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," says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, R.D., the author of The Belly
Fat Fix. Read on for six kitchen staples that work overtime to keep you full.
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.
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.
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.
Portobello Mushrooms
These 'shrooms pack a special punch. They're high in
glutamate, an amino acid that has a savory "fifth taste" called umami (the other four are sweet, sour, bitter and salty).
When volunteers in a British study slurped soup with or without this flavor,
umami eaters ate less but felt just as satisfied. While researchers aren't sure
exactly why, they suspect that umami's rich, meaty flavor may play a role.
Portabello Ideas
·
Make a portobello pizza. Top grilled portobello caps with
marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella and fresh oregano and bake in a 400° oven
for five minutes.
·
Dice mushrooms and sear in a hot frying pan coated with olive
oil. Then sub them for half of the ground beef in your taco.
·
Trade oven-crisped portobellos for bacon in a PLT. Brush
thinly sliced portobellos with olive oil, sprinkle with smoked paprika and bake
in a 250° oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Layer them on toasted ciabatta with
lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
Potatoes
If you've banished these tubers from your table, it's time to
bring them back. Potatoes that have been cooked and cooled contain resistant
starch, a carb that passes through your small intestine without being digested.
As it travels into the large intestine, bacteria that live there feast on it,
generating substances known as short-chain fatty acids. These encourage the
production of special compounds, called peptides, that send messages to your
brain to tell you that you're full. Cooked potatoes served warm contain little
resistant starch, but when cooled, about 12 percent of their starch becomes
resistant.
Potato Ideas
·
For healthier potato salad, dice a cold baked potato and toss
with olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and fresh basil.
·
Make niçoise salad with cooled boiled potatoes, steamed green
beans, hard-boiled egg, tomatoes, tuna and olives.
·
Turn leftovers into pancakes. Whisk one egg and chopped fresh
herbs into a cup of cold leftover mashed potatoes. Divide into four
pancake-shaped portions, dust with flour and cook over medium heat in canola
oil.
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.
