Foods that make you feel full?

ashleyemiller14 · March 2015

Through MFP, I realized I was consuming wayyyyy too many calories, and most of them empty. I don't want to "diet", but rather live a healthier lifestyle and give my body the foods it needs. I've been cutting out a lot of added sugar (no flavored creamers in coffee, no candy, pastries, soda, juice) and trying to fill up on natural sugars (fruit) and more whole wheat and fiber. Problem is, I'm starving all the time! I even eat the meals that are supposed to promote satiety, like steel cut oatmeal or whole wheat English muffins with peanut butter, but I'm still hungry an hour later. It seems like no matter what healthy food I eat, I'm ravenous around 1-2 pm and then overdo it on dinner. Does anyone have any snacks or meals that are not excessive in calories but still fill you up? I'm a 5'2" female trying to stay under 1,300 cal a day. What are some of your favorites?

jgnatca · March 2015

Well, I'm stuffed right now. I had home-made cabbage soup with added brown rice. A few Finn crackers spread with more home-made baked beans, and bell peppers. This fiber fest should also leave reminders for many hours hence.

diannethegeek · March 2015

These are my really general tips for hunger. Maybe you'll find something here to help you out.

1. Make sure that your calorie goals are actually set appropriately. A lot of people set goals that are too aggressive and then wonder why they're having a hard time. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

2. Look for foods higher in protein, fat, and fiber. These help us stay full and more satisfied longer. If you're using MFP's default settings, try to consider protein, fat, and fiber as minimums to reach every day rather than maximums to stay below.

3. Drink plenty of fluids. Some people really do confuse thirst and hunger.

4. Get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping enough and taking rest days from the exercise. Sometimes our bodies look for food when they're exhausted.

5. Play around with your meal timings. Some people do really well on 5-6 small meals a day and others feel like they want to gnaw their own arm off eating like that. Skipping breakfast, eating breakfast, 16:8 fasting, 6 small meals, 3 larger meals, snacks, no snacks, meal timing won't make a big difference to your weight loss, but it may help your hunger levels, mood, concentration, gym performance, etc. throughout the day. Don't be afraid to try a different way and see if it helps.

6. Wait it out. If you know you're eating enough and the other steps above aren't helping, you may just have to wait it out. Our bodies send out hunger signals partially out of habit. If you eat at a certain time every day your body will start to get hungry at that time. The good news is that these signals can be retrained to stop telling you to be hungry all the time. The bad news is that you may just have to be hungry for a little bit while that happens.

7. I also think it's important to remember that there's a habitual component to hunger. This goes along with point #6, but if you eat because you're bored or you're used to eating in front of the TV or in the car or whatever it is, then you can replace those habits with others that are better for you. Things like keeping water on hand to sip instead of snacking or picking up hobbies that keep your hands busy or that get you out of the house more can help out a little while you're retraining your hunger cues. You might need to pay attention to why you're eating/hungry or what you're feeling when you eat and try to replace food with other things, but it can be really beneficial over time.

emgolightly · March 2015

I have the same exact problem. when I do 25-30 grams of protein per meal and get at least 25 grams of fiber a day, drink water, blah blah blah I feel like I can eat a small child within a couple of hours of my meal. If I have a slice of cheese pizza for lunch, I could go for hours before eating again. I think its my stress and cortisol causing it. LOL!

Sabine_Stroehm · March 2015

I aim to have a couple of cups of green vegetables at every meal. Keeps me full, happy and healthy.

tekkiechikk · March 2015

Sweet potatoes are definitely filling. Baked whole with a little bit of honey or sliced into fries with a dash of salt, delish either way. And REALLY good for you.

And I do like the 100 cal popcorn bags... I'll even make 2 in the evening (the dog shares) and with a glass of unsweetened almond milk or Tropicana 50 lite OJ, it's a good ending to the day as a snack. Low cal and not too terribly unhealthy.

MaddyT122 · March 2015

apples, carrot sticks and cheese are my goto snacks.

jgnatca · March 2015

@emgolightly , it might also be the delightful fat content in that pizza. I find even eating one walnut at breakfast ups the fat/calorie content to help the whole meal last longer.

sun_fish · March 2015

Oatmeal leaves me hungry an hour later. I found once I increased my protein and fat (see link above for setting macros and calories) I had better satiety.

diannethegeek · March 2015

jgnatca wrote: »

@emgolightly , it might also be the delightful fat content in that pizza. I find even eating one walnut at breakfast ups the fat/calorie content to help the whole meal last longer.

I'm the same way. I can eat a decent meal and feel completely unsatisfied afterwards. Add a piece of cheese or some almonds to the same meal and I'm good to go for a while.

EggToni · March 2015

For me it is beans that keep me full until the next meal. I like cooking them in a crock pot with a little olive oil and spices. Plus they're nutritious. Good luck!

minizebu · March 2015

Increase the amount of protein that you are eating overall and try to have a decent amount protein with each of your meals. This does not mean that you have to go to extremes with low carb. Just increase your protein above what it is now.

