Certain foods and beverages are known for helping you feel fuller longer after you eat. This is especially helpful if you’re trying to lose weight. As well as being fatter, most of us are also constantly hungry.
When we don’t have enough food available at any given time, our bodies signal this by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters that make us feel hungry again soon. To help with this, foods that make you feel full longer include: fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna (especially canned in oil); eggs; low-GI carbohydrate foods such as brown rice, barley or bananas; high-protein foods such as cheese, meat and yogurt; plant-based sources of protein such as pulses and soy; nuts; olives; starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and cassava (instead of white bread); plus drinks like coffee and green tea which have been shown to have a satiating effect on your appetite.
Before of resorting to appetite suppressing supplements, let’s look at the top naturally occurring foods you can take to feel full for longer.
Why are some foods more filling than others?
Different foods have different effects on our bodies when eaten. Some make us feel full for longer, while others don’t. In general, foods with a high protein content are more filling than those with a low amount of protein. This is because proteins like whey and casein are broken down more slowly in the body than carbohydrates and fats which can signal hunger sooner.
Fatty acids found in oily fish are also slow-release nutrients that help keep you feeling fuller for longer. The satiating effect of foods depends on both their macronutrient (carbohydrates, fat or protein) content and the speed at which they’re digested. Foods with a larger sugar content also tend to be less filling as your blood sugar levels rise rapidly and then fall back down again as soon as you finish eating them.
Other factors such as the presence of fibre affect our appetite too so any food that contains fibre is likely to fill us up for longer too. If you want to eat something that will make you feel full for longer, try some of these food suggestions or experiment with different combinations until you find what works best!
Feeling full longer will help your diet
Ah, so getting yourself some fatty fish and eggs for breakfast will make you feel fuller longer. This is especially helpful if you’re trying to lose weight. As well as being fatter, most of us are also constantly hungry.
When we don’t have enough food available at any given time, our bodies signal this by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters that make us feel hungry again soon. So, what can you do to help with this? Well, foods that make you feel full longer includes: fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna (especially canned in oil); eggs; low-GI carbohydrate foods such as brown rice, barley or bananas; high-protein foods such as cheese, meat and yogurt; plant-based sources of protein such as pulses and soy; nuts; olives; starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and cassava (instead of white bread); plus drinks like coffee and green tea which have been shown to have a satiating effect on your appetite.
What are the most filling foods?
The most filling foods are those which have a low Glycemic Index (GI) value. This is because they release glucose slowly and steadily into your bloodstream, as opposed to fast-acting sugars which don’t make you feel full for long. So if you’re looking for the best food to help with satiety, try eating low-GI foods such as oats, brown rice, bananas or potatoes.
What are the other options for appetite suppression?
When it comes to appetite suppression, there are other options to consider beyond what foods you eat or drink. One option is exercise. Regular exercise has been shown to help people feel fuller longer and maintain a healthy weight. Another option is meditation, which can help with appetite suppression due to the effect it has on your levels of dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and other neurotransmitters that react with hunger.
Meditation also helps regulate blood sugar levels as well as influencing the release of hormones such as leptin and ghrelin that control your body’s response to food intake.
In addition to foods that help you feel full for longer, there are appetite suppressing drugs and natural supplements that some people take. While you need to be careful about taking these, and I would not recommend taking a pharmaceutical like Acxion without the supervision of your doctor, there are a number of natural appetite suppressants that are also available cheaply and that that do not have the same unpleasant side effects of drugs like Acxion pills.