Vegetables and Satiety

COGypsy

I'm probably just biologically weird, but does anyone else find that vegetables make you demonstrably hungrier?

I've been sticking to crudites if I want to snack in the afternoon, but I just get hungrier and hungrier. I've just had about 150g of carrots with spinach dip and my stomach is growling so loudly that even my velcro dog gave me side-eye and went to sleep in the other room.

This is pretty typical when I snack on vegetables, even with dip (e.g. fat). I'm generally not a volume eater, I'm more of a grazer, so I don't think it's a matter of not eating enough to be satisfied. My stomach wasn't growling this much (or at all, actually) even before I ate, so I'm puzzled. Any ideas from the hive mind?

Corina1143

Lol. I'm just the opposite. I have to limit veggie snacks so I'll have room for meals.

COGypsy

It's crazy. It's 4:52 pm where I am and I'm already thinking about dinner. I usually eat around 8:30 Between the extra calories and the hunger, it feels very much like it's not worth the effort to try and up my veggies.

AnnPT77

Snacking specifically, if I snack on not-protein, it doesn't hold me well. (There can be some not-protein in the snack, but there has to be a meaningful bit of protein.)

I do seem to need to eat something high volume sometime during the day in order to feel sated, and that's usually a ridiculously large serving of veggies at dinner, plus some smaller but still decent-sized ones at other times. (Large = the whole bag of frozen broccoli, which is supposed to be 5 servings, and runs around half a kilo/over a pound; smaller = an apple that's typically 100g-ish, maybe more, or 100g of mixed berries.)

The volume/veggies are just part of my overall picture for best satiety, though, and a small amount (like a few crudites) for a snack wouldn't be sating. A whole English cucumber (the long thin-skinned ones) might go some way (it's like 300g-ish usually?).

We're all different though, as the platitude goes, eh?

frhaberl

I used to feel that way when I ate an apple. Apple and peanut butter would hold me pretty well, but I felt more hungry after eating just an apple. It took me a while for my gut to get used to the higher fiber of volume eating, and sometimes the gassy feeling would feel like hunger. If you’re switching from a typically low fiber snack to something higher fiber it might take a bit for your gut to adjust.
I am now satisfied on much smaller snacks, but I still try to pair veggies with protein if I’m looking for satiety (sometimes I just want to chew something crunchy and am not really hungry, so raw veggies alone work for those times). Hummus or string cheese or turkey jerky or a slice of deli meat are quick and easy adds. My current favorite sweet snack is an apple dipped in a mixture of Greek yogurt and peanut butter protein powder.

COGypsy

The problem though is that it's not that I don't feel full or satisfied, I am actively hungrier after I eat them. I'm almost never stomach-growling hungry and it seems like that happens whenever I have vegetables as a snack or say, a salad for dinner. It's worse than not snacking at all (which is probably the solution). There's also usually some kind of fat with my vegetables, I always eat them with dip or sauce. Things like hummus, spinach dip, artichoke dip, guacamole--so pretty substantial additions. It's just so strange because everyone says vegetables make you feel full but I haven't really experienced that consistently. I was betting on the fiber/fat for fullness to kick in, but apparently not for me.

yirara

starchy carbs and grains, and especially rice, potatoes and bread make me super full. Veggies... just raw not so much. An apple for me is rather useless. Overall though, protein and fats are not the best choice for me as I don't really feel full on those. I need my starches and grains!

Sett2023

My experience: vegetables satiate me for hours, but for vegetables I mean a lot of them (in each meal, at least 3-4 kinds of them, and a very very giant portion of each one, I literally eat around half a kilo of veggies at each meal). So yes, volume helps me... but for volume I mean really "volume" :-)

On the other hand, it's fruit that triggers hunger, in me. I nonetheless eat it for snacks 'cause it's healthy etc etc, but I learnt to eat it from one hour to half an hour before the main meals, so I satiate hunger without having to eat other snacks.

Other snacks in my day are a slice of parmesan (I found it really satiating); a square of dark chocolate (not so satiating but also no trigger) and sometimes nuts/almonds (but these trigger hunger, for me, so again, like fruit: only a little before main meals).