Protein has a more satiating effect on the appetite than carbohydrates, so you will feel fuller longer after a meal that has an overall lower carb:protein ratio. For example, cottage cheese with blueberries for breakfast will be more filling than a breakfast of toast and jam.

alpine1994 · March 2015

Lean protein and healthy fats are your friends! Foods that help keep me full are eggs, meat/fish, avocados, beans/lentils, nuts, greek yogurt (I prefer the 2% kind over non-fat), protein bars/shakes. There are also times when I just won't feel full unless I eat a large quantity of food. This is when I make a mountainous salad or a huge pile of veggies, a giant bowl of clear soup, you get the idea. I also eat every 2-3 hours so I'm not completely starving and risk overeating at meals. Example of a normal day:

Bfast at 6:30am: oatmeal made with coconut milk and a banana or English muffin with PB
Snack at 9:30am: Luna or Zone protein bar
Lunch at 12:00pm: Huge salad made with a mix of greens, cucumber, bell peppers, onion, beets, tomatoes and topped with a packet of tuna. Homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Will also have some kind of fruit like berries or an apple.
Snack at 3:30pm: greek yogurt and baby carrots with hummus
Dinner at 7pm: Almost always a serving of meat (chicken, pork, steak, turkey meatballs, etc.) and a huuuuge serving of roasted veggies. My favorites are Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, squash, mushrooms, bell peppers. I also love sautéed spinach.

I try to stay away from starchy sides with meals as they tend to take up a lot of calories that don't really keep me full. I love to start with a carby breakfast though. I feel like it keeps me going through the day a little better than when I don't.

Hopefully that helps!

milkywayward · March 2015

Sometimes it's worth going for more calorie-dense (i.e. fattier) options because they'll keep you going longer. I like porridge (oatmeal) for breakfast sometimes and it's one of my lower-calorie options but I tend to get hungry a couple of hours later; if I make scrambled eggs with butter, cheese or mayonnaise it's double the calories for the same volume of food but I don't usually get hungry again until well after lunchtime. One of my biggest mistakes in terms of managing hunger has always been to opt for greater volume thinking it will lead to greater satiety — it's hard to see a teaspoon of peanut butter as "worth" it when I can eat a whole bowl of peas for the same number of calories. But the reality is that sometimes a teaspoon of peanut butter is more effective than a pile of oats or vegetables.

Sugarbeat · March 2015

I make sure to eat enough fat and low carb veggies. In the end, you have to find what works best for you as each person is different. I have a friend who can eat a bowl of oatmeal and be full until lunch. If I eat a bowl of oatmeal I'm starving inside of an hour. I would suggest keeping track of how you feel after meals for awhile to maybe determine the foods that work best for you.

PearlAng · March 2015

Definitely soup, but I would also eat something with it. The soup fills me quickly, but it's the kind of full you get after drinking a lot of water quickly. It passes in a little bit of time. So eating something small with it might help the feeling stay a little longer.

Greek yogurt and peanut butter also keeps me satisfied pretty long. I use raspberry, blueberry, or blackberry Chobani when I do this.

FitPhillygirl · March 2015

Eating Oatmeal with PB2, Greek yougurt with Flax and chia seeds, cottage cheese, Quest protein bars, and eggs keep me full for a while.

lemurcat12 · March 2015

diannethegeek wrote: »

jgnatca wrote: »

@emgolightly , it might also be the delightful fat content in that pizza. I find even eating one walnut at breakfast ups the fat/calorie content to help the whole meal last longer.

I'm the same way. I can eat a decent meal and feel completely unsatisfied afterwards. Add a piece of cheese or some almonds to the same meal and I'm good to go for a while.

Me too. If I have oatmeal and fruit I'll be hungry in a couple of hours. Add a few almonds or cashews on the side and I'm fine. (Add some smoked salmon and veggies and I'm even better!)

Sabine_Stroehm · March 2015

EggToni wrote: »

For me it is beans that keep me full until the next meal. I like cooking them in a crock pot with a little olive oil and spices. Plus they're nutritious. Good luck!

Beans and nuts. Awesome!

r5d5 · March 2015

I actually don't find wheat english muffins or peanut butter at all satisfying. Maybe it's because I love them too much and could eat 50 muffins and a whole jar of peanut butter....
I find vegetables like broccoli, cooked spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, and peas to be very filling.
Definitely upping proteins and fats is helpful!
I love eggs and tuna (not necessarily together) for a filling protein at lunch.

alfiedn · March 2015

If you've cut your calories quickly, the shift will take some getting used to. If I find myself eating too much and go back to logging, it can sometimes take a week for my body to settle (which is soooo not fun).

To help, eating tons of veggies is great. They are low in calorie and sugar and make you feel like you're eating a lot. 4 cups of Brussels sprouts will leave you feeling VERY full, although you'll be hungry later if you don't pair it with some protein and fat. Staying away from calorie dense foods can help you feel like you've eaten a lot, but it won't add up to too many calories. However, nuts, seeds, and other calorie dense foods are important in your diet or you won't keep that satisfied feeling. You just have to be careful to balance them well.

All of that said, you may have cut your calories too quickly if you were eating way more than you are now. Try cutting down a bit more slowly. May be more manageable for you.

turtlegurl69 · March 2015

I second the proteins and fats. I have found food cravings and starvation have been practically non-existent since I cut out as much sugar as possible - including carbs that are quickly turned into sugars like wheat (actually I am avoiding all grains right now), potatoes, rice, etc. I am happily surviving on 1200-1300 calories a day without much pain! I find having a really high protein breakfast (like a smoothie with protein powder) helps me eat a lot less (and even think less about food) thru the day. Cheese, full fat greek yogourt with hemp or chia and a bit of fruit, eggs and avocado, etc., are some of my faves.