Losing weight does not mean to have hunger pangs and feel half-dead at your desk the whole day. The trick to weight loss without feeling tortured and deprived is: “Shift to a fiber-rich diet with adequate sources of lean protein it is the easiest way to decrease your caloric intake without eating less. Foods rich in fiber or protein have fewer calories per gram, so you can stack up against your plate without stacking on the body fat.
While eating small meals during the day is ideal to keep your metabolism high and your blood sugar levels under control, it’s also important to satiate yourself with those foods that fill you up–foods that are rich in fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fats so that you feel satisfied for longer hours and don’t crash before your next meal.
Here are 12 of our favorite foods that’ll help you stay on track!
1. Greek Yogurt
Packed with protein and calcium, Greek yogurt is a popular breakfast and snack option. A cup of Greek yogurt delivers around 22g protein, proteins increases satiety, reduces food intake and keeps blood sugar steady. Greek yogurt is filtered to eliminate liquid whey and contains double the protein and less sugar than regular yogurt.
2. Eggs
Eggs are amazingly healthy and nutrient-dense. A large egg has around 6 grams of protein, including all 9 essential amino acids and only 70 calories. One study found that women who were overweight told that they ate less food for up to 36 hours when they ate eggs for breakfast. The reason can be high protein content of eggs and protein digests at a slower rate as compared to carbohydrates. Thus keeping you satiated for longer periods. Also, a study reported that eggs could suppress the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin, thus making you less likely to impulsively cave to unhealthy snack options.
3. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a very satiating breakfast option. It may help you eat fewer calories in the next meal and delay emptying of the stomach. Oats are rich in soluble fiber and they also affect the appetite-reducing hormones which in turn makes you eat less, therefore, oatmeal consumption helps lower body mass index and body weight. Oats also help in balancing the blood sugar levels because of its high fiber content.
4. Broth-based Soup
Soups are really filling meals, despite being in liquid form. They may also stay in the stomach for a longer period, thus increasing the feeling of fullness. Eating soup at the start of a meal help curb calorie intake at mealtime and lead to weight loss over time.
5. Beans, Legumes & Lentils
These tiny powerhouses are a good source of fiber and protein, which make them very filling. Adding them to a meal increases satiety by an average of 31%, according to a recent scientific review. Also, they are low in calories and thus are weight loss friendly.
6. Nuts & Nut Butters
A handful of almonds, walnuts, or peanuts or a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter may keep you full longer than a bag of cookies or chips. Nuts have been associated with suppressing the urge to eat particularly when eaten as a snack in between meals. The combination of protein and healthy fats means that nuts and nut butter get digested at a slower rate as compared to carbohydrate-rich foods.
7. Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is rich in protein, still low in fat and calories. Its high protein content keeps you feeling full, even while eating relatively fewer calories. Its effect on fullness may be equivalent to that of eggs. It is also full of healthy nutrients, including B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium. And it is also rich in a specific type of ‘slow-acting’ protein called casein that’s very helpful for repairing muscle while you sleep.
8. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are high in slowly digested protein and fiber, which helps to keep you full for hours. These nutrient-rich seeds can absorb more than 10 times their weight in water, so they swell in your digestive tract, helping to keep you satiated for longer.
9. Boiled Potato
Topping the charts for satiety, boiled potatoes are very filling and help you eat fewer calories in total. A bag of fried potato chips is three times less filling and not considered weight loss friendly.
10. Lean Meats
Meat is rich in protein and very filling. Eating high-protein lean meat may help you eat fewer calories at following meals. In fact, higher-protein diets drive lower overall calorie intake than lower-protein diets.
11. Fish
Fish is abundant in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which may increase the feeling of satiety. The protein in fish may have a greater effect on fullness than other types of protein such as chicken and beef.
12. Non-starchy Vegetables
Vegetables have a high amount of water and fiber, which helps to keep you feeling full for longer periods. Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens, peppers have low-calorie density.
Bottomline
Filling foods have several qualities. They are rich in fiber or protein and have a low energy density. Additionally, these foods are single-ingredient, whole foods and not processed junk foods. Focusing on whole foods that fill you up with lesser calories may help you lose weight in the long run.
Read Next: Weight Loss: 10 Low-Calorie Foods That Will Fill You Up!!
