8 Low-Calorie Foods That Will Actually Fill You Up

 

Ever have those days when you feel hungry all day long? Us, too! The good news is there are plenty of healthy foods and meal combinations you can enjoy to help you feel full without breaking your calorie bank. The key is prioritizing the following three components for weight loss: low-calorie protein, water and fiber. According to Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Eat Your Way to Sexy, “All three or any one of these will fill you up before they fill you out, so you push away from the table before you’ve overeaten.”
But before you start rooting through your fridge and cupboards, be sure to drink a glass of cold water and wait 15 minutes. Since people often mistake thirst for hunger, you may find the craving to eat subsides, Somer says. But, if you truly are hungry, reach for these weight loss-friendly foods when you need more substance for fewer calories.
RELATED: The One Thing That Helped Me Lose Weight

8 Low-Calorie Foods That Will Fill You Up

Photo: Pond5

1. Choose Filling Grains
To maximize that feel-full factor, choose 100 percent whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal. The filling fiber in oats helps balance blood sugar levels, unlike the roller coaster ride caused by sugary breakfasts, says Somer. Looking for an especially satiating whole-grain breakfast? Cook whole oats in milk for a protein, water and fiber-packed meal that will help prevent overeating later in the day.

Photo: Pond5

2. Go Back to Black
You’ve swapped white rice for brown — but what about black? This lesser-known grain packs a hefty dose of fiber and antioxidants, with fewer carbs and calories than its white and brown counterparts. (A half-cup of cooked black rice is 90 calories compared to the 102 calories in white rice and 108 calories in brown rice.) Try sprinkling the flavorful grain on salads, in burritos or as a hearty side dish, suggests Manuel Villacorta, RD, author of Peruvian Power Foods.
RELATED: Want to Try a Fasting Diet? 6 Questions to Ask Yourself

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3. Eat Energy-Burning Greens
Veggies that burn calories? Now there’s a reason to eat your vegetables! According to Foods That Cause You To Lose Weight: The Negative Calorie Effect, one cup of broccoli contains just 25 calories and requires up to 80 calories to digest in the body, meaning you’ve burned 55 calories just by eating it! Not a broccoli fan? Try asparagus, cauliflower, celery or zucchini when you want an energy-efficient snack.
RELATED: 5 Low-Calorie Snacks That Will Fill You Up

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4. Go All in With Watermelon
Half of every plate or snack should be colorful produce, which is a combo of fiber and water to fill you up on fewer calories, says Somer. This summer, try satisfying your sweet tooth with water-logged watermelon. Two cups contain less than 100 calories and nearly half the recommended daily value of vitamin C! Plus, on a hot day, a watermelon slushie like this one really hits the spot.

Photo: Pond5

5. Hit Bean Town
“Legumes [provide] the perfect combo of weight loss ingredients,” says Somer. They’re excellent sources of fiber and may help prevent against disease, studies have found. Beans specifically are a great food for waistline watchers as they also contain fiber, complex carbs and a host of antioxidants and nutrients. Consider stocking up on chickpeas, black beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, fava beans, red kidney beans and edamame. From soups and stews to salads and wraps, the possibilities are endless!
RELATED: Pulses: The Superfood With Nearly Twice the Protein as Quinoa

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6. Soup for You
Studies show that people who include broth-based soups (even the low-calorie ones) in their diets consume fewer calories at mealtime. So if you’re at a restaurant, try a broth-based soup with fiber-filled veggies (like this one!) to help you eat less and keep your hands out of the bread basket. Pro tip: Ask the server to put half of your main dish in a to-go container before you see it on your plate. Voilà! You’ll shave off calories, fat and you’ve got lunch for tomorrow!

