While still watching your waistline? Believe it and get a load of these. Really: load up. Our top 10 list of power foods that’ll keep you fuller for longer.
1. Raspberries
A way to one-up blueberries! Raspberries have more fibre per serving than almost any other fruit and they’re so filling that one study found just 272kJ worth of berries (around 1 cup) eaten about one hour before dinner caused women to consume less at their meal.
Fresh ways to fill up: Make this your jam: mash one cup raspberries with 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp water and honey, to taste. Or halve the berries and mix with chopped coriander, garlic, onions and lime juice for a fruit salsa to spoon over grilled fish or chicken.
2. Popcorn
Fibre isn’t the only stay-full secret of these whole-grain kernels: air-popping means a three-cup serving (sans butter) rings in at a mere 418kJ or so and research from Pennsylvania State University supports the idea that high-volume, low-kilojoule snacks will quell hunger longer.
Fresh ways to fill up: Drizzle with dark chocolate and mix with cranberries for a fibre-packed treat.
READ MORE: These Foods Will Help You Stay Full Longer—And They’re Not All High In Protein
3. Oats
You’re not imagining that filling sensation: this whole grain has soluble fibre in spades and when it mixes with liquids, it slows digestion and delays the onset of hunger. Less-processed oats, like steel-cut and rolled, will fill you for longer than instant varieties.
Fresh ways to fill up: Use some as a stuffing for roast chicken or add some to your morning smoothie.
4. Spinach
Can’t get no satisfaction from leafy greens? Give spinach a chance. Research shows that compounds called thylakoids cause a stream of satiety-boosting hormones to flood your system.
Fresh ways to fill up: Pulverise it in a food processor to release the thylakoids, then stir into hummus or other dips. Or mix chopped, cooked spinach into meatballs.
5. Rye
Carbs with staying power? They do exist. One study found that people who had eaten rye bread for breakfast felt less hungry than people who had eaten wheat breads – even up to eight hours later! Reason? A fibre in rye flour may have a more stabilising effect on metabolism compared with that in wholewheat.
Fresh ways to fill up: Dice a loaf and toast with a little olive oil and garlic powder for home-made croutons or stuffing. Snack on rye crackers (such as Ryvita) with almond butter and banana slices.
READ MORE: This Formula Will Ensure Your Breakfast Keeps You Full Until Lunch Every Day
6. Cottage Cheese
It’s got a granny rep, but 28 grams of protein per cup should be enough to silence any haters. That protein, BTW, is known as casein and because it takes a long time to digest, it holds hunger at bay for that much longer.
Fresh ways to fill up: Blend it with garlic powder, lemon pepper and origanum for a quick veggie dip or swap it in for milk in a smoothie to add creaminess and heft. One combo we love: 1 medium banana, 1⁄2 cup cottage cheese, 1⁄4 cup frozen strawberries, 1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract and water to thin.
7. Kidney Beans
Meat gets all the Paleo glory, but beans pack a similar protein punch, plus a fibre high-kick. One review found that people were 31 percent more satisfied after any meal that included beans. As one of the top beans for fibre, kidneys get a gold star.
Fresh ways to fill up: Make them snackable: toss well-dried canned beans with olive oil, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic powder, spread on a baking sheet and pop into a 200°C oven until crunchy, around 45 minutes. Or sauté in a little oil with garlic and onions, add chilli powder and mash.
8. Eggs
For pure protein, you can’t beat these. One study followed two groups: both consumed an equal number of kilojoules, but one ate two eggs and toast with low-kilojoule fruit spread at breakfast, while the other dined on yoghurt and a bagel with cream cheese. The egg group went on to consume 687 fewer kilojoules at lunch.
Fresh ways to fill up: Crack one into soup or tomato sauce and poach or use as a sunny- side-up topper for pizza, pasta or salad – the yolk makes a great vitamin- rich sauce.
9. Walnuts
It’s not just the shells that are tough – the cell walls of these nuts resist digestion, so you absorb only about one-fifth of their fat. Plus, the jaw-pumping action required to eat them may help crack hunger, since research has found that chewing can trigger your body’s fullness cues.
Fresh ways to fill up: Toast a handful and tuck them into chicken and veggie wraps for a little added crunch. Crush and sprinkle them on flatbread or pizza along with feta and beetroot as a topper.
READ MORE: 5 Foods That Will Legitimately Keep You Full For Hours
10. Apples
A new reason to get that apple a day: it contains a fibre called pectin, which animal studies have found may release hormones that control satisfaction. It’s so ace, in fact, that in one Pennsylvania State University study in the US, people who munched the fruit 15 minutes before lunch ate nearly 840 fewer kilojoules at their meal than those who hadn’t snacked beforehand.
Fresh ways to fill up: Swap in a few slices for jam in your next PB&J or add matchsticks to a fresh coleslaw. Or, for a quick side, chop and add to cooked quinoa along with walnuts and diced spring onions.
