Do you always stay hungry? These are the foods that generate greater satiety

Eating is an important and natural physiological act, however, there are many people who have a bad relationship with food or the act of eating. They feel guilty when eating, or do not recognize their feelings of hunger and satiety. In this note we will try to resolve doubts about foods that generate greater satiety, as well as recognize the signs of when we are hungry and full.

Hunger and satiety

As children, many of us were told that we should not get up from the table if we did not finish eating everything on our plate. Many times we were already full, however, we kept looking and playing with the food to try to eat more. That is one of the first times that our feelings of satiety are affected, as we eat more than we would like.

Over the years, this habit of eating everything that is on the plate becomes more common, either because we do not want to waste food or because we simply have already established that we should eat everything that is served to us. Furthermore, we eat while watching television, watching social media on our cell phones or – even worse – working or doing some activity that does not allow us to enjoy the present and the important and delicious act of eating.

Hunger is a sensation in the stomach, which is generated thanks to a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates it and is secreted in the stomach and other organs of the body. That sensation can range from the desire to eat, a movement in the stomach, a roar in the stomach, to pain or irritability. Of course, it is recommended to eat before reaching the phase of pain or discomfort.

Let’s imagine that we have a line from 1 to 10, where 1 is the maximum hunger that we can feel that already causes us discomfort, and 10 is the maximum point where we have eaten so much that we feel sick to our stomach, we have nausea, pain, etc. .

The ideal is to start planning our meal, go to a restaurant, start cooking, order delivery, when we are on 3 or 4, so we can make better decisions about what we want to eat and not take the first thing we find, which many Sometimes they tend to be foods that do not add nutrients or flavor.

Following this line, when we eat, it is recommended to stop eating when we are at number 8, because if we continue eating, without respecting the sensations of satiety, we will reach 9 or 10 and we will begin to feel bad, having stomach pain, nausea, we will not be able to sleep, among others.

Foods that give us more satiety

In the constant search to maintain a balanced diet, satiety is presented as an important factor. Some foods stand out for their ability to satisfy appetite for a longer period of time, and avoid “snacking.” In addition, they help us plan our meals better and not arrive very hungry at the next one.

Vegetable proteins

We have vegetable proteins such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas, soy meat, tofu, among others. These foods give us greater satiety because in addition to having protein, they have fiber, an important nutrient that prolongs the feeling of being full, helping to control appetite throughout the day.

In addition, studies suggest that high protein content in a meal can reduce caloric intake in subsequent meals, and avoid “snacking” on foods that are not nutritious or that do not add to our diet.

healthy fats

Fats have denser molecules, they are more caloric than other foods and that helps us stay full for longer. The healthy fats present in avocados, nuts, peanuts, olives, and olive oil contribute to the feeling of satiety. Therefore, if you want to eat a salad, don’t forget to add healthy fat that will help that feeling of satiety last for hours. In addition, studies indicate that monounsaturated fats (predominant in foods of plant origin) stimulate the release of hormones related to fullness.

Fiber

Foods rich in fiber, such as oats, chia, flaxseed, legumes, vegetables and fruits slow digestion. This effect prolongs the feeling of being full, helping to control appetite throughout the day.

In addition, some foods, such as green leafy vegetables, help us have a large amount of fiber and water, filling the stomach without adding excessive calories. However, this penalty will not last for a long time if we do not add a protein food with healthy fat.

Examples:

• Breakfast: a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, fruit and seeds will provide us with protein and healthy fats through the peanut butter and seeds, carbohydrates and fiber through the oats and fruits.
• Lunch: a plate of lentils with brown rice, fresh salad with avocado will keep us more satiated due to the amount of protein that lentils provide, the fiber through rice and vegetables, and the healthy fats from the avocado.
• Snacks: fruits with nuts, fruits with nut butters, whole grain crackers with olives or hummus. These snacks are easy to prepare and have nutrients that keep us satisfied for longer.
• Dinner: quinoa bowl, with pieces of tofu and vegetables sautéed in olive oil. This mixture provides us with protein through tofu, fiber through quinoa and vegetables, and the healthy fat from olive oil helps us stay satisfied.

I hope this information is useful to you and you can put it into practice. Don’t forget that these are general recommendations that do not replace an appointment with a nutritionist. Enjoy the food, without feeling guilty and let’s try to recognize our feelings of hunger and satiety, which is a job at first but then becomes easy, and is very worth it. Advantage.