Photo: Pond5

7. Add More Moo
You haven’t had milk with dinner since you were a kid, but you might want to reconsider. Research has shown that regularly consuming low-fat or fat-free dairy products is a habit that can help you stay satisfied and slim. To get the recommended three servings per day, try starting your day with a cottage cheese- or yogurt-based breakfast, drink a glass of low-fat milk with your afternoon snack, or opt for low-fat chocolate milk post-workout (which may also help with exercise recovery!).
RELATED: 9 All-Natural Sources of Healthy Probiotics

Photo: Pond5

8. Drink Green
If you haven’t tried green smoothies yet, you’ve been missing out on a seriously nutrient-dense snack. Made with spinach, kale, collard, mustard or any other greens, green drinks are rich in vitamins and minerals, while providing feel-full fiber for very few calories (and no, they don’t quite taste like salad). For a nutrient-packed protein shake that’ll keep hunger in check, combine 2 scoops DailyBurn Fuel-6 in vanilla, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, 1 cup fresh kale and 1 cup unsweetened almond milk. Add a 1/2-cup of ice and blend until smooth. Bottoms up!

Grocery stores are now amassed with prepackaged meals claiming to suppress appetite and keep us feeling fuller for longer. But according to new research, these meals are unlikely to affect our overall calorie intake.

Researchers say there is no link between how hungry we feel and the amount of calories we consume.

From a review of more than 460 studies, researchers from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom found little evidence of a link between how hungry we feel and the amount of calories we consume.
Study leader Dr. Bernard Corfe, from the Molecular Gastroenterology Research Group at Sheffield, and team publish their results in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.
In the United States, more than 2 in 3 adults and around one third of children are considered overweight or obese.
The primary cause of overweight and obesity is an energy imbalance - that is, more calories are consumed than the body uses, or "burns," which results in excess weight.
As such, eating a healthy diet and sticking to the daily recommended calorie intake - around 1,600-2,400 calories for women and 2,000-3,000 calories for men, depending on physical activity - are considered key for weight loss and maintenance.

Few studies found a link between appetite and calorie intake

Appealing to the the desire of many individuals to lose weight through dietary changes are prepackaged meals that claim to have appetite-modifying properties that keep us sated for longer, reducing the need to reach for the unhealthy snacks when hunger bites.
The new study, however, indicates there is no link between appetite and calorie intake, suggesting some food manufacturers may need to rethink their claims.
Dr. Corfe and colleagues came to their conclusion after conducting a review of 462 studies that assessed both appetite and calorie consumption.
The researchers found that only 6 percent of the studies reviewed made a direct statistical comparison between appetite and calorie intake, and only half of these studies found that self-reported appetite correlated with calorie consumption.
The team says these findings indicate that how hungry we feel has no effect on the amount of calories we consume - something that food manufacturers should take into consideration.

"The food industry is littered with products which are marketed on the basis of their appetite-modifying properties. Whilst these claims may be true, they shouldn't be extended to imply that energy intake will be reduced as a result.
For example, you could eat a meal which claims to satisfy your appetite and keep you feeling full up for a long period of time but nonetheless go on to consume a large amount of calories later on."

Dr. Bernard Corfe

Dr. Corfe says further research is needed in order to pinpoint precisely what does influence calorie intake; are environmental or social factors involved?
"This will be important to understand how obesity occurs, how to prevent it, and how we need to work in partnership with the food industry to develop improved tests for foods that are genuinely and effectively able to satisfy appetite," Dr. Corfe adds.
Read about a study that suggests food preferences are altered by certain brain pathways.

Written by Honor Whiteman

Why do you feel hungry even if you had enough calories? Are hunger and calories related?

 It's well known that high carbohydrate consumption can trigger food cravings in the brain, despite eating enough. Effects of dietary glycemic index on brain regions related to reward and craving in men

Cut down on carbs to curb hunger, especially low nutrient carbs like sugars and white starches (potatoes, white rice) and select whole grains instead.

 

Hunger is related with satiety hormones - leptin and ghrelin.

Only once your body releases them you feel satiated. But to do so you don't just stuff your body with carbohydrates and sugar - these will simply suppress those hormones.

