The quantity of food you eat does not determine the satiety. If you eat foods that contain refined carbohydrates or artificial sweeteners, you will crave for more food and it will satisfy your hunger only for a short period.
You may tend to eat between meals to keep your hunger at bay but some foods that are not fiber-rich may lead to overeating and in turn increase your calorie intake. The reason why foods like white breads, cereals, and sugary drinks make you hungrier is that they are easily digested by the body.
Here are 5 foods you must avoid to control your appetite:
1. Protein Bars
Protein bars are a convenient snack for a quick energy boost. The protein bars loaded with nuts and dried fruits are known to promote satiety and keep you from craving for more food.1
Ensure that you only buy the protein bars that are healthy, instead of the ones that have sugar and carbohydrates. These bars may satisfy your hunger only for a short period and promote overeating.
2. White Breads
The refined flour in donuts, bagels, cookies, pizza, and pasta does not contain fiber that is responsible for keeping you full. As these foods are low in proteins and fiber, they are digested easily, that leads to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels followed by a sudden drop. This fluctuation in blood sugar makes you crave for more food, increases your calorie intake, and the sugar in your bloodstream may be stored as fat if not utilized immediately.
Avoid these low-fiber foods as they may eventually lead to weight gain. Include whole grain foods in your diet to satisfy your hunger and avoid the cravings right after meals.
3. Breakfast Cereals
Cereals may seem like a healthy breakfast option but they are full of refined carbohydrates and sugar. Having a breakfast that is rich in protein and fiber can keep you full for a longer time, preventing you from snacking between meals.
Eating oatmeal for breakfast is better than most cereals as it increases satiety, suppresses appetite, and can reduce your food intake.2
4. Sugary Drinks
Packaged fruit juices contain artificial sweeteners and are made by removing fiber which makes them more fattening as they body cannot process the glucose and stores it as fat. Drinking packed fruit juices or sodas between meals will not keep you full. Instead, it makes you more hungry.
When the body takes a longer time for the glucose to be processed, the energy is burned rather than being stored as fat, in turn keeping you full for long.3 To control your appetite, drink fresh juice or juices that are 100% natural and completely avoid sugary sodas and drinks.
5. Chips
The salt in chips dehydrates your body, which increases your food cravings. Chips usually have a low fiber content and contain refined carbohydrates. This not only causes sugar level spikes but also makes you want to eat more food even after binging on a bag of chips.
To prevent overeating avoids foods with a lot of salt and refined carbohydrates to increase the satiety.
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