Whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply maintain your weight, avoiding excessive snacking and feeling fuller for longer are crucial. Scientists believe that foods that take longer to digest can help keep you feeling full longer, which is helpful for both weight loss and weight maintenance.

So, today we’ll introduce several foods that can help suppress appetite and keep you feeling full longer.

Avocado

Avocados contain a high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids, which take longer to digest after consumption, thus helping to suppress your appetite. Avocados are also rich in water-soluble dietary fiber, which expands and becomes gel-like when it absorbs water.

This increases digestion time as it passes through the intestines. Avocados can be enjoyed in many ways. You can slice or dice them directly and add them to salads, toast, or sandwiches, or mash them and make dips, spreads, and more.

Flaxseed Powder

Flaxseeds are rich in dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids and are also a good source of protein. However, the outer shell of flaxseed is difficult to digest, so it’s recommended to grind it into a powder before consumption. Although flaxseeds appear small and may not help to fill you up,

they can actually help suppress appetite. In one study, participants consumed 2.5g of dietary fiber extracted from flaxseeds daily (equivalent to about 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal).

The study found that compared to the control group, the experimental group felt full longer, thus suppressing their appetite for a longer period and eating less food each day.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is thicker because more of the water in regular yogurt is filtered out. Therefore, a bowl of Greek yogurt contains more nutrients than a bowl of regular yogurt.

In particular, the high protein content of Greek yogurt can help us feel less hungry. Greek yogurt can be enjoyed much like regular yogurt: it can be paired with fruits, nuts, and other foods, or used to make rich dips, salad dressings, and other sauces.

Legumes

Legumes are a good source of plant-based protein and are rich in soluble dietary fiber, as well as complex carbohydrates like resistant starch and oligosaccharides that are difficult for the human body to digest.

The protein, soluble dietary fiber, and complex carbohydrates mentioned above can all help prolong digestion and suppress appetite.

Studies have also shown that the trypsin inhibitors and lectins in legumes can promote the secretion of cholecystokinin, a hormone that helps suppress appetite.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is often found on breakfast tables. When it comes into contact with water, it becomes very viscous. This is because it contains a soluble dietary fiber called beta-glucan.

Beta-glucan prolongs digestion and helps suppress appetite, making us less likely to feel hungry between meals.

To make oatmeal more filling, you can pair it with other protein-rich ingredients such as milk, yogurt, or nuts.

Meat

Meat, which contains a high amount of animal protein, takes longer to digest and requires longer chewing. This signals to the brain that you’re full, helping to suppress appetite.

As for which meat, beef or chicken, keeps us fuller longer, scientists believe they’re roughly equivalent, but choosing leaner cuts is better for our health.