Just notice how you can eat infinite amount of candy before feeling full. But would feel full instantly after consuming a bowl of oatmeal or something fatty - these quality food sources allows your body to release those hormones.

There are some tricks to feel satiated faster:

• Eat slower - chew longer
• Drink water while eating, or have a glass before every meal
• Eat more healthy fat, more complex carbs and less simple carbs

 

I used to count calories.
It was part of my training as a dietitian – one of our homework assignments. It seemed everyone in my class was really good at it, like they had memorized the calorie content of a bunch of foods. I treated the project as more of an experiment. I mean, if this is what we’re supposed to have our patients do, I should be able to do it.

The funny thing is, the more I counted calories, the less I was paying attention to the food in front of me. It was like looking at a spreadsheet on a plate. All you see is numbers.

I’d choose the less tasty entree because it was lower in calories, even if it didn’t sound appealing. If I got hungry after the meal, I’d second guess myself. “But I ate 700 calories!? That should be enough!”

It was like a battle between the calculator and my stomach. The calculations said I needed a certain amount of calories per day. If I went over, it was a “bad” day. If I went under, it was an excuse to eat junk food. I’d think to myself, “Well, these chocolates are only 90 calories…”

I’ll admit, I failed miserably at counting calories and gave up within a few weeks. I never really enjoyed it and I felt restricted, like I was going to develop disordered eating. I questioned the accuracy of all the calculations. There are a number of formulas to choose from and they all give you different answers. I couldn’t memorize the nutrition facts like my classmates, and frankly, I got tired of feeling like I belonged in the remedial nutrition class.

Now, I actively encourage my clients to stop counting calories and here’s why.

6 Reasons to Stop Counting Calories

1) Labels can lie.

Seriously. Labeling laws allow a 20% margin of error on the nutrition facts panel. That means your 100-calorie snack pack could be 119 calories. Or that 500 calorie TV dinner could be nearly 600 calories. Legally. Ooops.

“[T]he ratio between the amount obtained by laboratory analysis and the amount declared on the product label in the Nutrition Facts panel must be 120% or less, i.e., the label is considered to be out of compliance if the nutrient content of a composite of the product is greater than 20% above the value declared on the label.”  (FDA Guidance for Industry: Nutrition Labeling Manual)

2) Nutrients vary by season, variety, ripeness, etc.

While it’s nice to have the nutrient analysis of foods, there is no way food companies or the USDA could analyze every variety of tomato from every region from every season from different growing conditions (i.e organic vs. conventional) and every other variable for nutrients, including calories. That super sweet summer tomato likely has more calories (and valuable nutrients) than that tasteless, pink one from the dead of winter. Which one would you rather eat?

3) “More calories equals weight gain” is not an exact science.

If calorie counting worked long term, America would be the thinnest country in the world. We are a nation of compulsive dieters and you wouldn’t know it looking at us. Turns out the composition of what you’re eating is crucial to how many calories you eat and how many calories you burn.

The quality of the calories going in can affect the number of calories being burned off. – Dr. Ludwig, obesity researcher

In a study comparing 3 diets: low-fat, low-glycemic, and low-carb, the people on the low carb diet burned 350 calories more than the low-fat diet. (JAMA, 2012) And yet, our nutrition guidelines recommend a low-calorie, low-fat diet.  Trouble is, when you focus on calories, you’re likely to eat less fat (since fat is more calorie-dense than carbohydrate and protein). And when you eat less fat, you’re likely to eat more carbohydrates. See the problem?

If you’re happy eating tasteless, low-fat food, going hungry and not losing weight, by all means, count calories and cut fat out of your diet.

4) We don’t absorb all calories.

It’s true! A study on almond consumption in humans found that up to 20% of the calories were not absorbed. (J Agric Food Chem, 2008) The exact reason is unknown, but possibly due to the “cellular structure” of nuts and the way our bodies digest food. I would speculate that we absorb a lot more calories from highly processed foods. Maybe that’s just me.

