Eat Less (and Better) with These Delicious “Feel Fuller” Foods

A big issue when you’re trying to control your weight is finding foods that help you feel fuller so you consume fewer calories throughout your day.  If you’re hungry, you’re thinking about food – not the hundred other things you need to be focused on!

Proper management of portions can be a real challenge when the Standard Western Diet features huge portions of all the wrong food combinations.

You go from “over full” to “hungry again” in no time.  That’s the fluff (all the garbage pumped into food to make it bigger than it should be) and sugar talking.

Carbs and simple sugars aren’t satisfying.  Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped them from becoming the backbone of our diet.  Even the Food Pyramid kids use in school says you can eat up to 11 servings of grains!

Far too much and awful for the waistline!

The results of how we’ve been eating the last 40 years is hard to deny when more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese.  We’re heavier and sicker than ever!

You want foods that take your body longer to digest or that signal your brain that you do not need more food.  Good examples of this are healthy fats, foods high in fiber, and proteins.

Adding a few foods that help you feel fuller (without the extra glucose hit to your blood) is just the ticket for keeping your body healthy and helping you control your weight.  It only works if you actually like the foods so you’re encouraged to eat more of them so choose wisely!

The 9 Best (Healthy) Foods to Help You Feel Fuller Longer

1. Eggs. These simple and inexpensive foods are considered “complete” proteins but they offer your body a little bit of everything that it needs.  Healthy fat, protein, and lots of incredible nutrients are what you get in a single boiled egg.

Researchers found that study participants who ate at least one egg every morning lost weight faster than those participants who didn’t.  Boil them, peel them, and refrigerate.  They’re great to stick in your lunch before you head out the door.  Eat the whole thing!

2. Cottage cheese. If you can (and do) enjoy dairy, definitely add this overlooked food to your eating plan.  Cottage cheese offers protein and healthy fat that go a long way to help you feel fuller.  Stir in raspberries, diced apples, or diced pairs for a pop of sweet as well as fiber.  You can even use 100% fruit preserves (without sugar) for an easy snack at your place of work.
3. Broccoli. This humble veggie needs to be part of your diet.  It’s packed with fiber, low in calories, ranks low on the glycemic index, and features all sorts of nutritious compounds you just won’t find anywhere else.  Add this versatile ingredient to shakes, omelets (with those gorgeous eggs), or enjoy it with high-fiber hummus.  Chop it ahead and refrigerate for easy transport.

2. Fatty fish. Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines are excellent sources of healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids.  They’re also considered lean proteins.  When paired with quinoa or steamed broccoli, they offer a complete package that satisfies for hours.  Don’t turn your nose up at the sardines, either!  They have the highest nutrition and are convenient travel snacks.
3. Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, and pistachios have the trifecta of good stuff.  They’re packed with healthy fats, fiber, and protein.  The travel well and don’t need refrigeration so they’re ideal if you need an urgent snack.  At the beginning of every week, use snack bags to measure out ¼ cup (almonds, walnuts, or peanuts) or ½ cup (pistachios) portions for the week.  Never eat them straight from the bag!  That almost guarantees you’ll eat too many.
4. Baby carrots. This is another easy food to keep with you.  They’re rich in beta-carotene and fiber, offer a sweetness that helps keep you from hitting the snack machine, and satisfy your hunger all afternoon.  When paired with hummus (made with olive oil), they offer healthy fat, protein, and even more fiber!
5. Greek yogurt. This stuff is so delicious, readily available, inexpensive, and packed with good stuff.  It contains almost double the protein of regular yogurt, healthy fat, a lot more calcium, and is an incredible gut-healthy probiotic.  Stir a bit of granola in there for some added crunch or a few fresh berries to hit those sugar buttons (without the guilt).
6. Seeds. Another great snack that fills you up and keeps you that way are seeds.  Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are excellent ways to get a shot of protein and fiber as well as some healthy fats.  It doesn’t take a lot to satisfy so measure out your ¼ cup portions and keep them on hand.  If you make yourself morning shakes, add a couple teaspoons of flaxseeds or chia seeds to really help you feel fuller longer.
7. Water. If you’re in a pinch, always choose water or a food that contains a lot of water.  It doesn’t last as long as denser foods but it will keep you from making unhealthy snack choices.  Good examples of high-water content foods are watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, citrus, and carrots.  All of these make great snack options to keep on hand.

Some great runner ups are apples, lentils (and other beans), artichokes, spinach, bananas, and avocados, peppers, kale, and dark chocolate (in moderation, of course).

Find the combination of foods that work best for you to make you feel fuller and stay satisfied for longer.  What one person enjoys, you might not.  What works for one person to help lose or maintain weight, might fall flat for you.

Stick with it.  Keep eliminating what doesn’t work and you’re going to land on the exact “diet” for your body and your life.  For more details on how to personalize your eating for optimal results, check out my book Diet Wise right now.

Don’t follow the template created for thousands…make your own.  I’ll show you how.