7 Step to Feel Fuller Longer

Chandi Schwab
A growling stomach can sidetrack your best diet intentions. You can soothe that savage hunger beast by eating foods that help you feel fuller longer, with fewer calories and more nutrition, too. That full and satisfied feeling you experience after a meal, is influenced by several factors. You can add feel-full strategies to your diet program and increase your chances for weight-loss success. Her are 7 steps to fuel your body and help you feel fuller longer.

Step 1
Incorporate a variety of fresh vegetables into each meal. Vegetables like broccoli, salad greens and zucchini are low in calories, so you can use them to add bulk to your meal.
Step 2
Eat snacks that contain a high water content. Foods like watermelon, cucumbers, oranges, and celery contain large amounts of water, which will help you feel full in between meals.

Step 3
Eat the right type of carbohydrates whole grains, like brown rice, whole-grain pasta and whole-wheat bread contain higher fiber, which will help you feel full. Refined carbohydrates, like white rice and white bread turn into sugar quickly in the body, making you feel hungry again in a short period of time.

Step 4
Pack each meal with lean protein. Lean proteins derived from animals include low-fat cheese, eggs, skinless chicken breast, skinless turkey breast, and fish. Proteins, however, do not have to mean animal products. Tofu, tempeh, beans and chickpeas are derived from vegetables and are also high in protein.

Step 5
Curb dessert and snack cravings with fresh fruit. Dried and canned fruit is more concentrated than fresh fruit, so there are more calories in a small amount. Eat fresh fruit, which is lower in calories, but has a high water content.

Step 6
Increase fiber intake. Eating foods high in fiber is a healthy way to feel full longer. Foods high in fiber take longer to digest, prevent absorption of some fat and reduce your risks of heart disease and diabetes as an added bonus. Women should aim for 21 to 25 g of fiber daily, and men should aim for 31 to 38 g. Split peas, lentils and beans are loaded with fiber.Choose high-fiber foods made from whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-wheat spaghetti, barley, brown rice and high-fiber bran cereal. Fruits and vegetables are also good source of fiber.

Step 7
Eating foods that contain healthy fat satisfies hunger longer, such as the monounsaturated fats found in olive oil and whole olives, avocados, almonds and walnuts, sunflower seeds, sardines and salmon. Healthy fats not only keep you feeling full longer, they also lower cholesterol and protect you from heart disease. Healthy fats should contribute approximately 30 percent of the calories to your diet.