Or maybe not.

In summary, a calorie is not necessarily a calorie: given the functional differences between edible plants, interfamily and even interspecies differences must be considered when making comparisons between food processing techniques.  (Proc Natl Acad Sci, 2012)

There’s also good evidence that our gut health (and gut bacteria) plays a role in how many calories we absorb from our food. (Amer J Clin Nutr, 2011)

5) Focusing on calories often means we restrict healthy foods.

This especially happens when it comes to fat. We often omit higher fat foods simply because they are higher in calories without taking into consideration what benefits we might get from them, such as staying fuller for longer (hangry much?), absorbing antioxidants from vegetables, and getting necessary nutrients, like fat-soluble vitamins. (This is crucially important for pregnant women who may become deficient in key brain-building nutrients if they restrict fat.)

I choose to fully ignore calorie labels, especially on real foods that are naturally high in fat such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter, avocados, olives, nuts, and seeds. My body likes these foods, there are benefits to eating them, and I don’t need a calorie count to tell me otherwise.

6) Too much math.

Honestly, I don’t have time or energy to calculate everything that goes into my mouth. That probably sounds odd, since my life’s work is helping people improve their health by eating better, but I firmly believe this can be done and is best done without counting. (And I have satisfied clients to prove it.) Counting calories is especially fruitless when you know #1-5.

So now you might be wondering:

If I think calorie counting is a such waste of time, what do I do instead?

How do I prevent myself from eating too much?

How do I stay at the same weight, year after year? (and help my clients do the same)

My answer is simple.

11 things I do instead of counting calories:

1. I listen to my body.
2. I always eat when I’m hungry. (Here’s how to know if you’re truly hungry.)
   
3. I eat foods that I’m actually in the mood to eat.
4. I put my full attention on the meal in front of me.
5. I notice the sensations in my body before, during, and after eating.
6. I sit down when I eat.
7. I chew every bite before taking another.
8. I savor the flavors, texture, mouth feel, sounds, richness, crunchiness or softness, saltiness or sweetness.
9. I make an effort to eat healthy foods and make an equal effort to eat the healthy foods that taste good to me.
10. I sometimes choose to eat foods purely for the pleasure of eating them, even when they are not “healthy”.
11. I sometimes choose to eat more food than is comfortable, either because the food tastes really good or because I know I wont have time to eat again for a while (such as during a busy work day).

If this sounds like a breath of fresh air, I’m with you. Just putting this down on paper (or rather, in html) feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I stopped feeling like a disobedient dietitian when I let go if this whole counting obsession. There’s a certain sense of freedom that comes from eating in the way we are meant to eat.

It’s sustainable and enjoyable. It frees up so much time and energy to spend on things that actually matter to you. And in the process, your body will naturally find a healthy weight.

It’s empowering to know that your body knows best. It validates all of those signals your body sends you moment to moment, even the urge to eat a little something extra at the end of a meal.

Now before you go, I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments below.

1) Have you counted calories before?

2) Were you able to sustain it long term or did you give up? Why?

Did you like this article? If so, share it with your friends and sign up for email updates, so you never miss a post!

To lose weight, you generally need to reduce your daily calorie intake.
Unfortunately, weight loss diets often lead to increased appetite and severe hunger.
This can make it extremely difficult to lose weight and keep it off.
Here is a list of 18 science-based ways to reduce excessive hunger and appetite:

1. Eat Enough Protein

Adding more protein to your diet can increase feelings of fullness, make you eat less at your next meal and help you lose fat (1, 2).
For instance, a weight loss study compared two breakfasts identical in calories: one consisting of eggs, the other of bagels.
Participants who had the egg breakfast lost 65% more weight and 16% more body fat over the eight-week study period (3).
In addition, a high protein intake may help to prevent muscle loss when daily calories are reduced for weight loss (4).
Making protein about 20–30% of your total calorie intake, or 0.45-0.55 g/lb of body weight (1.0–1.2 g/kg), seems sufficient to provide the benefits (4).

