If Looks Could Fill…

Still hungry? Thing is, you may be fuller than you feel. Time to change your perspective and curb those cravings for good

- Jessica Powell

Let’s start with this notion that the more kilojoules you consume, the more satisfied you’ll be. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that participants who drank a thick 400kJ 500ml shake felt fuller than those who drank a thin 2 000kJ 500ml shake.

“The lower-kilojoule shake was processed more quickly, but left the participants feeling notably fuller in the following hour,” explains researcher Guido Camps. “It may have been to do with “oral processing”, which is the way food feels in your mouth. The thick shake seems to make you feel like you’ve had more.” Dr Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University in the US, adds: “Satiety depends on numerous factors, including how filling you expect a food to be, portion size, how long it takes to eat and its texture.” The message? You don’t need to binge-eat to feel satisfied. So, with that in mind, here are 10 smart tips that’ll help you feel fuller for longer...

1 TEXTURE IS KING

The shake experiment suggests that viscosity is a major factor in the feeling of fullness. So BANANAS are a great food to keep you full. Make your own at-home smoothie. “Freezing your banana before adding it will make the texture even thicker, which results in an increased feeling of satiety,” says Camps. Just remember, a banana contains around 380kJ, so be mindful of what else you snack on before lunch if you’re watching your kilojoule intake.

2 ADD SOME H 2 0 PRE-MEALS