Updated on March 5, 2024.
Do you ever feel so hungry when you sit down to dinner that you eat too much? If so, you can help reduce your hunger by eating snacks during the day.
The key is to eat foods that are healthy and will make you feel full. Try these foods to keep you satisfied through the day.
Nuts
Nuts are good snack options because they contain fiber and protein. These nutrients can help you feel full.
Nuts also contain healthy fats. These help reduce inflammation in the body.
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to sickness or injury. Too much can lead to other health problems, like heart disease. Foods that reduce inflammation can make you healthier overall.
Nuts also cause your body to make a certain hormone that reduces feelings of hunger. It also slows down your stomach from emptying, so you feel fuller longer.
When shopping for nuts, choose nuts without salt. Also look for kinds that are dry-roasted or raw, rather than roasted in extra oil.
Nuts are healthy, but they are naturally high in fat and calories. So don’t eat too many. One serving of nuts is 1.5 ounces. That’s about a small handful.
Good options to try include almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and cashews.
Dried plums
These wrinkled, dried fruits are also called prunes. Prunes may help you manage your weight. That’s because they satisfy hunger in a few ways.
For one, it takes time to chew prunes. This gives your brain a chance to know that your stomach is filling up.
Prunes also have a lot of fiber. Fiber helps slow down digestion. This helps control your appetite.
One 2021 study published in the journal Nutrition Bulletin found that eating prunes had many health benefits. People had lower appetites, ate less, and lost weight over the course of 12 weeks.
One serving is about three prunes.
Skim milk
You might avoid drinking milk to save calories. But milk has a lot of healthy vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It can also help you feel full.
Milk is high in protein, which is good for your muscles. It also has calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D. These are good for your bones.
Adding skim milk to your diet can help fill you up, so you eat less of other foods. One 2021 study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that drinking milk before meals was linked to a lower appetite. People also ate 33 percent fewer calories at meals when they drank milk before.
Most adults should get 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day. One serving of skim milk (1 cup) contains 299 mg of calcium.
Fruits and vegetables
If you start your meal by eating fruit or vegetables, you can lower the total calories you eat at that meal. Options to try: apple slices or a vegetable salad.
Fresh fruit and raw vegetables are full of fiber and nutrients. This means they take up room in your stomach, helping you feel more satisfied. They are also low in fat and calories.
If you eat salads, just limit certain toppings that add extra fat and calories. For example, limit cheese, creamy dressings, and fried croutons. These contain unhealthy fats and can add extra salt to your diet. Instead, consider healthier toppings. These might include part-skim mozzarella cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, nuts or sunflower seeds, and low-fat dressings.
Soup
Have a cup of soup and you may eat less at your next meal. That’s because the liquid in soup may help fill you up.
Choose soups made from clear broth, rather than cream. Clear broth includes chicken broth or vegetable broth. Also, have soup that contains vegetables or lentils, peas, or beans. These foods have lots of fiber, which helps you feel full.
You can also make soups by blending up vegetables like carrots or squash. These soups are called purees. They taste creamy and satisfying but don’t contain a lot of fat.
Limit or avoid soups made with cream. These can be high in fat and calories. Carefully read labels for soups you buy at the grocery store. These can be very high in salt. For the healthiest soup, make your own at home.