Bottom Line: Getting sufficient protein in your diet can help promote weight loss, partly by decreasing your appetite.

2. Opt for Fiber-Rich Foods

A high fiber intake stretches the stomach, slows its emptying rate and influences the release of fullness hormones (5, 6).
In addition, fiber can ferment in the bowel. This produces short-chain fatty acids thought to further help promote feelings of fullness (7, 8).
In fact, a recent review reports that adding fiber-rich beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils to your meal can increase feelings of fullness by 31%, compared to equivalent meals that aren’t based on beans (9).
Fiber-rich whole grains can also help reduce hunger and keep you feeling full (7).
Eating an extra 14 grams of fiber each day may decrease your calorie intake by up to 10%. Over 3.8 months, this could lead to a loss of up to 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg) (10).
However, more recent reviews observe less dramatic effects. This may have to do with the different types of fiber studied (11, 12).
More viscous types of fiber like pectins, beta-glucans and guar gum seem more filling than less viscous types of fiber (12, 13, 14).
What’s more, few negative effects have been linked to high-fiber diets. Fiber-rich foods often contain many other beneficial nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and helpful plant compounds (11, 12).
Therefore, opting for a diet containing sufficient fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds can also promote long-term health.

Bottom Line: Eating a fiber-rich diet can decrease hunger and help you eat fewer calories. It can also promote long-term health.

3. Pick Solids Over Liquids

Solid calories and liquid calories can affect appetite differently.
One recent review found that compared to a solid snack, people who ate a liquid snack were 38% less likely to compensate by eating less at the next meal (15).
In a second study, participants who were fed a semi-solid snack reported less hunger, a lower desire to eat and a greater sensation of fullness than those fed a liquid snack (16).
Solids require more chewing, which can grant more time for the fullness signal to reach the brain (17).
Scientists also believe the extra chewing time allows solids to stay in contact with the taste buds for longer, which can also promote feelings of fullness (18).

Bottom Line: Eating your calories rather than drinking them can help you eat less without feeling more hungry.

4. Drink Coffee

Coffee has many benefits for health and sports performance — and may also help decrease your appetite.
Research shows that coffee increases the release of peptide YY (PYY). This hormone is produced in the gut in response to eating and promotes a feeling of fullness (19, 20).
Scientists believe that PYY levels play an important role in determining how much you’re likely to eat (21).
Interestingly, decaffeinated coffee may produce the highest reduction in hunger, with effects that last up to three hours after consumption (19).
However, more studies are required to pinpoint exactly how this works.

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Bottom Line: Drinking coffee, especially decaf, could help reduce hunger for up to three hours.

5. Fill Up on Water

Drinking water can help decrease the hunger you feel before meals.
It may also increase feelings of fullness following a meal and promote weight loss (22).
In fact, studies show that people who drink two glasses of water immediately before a meal eat 22% less than those who don’t drink any water (23).
Scientists believe that about 17 oz (500 ml) of water is sufficient to stretch the stomach enough to send signals of fullness to the brain (23).
That said, water is also known to empty from the stomach quickly. For this tip to work, it may be best to drink the water as close to the meal as possible.
Interestingly, starting your meal with soup may act in the same way.
Researchers observed that eating a bowl of soup immediately before a meal decreased hunger and reduced total calorie intake from the meal by about 100 calories (24).

Bottom Line: Drinking low-calorie liquids before a meal can help you eat fewer calories without leaving you hungry.

