stall the release of sugar into the blood steam and prevent hunger cravings from spiking shortly following meals.
5. Potatoes
Potatoes have a bad rap. However, it’s all in how you prepare the vegetable. Sure, potatoes are a starchy bunch, but a healthy boiled, baked, or grilled potato (not fried) will satisfy hunger for quite some time.
In fact, potatoes squelch hunger for about the same duration as brown rice or whole wheat bread—at far less carbohydrates than both. But don’t shun a grilled, baked, or boiled potato from your plate. If you do, you’ll be missing out on a ton of nutritious fiber and vitamin B6, potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, niacin, and phosphorus.
6. Greek Yogurt
Hark the Harvard researchers who tout Greek yogurt as “the single best food for shedding pounds.” During a study that monitored the weight and dietary habits of 120,000 people over a 20 year period, Greek yogurt was found to balance blood sugar (and curb cravings) and satisfy hungry tummies for longer.
In fact, the same study found that those who opted for protein-packed Greek yogurt, shed unwanted, extra pounds without changing any other habits (i.e., diet or exercise). Keep in mind that Greek yogurt contains double the protein, no whey, and a sliver of the sugar compared to any other type of yogurt.
7. Wheat Berries
Have you tried wheat berries? The whole-wheat kernels do get a lot of notice as a super food, and similar to quinoa (another super food), wheat berries are super rich in both protein and fiber compared to most other grains.
To give you an idea, a serving of wheat berries contains roughly 6-grams of protein and 6-grams of fiber—meaning twelve times the appetite satiating power. Foods like wheat berries and quinoa trigger the release of ghrelin, a hormone that indicates to the brain that we’re full.
8. Beans
Beans, beans might be good for your heart, but they’re also ideal for whittling your waistline. Beans fill you up because they absorb a lot of water during the cooking process—for example when incorporated into stews, soups, and sauces.
On top of that, beans are also high in fiber that fill you up quick and tell the brain that you’re full. Beans also provide resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that delays the release of sugar into the bloodstream to provide feelings of satiation.
