Being on a diet doesn't have to mean being hangry. The key? Tasty eats (like popcorn!) that are shown to stave off hunger. "Certain foods have just the right combination of nutrients, volume, flavor and even texture to help control your appetite.
1- Popcorn:
If you need to nosh, pick popcorn. It's loaded with fiber, which leaves you feeling satisfied for hours by slowing digestion. And that's not all. When researchers in a Nutrition Journal study fed people either popcorn or potato chips, they found that 15 calories' worth of low-fat popcorn was as satisfying as 150 calories' worth of chips, thanks to the superior snack's combo of being low in calories and high in volume. "Popcorn also has more crunch and texture, so it takes longer to eat," Nolan Cohn says. "That gives your brain the time it needs to register that you've had enough food."
÷ Popcorn Ideas
- •Prep better-for-you Cracker Jacks: Toss one cup of air-popped popcorn with one tablespoon each of peanuts and maple syrup.
- •Top corn chowder or tomato soup with a heaping handful of popcorn.
- •Swap popcorn for puffed rice cereal in marshmallow crispy treats.
2- Rye Crisps:
2- Rye Crisps:
Trade in your toast. When volunteers in a Nutrition Journal study ate a breakfast containing either wheat bread or rye crisps, those who consumed the latter felt 21 percent less hungry four hours later. They also downed 8 percent fewer calories at lunch. Researchers suspect that rye contains a special kind of fiber, known as viscous fiber, that expands in your gut to slow digestion and the release of carbs into your bloodstream. The result: lower blood sugar and stabilized insulin levels, so you're less hungry. Look for brands like Wasa or Ryvita rye crisps in the cracker aisle of your supermarket.
÷ Rye Crisp Ideas
- •Have a couple of rye crisps with hummus and smoked salmon for breakfast.
- •Make croutons for salad: Break rye crisps into chunks, spray with olive oil cooking spray and season with sea salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake in a 375° oven for 10 minutes.
- •Upgrade bruschetta by topping rye crisps with chopped fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, basil and a little balsamic vinegar.
3- Sriracha:
It's made with chili peppers, which are rich in the appetite suppressant capsaicin. An analysis of 20 studies in the journal Appetite revealed that this compound has multiple weight-loss benefits, such as increasing body temperature, which ups your calorie burn, and helping you feel fuller. "Our taste buds have receptors that are directly linked to our brains," explains Amy Myrdal Miller, R.D., a culinary nutrition expert in Carmichael, California. "When capsaicin hits those receptors, they fire neurons that trigger the release of gut hormones that kick off the satiety response."
÷ Sriracha Ideas
- •Give your usual PB & honey sandwich a Southeast Asian spin by drizzling it with sriracha.
- •Add sriracha to mac and cheese. The heat will slow you down so you'll savor the comfort food instead of inhaling it.
- •For a salad with extra kick, whisk sriracha into ranch dressing.
4- Dark Chocolate:
It sounds almost too good to be true: When researchers at the University of Copenhagen fed volunteers a morning meal of either dark or milk chocolate, the dark chocolate eaters reported less hunger afterward. Even better, they consumed 17 percent fewer calories at lunch. We're not suggesting that you start your day with a chocolate bar, but when a craving strikes, reach for the dark stuff. "It's higher in protein and fat but lower in sugar than milk chocolate, which causes a slower release of sugars into your bloodstream," Myrdal Miller says.
÷ Chocolate Ideas
- •Toss dark chocolate chips and chopped tart dried cherries into low-fat plain Greek yogurt.
- •For a dessert quesadilla, spread one tablespoon of almond butter on half of an eight-inch whole-wheat tortilla. Top with sliced banana and one tablespoon of chopped dark chocolate. Fold in half; heat in a nonstick pan.
- •Swirl a few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder into your favorite chili recipe.
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