Appetite Squashing Foods

Are  you struggling with cravings? They aren't your fault! It turns out that our hormones cause our cravings. Hormones are the messengers that influence how we feel, what we want, and how fast our body stores fat.

Foods to curb your hunger!

There are actually some foods, drinks, and spices that can help you with your cravings!  Read on to see what to drink, what to eat and what to add to your food to help keep you satisfied for a long time and eat less.

Broth Based Soups

Studies have shown that starting your meal with a broth based soup will actually help you to eat fewer total calories for that meal than if you had not had the soup. Perhaps it is all the liquid filling up your stomach or the warmth of the broth or that soup takes a long time to eat, but whatever the reason, start with the soup and chances are good you will consume fewer calories.  Make sure not to choose a cream or cheese based soup, which can pack 300 calories per serving.  Instead, go for a broth based vegetable, chicken or beef soup which weigh in at around 60-100 calories per cup.  If you are watching your sodium intake select a lower sodium soup.  

Water

You may have heard this before and it is true.  Drinking water can lead to a lower caloric intake.  Our bodies sometimes mistake thirst for hunger.  When you feel hunger, ask yourself, could it be thirst?  Before eating, drink a large glass of water and chances are good you will end up eating less since you will have all that water filling up your stomach.

Leafy Greens

Instead of adding a starch to your meal serve it with crisp leafy greens.  There are so many to choose from, experiment with kale, kohlrabi, endive, etc.  Try them boiled, steamed, or raw; 1 cup of greens averages around 10 calories but actually packs a ton of vitamins and even filling fiber!  

Crunchy Fruits and Veggies

Let’s face it, sometimes when we snack on chips it isn't due to hunger, it is due to a desire for a crunch!  Well, super low calorie fruits and veggies provide the crunch without the guilt.  It is easy to consume 500 calories from chips (even baked chips or pretzels) but no matter how hard you try you won’t be able to equal that in fruits and veggies.  They provide lots of vitamins and minerals and are virtually sodium free, but what makes them an appetite squashing food is that they contain a ton of water and fiber (both of which are filling).  Try them with a low-fat dip like hummus for the veggies and fat free yogurt for the fruit.

Spicy Foods

Spicy foods can quell your appetite for two reasons.  The first is that hot foods dull your taste buds slightly, which can leave with the desire to eat less.  Second, studies show that hot foods may cause a slight increase in metabolism.  The increase isn't enough to force yourself to eat spicy foods if you don’t like them.  But if you are a spice fan try adding red pepper flakes, chili powder, hot peppers or hot sauce to your favorite foods to up your calorie burning potential.

The trick is to stay full. The way to get rid of the “ghrelin gremlin” is to eat wholesome foods that suppress your appetite. No gimmicks, no crash diets, just consistent tools to help you stay full and satisfied.