Managing your food intake is a powerful strategy to support a healthy weight. If you're currently on a diet, eating foods that keep you full longer can help reduce your appetite. So, what kinds of foods can do that? Let’s find out below.

Choices of Food to Suppress Your Appetite

Every day, we deal with both hunger and appetite. It’s important to note that hunger and appetite are not the same. Hunger is a physical signal from the body when it needs fuel.

Meanwhile, appetite is more psychological—it's the craving for food even when the body doesn’t actually need it. When appetite is hard to control, it may lead to excess weight gain and increase the risk of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Luckily, some types of food can naturally reduce appetite, allowing you to stick to nutritious meals that benefit your health. Here are a few of them:

High-protein foods

Protein-rich foods help you feel fuller for longer and support healthy weight control. You can get protein from both animal and plant-based sources.

Ideally, protein should make up about 20–30% of your total daily calorie intake, or roughly 1.0–1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (g/kg BW). However, these needs can vary depending on individual health conditions. It's best to check with a nutritionist for a personalized recommendation.

Some examples of protein-rich foods include:

• Boiled eggs
• Lean red meat
• Edamame
• Green peas

High-fiber foods

Foods that are high in fiber and water—like many fruits and vegetables—are often referred to as high-volume foods. These foods help fill the stomach without contributing many calories.

Examples of fiber-rich foods include:

• Pears
• Strawberries
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Cuwiwis
• Kale
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Lentils
• Green peas

To increase the feeling of fullness, try combining protein and fiber. For instance, you can eat a veggie salad with boiled eggs or stir-fried vegetables with grilled skinless chicken breast.

Drink more water

Plain water is a simple and healthy way to support digestion and keep the body hydrated. Since it contains no calories, drinking water, especially warm water before meals, can help reduce appetite by creating a feeling of fullness. Staying hydrated can also help you differentiate between true hunger and thirst-driven cravings.

How to Suppress Appetite

Besides choosing the right types of food, making small lifestyle changes can also help curb your appetite:

Choose solid foods to control hunger

Solid foods are generally more effective at satisfying hunger than liquids or soft foods. They require more chewing time, which sends stronger signals of fullness to the brain, making you feel satisfied for longer.

Practice mindful eating

Eating attentively, at a moderate pace, helps your brain receive signals of satiety more accurately. This habit can enhance your enjoyment of meals and prevent overeating.

Exercise regularly

Physical activity is believed to reduce the brain's responsiveness to food-related cues, which can help control cravings for calorie-dense foods and increase the desire for healthier options. Exercise also lowers hunger hormones while boosting feelings of fullness.. 

Manage stress effectively

Stress often raises levels of cortisol, a hormone that can boost appetite and lead to weight gain. If you notice your cravings increase during stressful moments, it’s a sign to start practicing better stress management.

There are various foods that can help you naturally manage appetite. If you’re looking for guidance on healthy eating or fitness, consider talking to a doctor or using the consultation feature in the Ai Care app, which is available on the App Store and Play Store.

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