The perfect diet would allow you to lose weight while eating more, right? It’s possible, according to Barbara Rolls, PhD. In her book, The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, Rolls promotes the idea of eating low-energy-density foods, which means they supply volume and nutritional value without excess calories. These foods are rich in fiber and protein to promote satiety, the feeling of fullness that keeps us from snacking on junk foods all day.
Rolls says these 10 foods will promote satiety, ease weight loss, and some of them may even surprise you.
Apples: The apple’s pectin slows digestion and makes you feel fuller longer. The time it takes to chew a crunchy apple also helps satisfy hunger pangs. Eat apples whole or sliced as snacks and add chunks to salads and oatmeal. Add thin slices to turkey sandwiches.- Baked Potato: It’s not the potato (approximately 160 calories) that’s the problem, it’s the fat it’s fried in or the fat we load on it when it’s baked: cheese, sour cream, butter, bacon...Try topping it with Greek-style yogurt, beans, salsa, chopped olives, and chives.
- Bean Soup: Soup is an excellent diet tool; the water in it keeps you full without adding calories. Bean soups supply fiber and starch that keep you feeling full longer, for just about 150 calories per cup. Add beans to salads, too.
- Eggs: A 78-calorie egg contains all the proteins a body needs and they trigger the hormones that tell your brain you’re not hungry anymore. An omelette or scrambled eggs with fresh veggies might save you as much as 330 calories a day.
- Figs: Craving something sweet? Figs are sweet and only about 37 calories each. Fig’s high fiber content means blood sugar levels won’t go crazy as they would if you chose candy or pastries.
- Greek Yogurt: All yogurt, less water makes Greek-style yogurts higher in protein and lower in sugar than the other kind. Don’t buy the flavored stuff. Buy plain yogurt and add fresh fruits and / or sprinkle it with whole-grain breakfast cereals. Use it as a substitute for sour cream when cooking and to make creamy salad dressings.
- Oatmeal: Its high fiber content causes oatmeal to absorb water and expand during digestion, making you feel fuller by eating less. It helps regulate the sugar / insulin balance and flushes cholesterol from the body, too.
- Popcorn: For 90 calories, you could eat 1/4 cup of potato chips or 3 full cups of air-popped popcorn and feel much fuller for it. Sprinkle on a little red pepper, paprika, or garlic powder for added flavor without added calories.
- Smoothies: The air whipped into a smoothie gives it more volume than other beverages and the volume makes you feel full. Start with ice, low-fat yogurt or milk, a banana (sweet fiber and nutrients), and add a handful of your favorite fresh or frozen fruits.
- Wheat Berries: These whole-wheat kernels pack a one-two punch: their high protein content signals the brain that you’re no longer hungry and their high fiber content sends the same message to hormones in the digestive tract that regulate appetite. Toss these tasty powerhouses into cereals, salads, and on yogurt.
Source: Yorio Jurick, Nicole. “The 10 Most Filling Foods for Diets.” Health.com. Health Media Ventures. n.d. Web. Mar 7, 2014.