6. Eat Mindfully

Under normal conditions, your brain knows whether you’re hungry or full.
However, eating quickly or while you’re distracted can make it more difficult for your brain to recognize these signals.
Solve this problem by eliminating distractions and focusing on the foods in front of you — a key aspect of mindful eating.
Research shows that practicing mindfulness during meals can help people experience more pleasure while eating. This can help keep the focus on quality rather than quantity, and reduces binge eating behavior (25).
There also seems to be a link between hunger, fullness and what your eyes see.
One experiment offered two identical milkshakes to participants. One was called a “620-calorie indulgence,” while the other was given a “120-calorie sensible” label.
Although both groups consumed the same amount of calories, hunger hormone levels dropped more for those who believed they drank the “indulgent” drink (26).
Believing that a drink contains more calories can also activate the brain areas linked to feeling full (27).
How full you feel may be influenced by what you see, and paying attention to what you eat can be very beneficial.

Bottom Line: Eating mindfully has been shown to decrease hunger and increase feelings of fullness. It can also reduce calorie intake and help prevent binge eating.

7. Indulge in Dark Chocolate

The bitterness of dark chocolate is thought to help decrease appetite and diminish cravings for sweets (28).
Researchers also believe the stearic acid in dark chocolate can help slow digestion, further increasing feelings of fullness (29, 30).
Interestingly, the simple act of smelling this treat might produce the same effect.
One study observed that simply smelling 85% dark chocolate decreased both appetite and hunger hormones just as much as actually eating it (31).
Nevertheless, further studies are needed to examine the effects of dark chocolate on feelings of fullness.

Bottom Line: Eating or even just smelling dark chocolate may help diminish appetite and cravings for sweets.

8. Eat Some Ginger

Ginger has been linked to many health benefits. These include reductions in nausea, muscle pain, inflammation and blood sugar levels (32, 33, 34, 35).
Interestingly, recent research adds another benefit to the list: hunger reduction.
One study found that consuming 2 grams of ginger powder diluted in hot water at breakfast reduced the hunger participants felt after the meal (36).
However, this study was small and more research in humans is needed before strong conclusions can be reached.

Bottom Line: Ginger may help decrease feelings of hunger, but more research is needed to confirm this effect.

9. Spice Up Your Meals

Ginger may not be the only hunger-reducing spice.
A recent review examined the effects of capsaicin, found in hot peppers, and capsiate, found in sweet peppers.
It found these compounds may help decrease hunger and increase feelings of fullness (37).
What’s more, the ability of these compounds to generate heat may also increase the number of calories burned after a meal (37).
However, these effects have not been seen in all studies and remain small. In addition, people who eat these foods often may develop a tolerance to the effects.

Bottom Line: Compounds found in hot and sweet peppers may help curb hunger and increase fullness, but further research is needed.

10. Eat on Smaller Plates

Reducing the size of your dinnerware can help you unconsciously reduce your meal portions. This is likely to help you consume less food without feeling deprived (38).
Interestingly, this effect can fool even the most aware eater.
For instance, a study observed that even nutrition experts unconsciously served themselves 31% more ice cream when given larger bowls (39).
Another study further reported that participants who served themselves snacks from large bowls ate 142 calories more than those who ate from smaller bowls (40).

Bottom Line: Eating from smaller plates may help you unconsciously eat less without increasing your feelings of hunger.

11. Use a Bigger Fork

The size of your eating utensils may have dramatic effects on how much food you need to feel full.
One study observed that participants who used bigger forks ate 10% less than those eating their meals with a smaller fork (41).
The researchers speculated that small forks may give people the feeling that they are not making much progress in satiating their hunger, leading them to eat more.
Of note, this effect does not seem to apply to the size of all utensils. Larger serving spoons may increase the food eaten at a meal by up to 14.5% (39).

Bottom Line: Using larger forks may help decrease the amount of food needed before reaching fullness.

12. Exercise

Exercise is thought to reduce the activation of brain regions linked to food cravings, which can result in a lower motivation to eat (42).
It can also reduce hunger hormone levels, while increasing feelings of fullness (43).
Research shows that aerobic and resistance exercise are equally effective at influencing hormone levels and the size of a meal eaten after exercise (44).

