Tricks to feel fuller at every mealtime

Struggling to eat more healthily and stop snacking? Dietitian JULIETTE KELLOW reveals the top tricks to fill up, so we can avoid reaching for the biscuit tin

Don’t skimp on portions

It’s time to put the idea of eating less aside. Research suggests feeling satisfied is related to the quantity of food we consume – eat less than normal and we’ll feel hungry. That’s why diets often leave us starving.

The key to fighting hunger when trying to lose weight is to eat the same amount of food – or even more – by swapping small portions of high-calorie foods for larger portions of low-calorie foods. swap a 50g chocolate bar (260kcal) for a 150g apple (75kcal). That’s three times more food for far fewer calories.

Fill up on fibre

High-fibre foods help fill us up by adding bulk to our diet and slowing down the speed food leaves the stomach. On average, most people have 20g of fibre a day, but health experts advise 30g, achieved with two slices of wholemeal bread, half a can of baked beans, one pear, 150g wholewheat pasta, one carrot and a handful of broccoli. Opt for foods labelled with at least 3g fibre per 100g to boost intakes.

Power up with protein

Protein helps to fill us up by stimulating hormones that tell us when we’re full and lowering those that

let us know we’re hungry. There’s no need to go crazy for steak, eggs, dairy or protein shakes, though.

Plant proteins such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, Quorn, nuts and seeds have been found to be even more filling than animal proteins, probably because they also contain fibre.

Have a digital detox when eating Being distracted by your computer, phone or TV when eating makes meals seem less satisfying and snacking more likely.

Researchers from the University of Bristol asked one group of adults to eat lunch mindfully, and another group to eat lunch while playing a computer game. The distracted eaters felt less full after lunch and, 30 minutes later, ate almost twice as many biscuits as those who’d eaten with no distractions.

Serve meals in bowls

The craze for serving food in bowls is visually appealing but can also leave us more satisfied, thanks to bowls being heavier and more compact than plates.

A Spanish study found adults thought they’d be having a bigger portion and expected to feel more satisfied after eating food from a heavy bowl compared to a lighter container before they’d even taken a mouthful.

Downsize your plates

Research suggests the bigger the plate, the more food we eat. But plate size can also influence our expectations of how filling we think food will be, especially when we serve food on smaller plates.

In a New Zealand study, adults were shown photos of 10 meals, each on a small and large plate. They rated those on the small plate as being more satisfying.

Go slow at mealtimes

It takes around 20 minutes for our brain to recognise we’re full and send signals that tell us to stop eating, so slowing down at mealtimes is crucial for feeling satisfied.

Removing food from packaging, serving it on a plate and sitting at the table are good starting points.

Using a knife as well as a fork, holding your fork in your non-dominant hand or using chopsticks will help slow you down as will putting cutlery down between each mouthful and serving food that’s piping hot or spicy.

Chew more

As well as slowing us down, extra chewing time reduces hormones that tell us we’re hungry and increases those saying we’re full. In one study, adults who chewed each mouthful of pizza 40 times compared with 15 times, felt less hungry.

Choosing foods that need more chewing can therefore help to improve satiety. Try lean steak over mince, apples over bananas, nuts over crisps, or raw carrots over cucumber. Chewing sugar-free gum between meals can also reduce hunger and the desire to eat.

Add water to food

Studies show adding water to meals – for example, turning main courses into stews, casseroles or chunky soups – is an easy way to enjoy bigger portions without extra calories, and this increases fullness and reduces hunger.

Drinking a glass of water alongside a meal doesn’t seem to have the same effect – water added to food slows down the speed food leaves the stomach compared to when it’s consumed separately.

DOWNSIZE: The bigger the plate, the more we eat