When it comes to filling us up, not all foods are created equal. Here are the foods that will satisfy you (and some to avoid).
We’ve all been there. Despite polishing off a whole meal, you’re still hungry, and already thinking about what you want to eat next. Maybe a biscuit might fill you up, or a chocolate bar?
It wouldn’t happen after eating a vegetable omelette, but the hunger pangs might still kick in after eating cereal or flavoured yoghurt. The reason? Because, when it comes to filling us up, not all foods are created equal.
“Fibre makes a big difference to our satiety,” explains Rebecca McManamon, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association. It helps to bulk out food and can help the receptors in the stomach recognise that it is full and dial down our appetites.
One study, from the University of Sydney, had volunteers eat 1000-kilojoule servings of different foods. Boiled potatoes, fish and oranges left people full for the longest, while croissants, cakes and doughnuts were the least satisfying. The former group contains fibre, water and protein, while the latter is calorie-dense and full of sugar and fat.
Protein is also key to being fuller for longer, as it suppresses ghrelin (the so-called hunger hormone) and increases peptide YY (a hormone that makes us feel full).
Meanwhile, more studies have found that fatty and sugary foods encourage passive overconsumption, because they are so moreish.
Here are the foods that won’t leave you feeling full – and what you should eat instead to stop the creep towards the biscuit tin.
1. A croissant for breakfast
Despite being large and carb-laden, baked goods are unlikely to fill you up for long.
“Croissants, cakes and doughnuts are the least satiating foods and high in fat,” McManamon explains. In the University of Sydney paper, these baked goods were even less filling than other unhealthy snacks such as cookies, crisps and jellybeans.
This means they are not effective at providing a feeling of fullness for very long. Additionally, they are highly palatable, meaning that they appeal to our taste buds because of the combination of sugar and fat they contain and, therefore, are easy to overeat.
Baked goods are also high in energy and low in nutrients. A typical croissant contains about 700 kilojoules and, despite weighing only 45g, just 1g is fibre and 4g is protein, with 7g of fat and 3g of sugar.
“We may feel pleasure from eating them at the time, but feel hunger later as they do not satiate us for long,” McManamon notes.
The filling alternative
If you’re attached to your morning croissant, having it with some cheese can help to fill you up (though a serving of cheddar will add 520 kilojoules and 10.5g of fat). “Fat is not the enemy,” McManamon notes. “Foods with fat like cheese can help us to feel full.”
Additionally, oranges are one of the most satiating fruits, so having it on the side should make the meal even more so, she says.
But for the ultimate satisfying breakfast, eggs are one of the most filling options, McManamon says. “Adding any vegetables like onion, spinach, mushroom into eggs (such as an omelette or mixed in scrambled egg) would be a more nourishing meal,” she says.
2. A bowl of shop-bought muesli
Muesli is a seemingly healthy breakfast go-to. “But it may surprise you that muesli is one of the least satiating cereals,” says McManamon. Special K, All-Bran and cornflakes were all found to be more filling in the University of Sydney study.
This is likely a result of its low protein count and the presence of dried fruit, she says. A typical portion of muesli contains about 700 kilojoules, 9.5g of sugar, 3.4g of fibre and 5g of protein.
“Dried fruit contains more quickly available glucose rather than slow release,” she explains. This can lead to a sudden spike in blood sugar, followed by a crash that leaves us craving something else to eat.
“That’s not to villainise dried fruit,” McManamon says. “If it is the only type you like, it is surely better than eating none, but fresh cut fruit can be more satiating.”
Some muesli also have added sugar, in the form of honey or glucose syrup. “Again, it is quickly available energy, so may be less filling.”
The filling alternative
“Oats are the most satiating breakfast cereal and other wholegrain cereals [such as Weet-bix] are more filling than muesli,” McManamon says. Adding milk and fresh fruit to cereal can also help to avoid mid-morning hunger pangs.
“If you are not eating nuts as a snack at another time, adding to breakfast can also help you feel full and can help with heart and brain health.”
3. Low-fat yoghurt
Yoghurt is a healthy alternative to mayonnaise and can be used to make a or dressing or a dip. However beware the low-fat variety.
“Low-fat yoghurts with a high level of sweeteners may not be satiating enough,” says Anna Daniels, a registered dietitian.
They may even be hunger-promoting. One recent study, from the University of Southern California, suggests that sucralose – an artificial sweetener found in some low-fat yoghurt – activates an area in the brain that regulates hunger, which triggers an increase in appetite.
Low-fat yoghurts also contain about 50 per cent more sugar than regular yoghurt (6.6g vs 4.2g), which can encourage a more dramatic blood sugar spike and then crash, which is also known to increase appetite.
However, a 100g serving of low-fat yoghurt does contain fewer kilojoules than standard yoghurt (250 versus 420).
The filling alternative
Eating low-fat yoghurt alone will likely leave you hungry soon after, but adding fruit, nuts and seeds will help you feel satisfied for longer, Daniels says.
While this can drive up the calorie content of the yoghurt (a portion of blueberries has 150 kilojoules, almonds have 800 and chia seeds have 250), it can reduce the risk of you snacking throughout the day.
4. A jar of tomato sauce on pasta
A jar of tomato pasta sauce is an easy way to dress up a plate of pasta. But it’s unlikely to keep you full for long. A typical serving is low in kilojoules but also offers little fibre (1.6g) or protein (1.6g).
They also tend to be high in sugar and salt, which may wreak havoc with our appetite control, as studies in mice suggest that high-salt diets can make us hungrier.
The filling alternative
Choosing a wholegrain over white pasta can help to boost how full you feel after eating, McManamon says.
Additionally, adding some fish – fresh, frozen or tinned – will add protein and ward off hunger pangs, as fish is one of the most filling protein sources (even more so than red meat or eggs), she notes.
“Pulses, including humble options like baked beans, are also filling options to add fibre and protein,” she adds.
5. A cup of powdered or canned soup
They are a popular dieting food but powdered and canned soup won’t help with feeling full for long. “The liquid may make our stomach feel full but it contains little fibre, protein or fat,” McManamon says.
Smooth or creamy soups are among the least filling, as they have no pieces of vegetables and are even lower in fibre. For example, cream of tomato soup (which has 850 kilojoules per can) contains just 2.6g of fibre and 3.4g of protein.
The filling alternative
To make a soup more filling, add tinned sweetcorn or cannellini beans, McManamon suggests.
Alternatively, have boiled or baked potatoes with your soup. Compared with other high-carb foods, potatoes are very satisfying. “They will keep us the most full out of any other food,” says McManamon – “but adding other vegetables is also key.”
The Telegraph, London
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