The secret to weight loss is eating the right foods that fill you up that are not too calorific. So doughnuts aside here are the 12 best foods that suppress appetite and help you lose weight.
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Best Appetite Suppressing Foods that Fill You Up
If you want to lose weight you are probably going to have to eat less.
When you eat less you feel hungry and that’s one of the main things that makes losing weight such hard work.
Fortunately, there is a tweak you can make to your diet that can help keep hunger under control.
This tweak is by using appetite suppressants – either in the form of appetite suppressing supplements or by eating food that is high in nutrients and low in calories
What you need to do is eat more high fiber, low-calorie food.
High fiber foods are very filling.
Apart from reducing your hunger, they offer other benefits as well such as lowering cholesterol and supporting good intestinal health.
Additional benefits associated with a high fiber diet include lower blood pressure and reduced risk of diabetes or heart problems.
All things considered, there’s a lot to be said for adding more fiber to your diet.
Naturally suppressing your appetite is just one of many good reasons to do it.
This page provides a list of some of the best high-fiber low carbohydrate appetite suppressing foods and, needless to say, all of them are vegan-friendly.
1. Broccoli
Let’s start with a vegetable some people love but other people hate. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable.
Apart from being high in fiber, it’s an excellent source of iron, potassium, vitamin c, and vitamin k.
Broccoli also contains more protein than most other vegetables.
A cup of broccoli provides 2.5 grams of protein and 2.4 grams of fiber but only has 31 calories.
If you don’t like the taste of broccoli, there’s probably not a lot you can do about it because it could be in your genes.
Researchers in Kentucky believe some people have a gene that makes certain foods taste bitter and broccoli is one of them.
If you like the taste of broccoli but don’t like the texture, it’s and easier problem to remedy.
You have the option of blending it and using it in a soup.
One of the best ways to cook broccoli is to boil it but don’t leave it cooking too long. Ten minutes to quarter-of-an-hour should do it.
2. Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another cruciferous vegetable that’s an easy addition to this list of best appetite suppressing foods.
It’s not to everyone’s taste but you may be surprised to learn some people eat it raw.
A cup of broccoli provides 2.5 grams of fiber and 25 calories and is particularly high in vitamin C and vitamin B6.
Among other things, vitamin C helps boost your immune system.
Vitamin B6 is a popular energy drink ingredient that helps your body get energy from food.
One of the easiest ways to cook cauliflower is to boil it works well alongside broccoli.
Other people mash it and use it as a lower-calorie alternative to mashed potatoes.
3. Celery
It would be impossible to make a list of the best appetite-suppressing foods without including celery.
Apart from providing lots of hunger-quelling fiber, celery is one of the best low-calorie foods you can get.
A medium-size stick of celery only has six calories and one gram of fiber.
With so few calories per stick, celery is a great option for healthy snacking and for anyone who likes food they can crunch.
You don’t have to eat celery raw, you can cook it as well and it makes a great addition to a low-calorie stew.
One word of warning. If you are going to eat it raw, avoid the temptation to dip your celery in mayonnaise.
Doing so will bombard your body with too many extra calories it doesn’t need.
4. Radishes
Although many other vegetables contain higher levels of fiber than this nutritious red root crop, nine radishes provide 2-3 grams of fiber, but only 20 calories.
Like celery, they are a great option for anyone who wants low-calorie snacks they can crunch.
Some research suggests radishes may slow glucose absorption in the gut.
If this is so, they may also help prevent the sugar spikes and resultant crashes that can occur after a meal and may trigger carb cravings and desires for sugary food.
5. Peas
Peas are a good appetite-suppressing food as well but it’s best to go with fresh or frozen. The canned variety may contain added sugar and salt.
Think of peas as little balls of goodness.
They are high in vitamin K and manganese and contain generous amounts of many other nutrients including B vitamins and copper.
Peas are also around 15% protein—just the thing for keeping your muscles strong.
Half a cup of peas only gives you 62 calories but provides your stomach 4.4 grams of hunger-suppressing fiber.
6. Spinach
Spinach may not be an exciting food to look at, but each small leaf is bursting with goodness.
A superfood many people overlook or ignore, spinach is linked to many health benefits.
Eating it may benefit your eyes, boost immune function, and reduce blood pressure. Spinach is also an effective anti oxidant.
If you start eating spinach more often it’s never a bad thing.
At just seven calories per cup, raw spinach is a great addition to a salad.
If you prefer to cook it, that’s an option; and boiling it will allow you to fit more spinach into your cup.
More spinach means more calories but it also adds extra fiber. A cup of boiled spinach provides 65 calories and 7 grams of fiber.
7. Oatmeal
If you want to start the day right and stay hunger-free until lunch, a nice bowl of oatmeal should do the trick.
As an added bonus, it’s a cheap meal that’s relatively easy to prepare.
One cup of cooked oatmeal provides 158 calories and 4 grams of fiber.
That may sound a lot of calories but oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate that releases energy slowly and is unlikely to cause your blood sugar to spike.
You may also be surprised to learn, there is research that proves oatmeal is a hunger suppressant that works.
8. White Beans
White beans are another nutritious food you should consider incorporating into your diet.
Like many other beans, they are high in protein and dietary fiber.
Each half-cup serving provides 150 calories along with 6 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein.
That’s a win-win situation because protein-rich foods are good for keeping hunger away too.
White beans are easy to add to a casserole or stew. You can also toss them in a salad, or puree them to make a high-protein spread.
9. Pears
If you want to avoid hunger, pears are a sweet option.
A small ripe pear provides five grams of fiber but only 85 calories.
Pears are also around 80% water.
That something that can help keep hunger pangs away too. Some dieters drink extra water just for that reason.
There’s a lot to be said for snacking on a nice juicy pear and don’t forget they are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants too.
10. Guava
Another fruit and this one hails from more tropical climes.
An average-sized guava provides 45 calories and around five grams of fiber.
You can eat guavas raw or use them as an ingredient in a fruit smoothie.
If you go the smoothie route though, don’t be tempted to include full-cream milk or sugar.
That would only be adding extra calories you do not need.
11. Butternut Squash
A single cup of cooked butternut squash provides 82 calories and 7 grams of dietary fiber.
It also provides four-and-a-half times the RDA of vitamin A, which helps your heart and other major organs to function properly.
If you want to keep things simple roasting your butternut squash is a good way to go but use olive oil instead of saturated fats.
Olive oil is a healthier option and is associated with many health benefits of its own.
12. Rye Crackers
When you are on a diet, rye crackers are a good alternative to bread.
Although they are always popular with dieters, who often consider them one of the best low-calorie options, rye crackers are also one of the top appetite suppressing foods.
Two Wasa Light Rye crackers provide 40 calories only, along with 4 grams of fiber.
Of course, it’s unlikely you will want to eat your crackers dry.
However, you need to tread carefully when deciding what to put on top.
Adding jelly will push up the calories. Peanut butter will do it too, as will most types of cheese.
Cottage cheese should be okay. It’s high in protein and low in fat.
For extra flavor, you could add a few slices of cucumber on top.
Lean meats are a good option too and, if you’ve been pureeing white beans, adding your homemade spread to your crackers is a good way to put it to use.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the best appetite suppressing foods.
Recommended Reading: Have you heard about Glucomannan? – a highly effective natural appetite suppressant that increases satiety (the feeling of fullness).
