Feeling a hunger pang a couple of hours after eating a meal? This very common problem and can lead to mindless snacking and easily overdoing the calories. This article will tell you why this happens and how to balance your meals so you feel fuller for longer.
Why do we feel hungry between meals
It basically comes down to 3 factors:
- Blood sugar spiking and crashing – eating meals that contain a high amount of refined carbs like white bread, sugary foods or processed foods will cause your blood sugar to spike very quickly. This gives you energy but a rapid spike is followed by a sharp drop and this causes the hunger pangs.
- A lack of nutrients that cause satiety – if your meals lack fibre, protein and healthy fats you are likely to digest the food very quickly, leaving you wanting more sooner.
- Your hormones kicking in – ghrelin is your hunger hormone and will be released if your meals aren’t balanced, telling your brain you need to eat again.
So the key to staying fuller for longer? BALANCING your meals with fibre, protein, wholegrain or wholewheat carbs and healthy fats. This stabilises your blood sugar and boosts satiety levels, keeping your hunger at bay. Now let’s take a closer look at each component of a balanced meal.
Protein
Protein keeps you full by slowing digestion, stabilising blood sugar and preventing the release of ghrelin.
How to add protein
- include lean meat, fish, eggs or tofu
- plant based protein sources include frozen peas or edamame, or pulses such as lentils, chickpeas or beans
- add yoghurt or cottage cheese
Top Tip: try grilled chicken with a quinoa salad, or lentil soup and wholewheat bread roll for a meal to keep you satisfied for hours.
Fibre
Vegetables are your friend when it comes to increasing the fibre content of your meals. As well as being high in fibre (which slows digestion), they add bulk to the meal without adding too many calories.
How to add vegetables
- fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, pepper or zucchini (courgette)
- add extra veg into your soups, stews or stir-fries
- Roast veggies such as eggplant (aubergine), red onion, peppers and zucchini for a flavourful side dish with any meal
Top Tip: Be creative with salads – try adding a rainbow of different veggies such as red cabbage, sweetcorn, beetroot, tomatoes, watercress, spinach or grated carrot.
Healthy Fats
You do need to be mindful of your portion size here as fat contains a lot of calories compared to other food groups. But healthy fats need to be included in a balanced meal to keep you fuller for longer as they are digested slowly and are very good for you.
How to add healthy fats
- use extra virgin olive oil on your salads and roasted veg
- add a small portion of avocado to sandwiches or salads
- add a sprinkle of nuts or seeds onto your meals
- have 1 portion of oily fish a week (salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna)
Top Tip: try a slice of wholewheat toast topped with half an avocado and a poached egg for a satisfying lunch.
Whole Food Carbohydrates
Not all carbs are created equal. Refined carbs such as white bread, white rice and white pasta can spike blood sugar quickly leading to hunger pangs. Whole food carbs such as wholewheat bread, brown rice, brown pasta, quinoa and buckwheat are higher in fibre and help to stabilise blood sugar.
How to add whole food carbs
- swap white rice for brown rice, quinoa or buckwheat
- swap white bread for wholewheat varieties
Top Tip: try mixing up buckwheat, roasted sweet potato, kale and cooked chicken for a tasty lunch to keep you satisfied for ages.
Bonus Tips For Curbing Hunger
Stay hydrated – it is easy to mistake thirst for hunger so make sure you get enough fluid through the day.
Eat mindfully – slow down when eating a meal, this gives your brain time to register when you’re full.
Plan snacks – if you feel you still need a snack at some point during the day, plan beforehand so you have a healthy balanced option ready when need e.g. hummus and veggie sticks, or apple slices with a thin layer of almond butter, or boiled egg with cucumber slices.
For more info on eating healthy check out these posts:
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