Editing: all these "tricks" work for me only since I introduced the “plate diet”, and it has been this different way of introducing foods that satiate me a lot. So, I'm losing at steady pace, but never undereating (five days at about 1700 calories/day, and two at 2000/2200 – that are pizza days and burger days). In other words, I use snacks deliberately to introduce more calories, not because I'm hungry before eating them, so maybe my way is not ok for you.

evileyefirefly

COGypsy wrote: »

I'm probably just biologically weird, but does anyone else find that vegetables make you demonstrably hungrier?

I've been sticking to crudites if I want to snack in the afternoon, but I just get hungrier and hungrier. I've just had about 150g of carrots with spinach dip and my stomach is growling so loudly that even my velcro dog gave me side-eye and went to sleep in the other room.

This is pretty typical when I snack on vegetables, even with dip (e.g. fat). I'm generally not a volume eater, I'm more of a grazer, so I don't think it's a matter of not eating enough to be satisfied. My stomach wasn't growling this much (or at all, actually) even before I ate, so I'm puzzled. Any ideas from the hive mind?

So for me it depends on the veggies. If I snack on carrots or most starchy veggies I get more hungry. My go-to now is roasting cauliflower or broccoli. I'll just chop up a head of either, then add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and ginger powder, then toss with a small amount of olive oil and air-fry for 6min. That usually will hold me at least 3hr, even if I haven't eaten much that day. I also find I end up being more hungry throughout the day if I eat breakfast, so I typically skip it. Also adding more protein into the diet helps to keep you sated, so getting that throughout the day can help you stay feeling full longer. (I usually supplement with Barebells brand protein bars and the Fairlife core power protein shakes)(Specifically call these out because I've tried a ton of different shakes and bars and these IMO are the best)

collinsje1

I am the exact same why with veggies and fruits. If i eat them even as a side dish to a meal they make me hungrier. Like I can be eating and 15 minutes later my stomach is growling and telling me I'm still hungry if I had a bunch of veggies or fruit.

However, I have found that protein and starchy veggies seem to help with this, but this poses another problem in not going over total calories for the day.

COGypsy

collinsje1 wrote: »

I am the exact same why with veggies and fruits. If i eat them even as a side dish to a meal they make me hungrier. Like I can be eating and 15 minutes later my stomach is growling and telling me I'm still hungry if I had a bunch of veggies or fruit.

However, I have found that protein and starchy veggies seem to help with this, but this poses another problem in not going over total calories for the day.

Calories for vegetables are rough for me. I've yet to find a vegetable I can stand to eat plain anymore (thanks COVID!), so I always have to balance the "good" of vegetables with whatever the "flavor" I add is. Snacks seem like an easy place to work some in, but between the hunger and wanting something I can eat while I work, it's harder than I thought it would be. I don't know where the line is on what a "starchy" vegetable is. A potato will keep me full for hours and hours, but aren't so practical for daily consumption. A couple of chicken tenders or cheese and crackers are what I'd generally go for, but....no vegetables in either of those things. Vegetables in general are just an ongoing struggle for me.

rileysowner

COGypsy wrote: »

I'm probably just biologically weird, but does anyone else find that vegetables make you demonstrably hungrier?

I've been sticking to crudites if I want to snack in the afternoon, but I just get hungrier and hungrier. I've just had about 150g of carrots with spinach dip and my stomach is growling so loudly that even my velcro dog gave me side-eye and went to sleep in the other room.

This is pretty typical when I snack on vegetables, even with dip (e.g. fat). I'm generally not a volume eater, I'm more of a grazer, so I don't think it's a matter of not eating enough to be satisfied. My stomach wasn't growling this much (or at all, actually) even before I ate, so I'm puzzled. Any ideas from the hive mind?

That is what they do for me. I will get a very brief time where I am full, but usually within an hour I am hungry again if I eat mainly vegetables. An unexpected benefit for me of going Keto, for specific health reasons but this was a happy benefit, is I found for me high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbs seems to not only satisfy me short term, but keep me full for a much longer time than a more veggie based diet. I know others who are the opposite. Find what works for you.

neanderthin

With veg only, I have to eat volume to be sated, potatoes are the exception but with low carb/keto I'm not eating them very often and I'm not looking for volume.