Bottom Line: Both aerobic and resistance exercise can help increase fullness hormones and lead to reduced hunger and calorie intake.

13. Lose Body Fat Around Your Middle

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a hormone that influences appetite and energy balance.
Higher NPY levels are believed to increase appetite and may even change the percentage of calories you store as fat (45).
Interestingly, researchers have discovered that body fat, especially the type found around your organs, may increase production of NPY (46, 47, 48).
Because of this, losing weight around your middle may help reduce your appetite and hunger levels.

Bottom Line: Losing fat around your middle may reduce levels of the hormone neuropeptide Y. This may lead to reduced appetite and hunger.

14. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough quality sleep can also help reduce hunger and protect against weight gain.
Studies show that too little sleep can increase hunger and appetite by up to 24%, and decrease levels of some fullness hormones by up to 26% (49, 50).
Research also shows that individuals who sleep less than seven hours per night rate their fullness levels after breakfast as 26% lower (51).
It’s worth noting that several studies also link short sleep, generally defined as less than six hours per night, with up to a 55% higher risk of obesity (52, 53, 54, 55, 56).

Bottom Line: Getting at least seven hours of sleep per night is likely to reduce your hunger levels throughout the day.

15. Reduce Your Stress

Excess stress is known to raise levels of the hormone cortisol.
Although the effects can vary between individuals, high cortisol is generally thought to increase food cravings and the drive to eat (57, 58, 59, 60).
Stress may also decrease levels of peptide YY (PYY), a fullness hormone (61).
In a recent experiment, participants ate an average of 22% more calories after a stressful test when compared to a non-stressful version of the same test (62).
Finding ways to reduce your stress levels may not only help curb hunger, but also reduce your risk of obesity and depression (63, 64, 65).

Bottom Line: Reducing your stress levels may help decrease cravings, increase fullness and even protect against depression and obesity.

16. Eat Omega-3 Fats

Omega-3 fats, particularly those found in fish and algae oils, have the ability to increase levels of the fullness hormone leptin (66).
A diet rich in omega-3 fats may also increase fullness after meals when calories are restricted for weight loss (67).
So far, these effects were only observed in overweight and obese participants. More research is needed to see if the same applies in lean people.

Bottom Line: Omega-3 fats may help decrease hunger for overweight and obese people. However, more research is needed in lean individuals.

17. Opt for Protein-Rich Snacks

Snacking is a matter of personal choice.
If it’s part of your daily routine, you may want to choose snacks that are high-protein rather than high-fat.
High-protein snacks can increase feelings of fullness and decrease total calorie intake at the following meal.
For instance, a high-protein yogurt decreases hunger more effectively than high-fat crackers or a high-fat chocolate snack (68).
High-protein yogurt eaten in the afternoon may also help you eat approximately 100 fewer calories at dinner, compared to the other two options (68, 69).

Bottom Line: Eating a protein-rich snack will likely decrease hunger and may prevent you from overeating at your next meal.

18. Visualize Eating the Foods You Crave

According to some researchers, picturing yourself indulging in the foods you crave most may actually decrease your desire to eat them.
In one experiment, 51 participants first imagined eating either three or 33 M&Ms before being given access to a bowl of the candy. Those who imagined eating more M&Ms ate 60% less of the candy, on average (70).
The researchers found the same effect when they repeated the experiment using cheese instead of M&Ms (70).
It seems that the visualization exercise may trick your mind into believing you’ve already eaten the desired foods, significantly decreasing your craving for them.

Bottom Line: Visualizing yourself eating the foods you crave may reduce your desire to eat them.

Take Home Message

Hunger is an important and natural signal that should not be ignored.
The tips mentioned here are just a few simple ways to reduce your appetite and hunger between meals.
If you’ve tried these things but still find you’re excessively hungry, consider talking to a healthcare professional about your options.