Stomach Filling Foods

Filling Foods

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Portion control has long been touted as a good health guideline.  But, sometimes it leaves you feeling cheated and still hungry.  The following is a list of foods that can really help you get the full feeling, without increasing your portion.

Baked potato 
In a study that measured the satisfaction index of 38 foods, including brown rice and whole-wheat bread, people ranked boiled potatoes highest, reporting that they felt fuller and ate less two hours after consuming them. Though potatoes are often shunned because they’re considered high in carbohydrates, they shouldn’t be. Whether baked or boiled, they’re loaded with vitamins, fiber and other nutrients. Result? You get steady energy and lasting fullness after noshing on them.

Feel even fuller: Eat baked and boiled potatoes with their skin-on to get more fiber.

Eggs 
A study from Saint Louis University found that folks who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 330 fewer calories throughout the day than those who had a bagel. 

Feel even fuller: Don’t discard the yolks—about half an egg’s protein lives in those yellow parts. Adding vegetables to a scramble boosts its volume and fiber content for few extra calories.

Bean soup 
Soups have a high water content, which means they fill your stomach for very few calories. Broth-based bean soups, in particular, contain a hefty dose of fiber and resistant starch—a good carb that slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream—to make that full feeling really stick. 

Feel even fuller: Resist the cracker pack on the side in favor of a bigger soup helping. Beans are starchy, satisfying and caloric enough on their own.

Greek yogurt 
Harvard researchers examined the eating habits of 120,000 people for 20 years and found that yogurt was the single best food for shedding pounds:
Over time, people who downed more of the protein-packed stuff lost pounds without trying. 

Feel even fuller: Top yogurt with fibrous foods like raspberries or a low fat granola.

Apples 
Apples are one of the few fruits that contain pectin, which naturally slows digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness. In fact, people who ate an apple as part of a meal felt more satiated and ate less than those who consumed a calorically equivalent amount of juice and applesauce. 

Feel even fuller: Add apple chunks to oatmeal or salad, or slices to a turkey-on-whole-wheat sandwich.

Popcorn 
This movie-night favorite is a low-energy-density food—for 90 calories, you could eat 3 cups of air-popped corn but just a quarter cup of potato chips. Popcorn also takes up more room in your stomach, and seeing a big bowl of it in front of you tricks you into thinking that you’re eating more calories and that you’ll feel full when you’re finished.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle on some red pepper. In a recent Purdue University study, people who added a half teaspoon of the spice to a meal felt less hungry.

Oatmeal 
Oatmeal’s filling force comes from its high fiber content and its uncanny ability to soak up liquid like a sponge. When cooked with water or skim milk, the oats thicken and take more time to pass through your digestive system, meaning you’ll go longer between hunger pangs.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle almonds on top of your bowl. The nuts pack protein and fiber and contain unsaturated fats that can help stabilize insulin levels.

Smoothies 
While most beverages don’t satisfy hunger very well, drinks blended full of air are an exception: They cause people to feel satiated and eat less at their next meal. Just be sure you’re not whipping your smoothie full of sugary, caloric ingredients like fruit juices or flavored syrups, which will negate the health benefits.

Feel even fuller: Put ice and fat-free milk or yogurt in a blender, add in fruit and give it a whirl.