Revealed: The 3 surprising foods that WON’T fill you up
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Bread or chips may seem like a filling snack.
But the foods may actually leave you hungrier than you were before.
For experts say their lack of fibre and wholegrains could leave you hunting for another option to eat.
Here, MailOnline reveals the reasons behind why these foods won’t stop you snacking, according to a dietician.
While white bread may taste great, a much more filling option would be wholemeal
White bread
White bread is considered one of the unhealthiest foods.
On top of that, tucking into a couple of slices won’t even make you feel full, say experts.
This is because, unlike wholegrain varieties, it has low fibre.
Fibre is key for keeping hunger levels in check and making people feel fuller for longer.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
Studies also show that the body produces acetate when digesting fibre, which travels to the brain and suppresses feelings of hunger.
A slice of white bread has just 1g per slice, while wholemeal has three times more.
Low fibre means white bread has a high glycaemic index (GI) score, meaning it is broken down quickly by the body and causes a rapid spike in blood sugar.
In turn, it can lead to a crash in energy, which can leave you hungrier than before.
Registered dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine said: ‘One slice of white bread contains around 1g of fibre, alongside rapidly digested carbohydrates.
‘Wholemeal bread on the other hand can contain two to three times this amount and as such will have a lower GI.’
While it may seem easier to cut bread out altogether, Ms Ludlam-Raine says you could still enjoy your favourite loaf, as long as it has a healthy topping.
She said: ‘What matters most though, isn’t the type of bread you have, it’s the portion size and what you pair it with.
‘If you are going to have white bread, top it with some nut butter or avocado to help lower the GI.
‘Or even better, make sure it’s sourdough, which has a lower GI in comparison to normal white bread — a couple of slices is a serving.’
Chips
Chips are one of the many potato-based snacks we love to indulge in.
While a portion can be a tempting treat, it is unlikely to fill you up.
For they score pretty high on the satiety index — a scoring system developed by researchers in Australia that reflects how hungry a person is left after eating a 240 calorie portion of different foods.
This means the moreish, bite-sized snack does a pretty bad job of keeping you satisfied.
However, when baked or boiled, potatoes perform better at reducing hunger levels.
As well as being low in fibre, the side dish is also high in salt, with a portion from McDonald’s having 0.62g.
Chips are one of the many potato-based snacks Brits love to indulge in. While a portion can be a tempting treat, it is unlikely to fill you up
Studies have shown that, rather than leave people thirsty, eating lots of salt increases feelings of hunger.
Ms Ludlam-Raine said: ‘The humble potato, when eaten in moderation will not derail a healthy eating journey.
‘But if it’s deep fried and eaten to excess then it could do.’
Low-fat yoghurt
While low-fat yoghurt may seem healthy, it can give you a false sense of security.
In replacement of natural fat, manufacturers tend to cram in sugar and sweeteners to make the product taste better.
While too much sugar can cause a crash and increase feelings of hunger, sweeteners have also been linked with eating more.
The World Health Organization issued a warning yesterday that swapping sugar for sweeteners won’t help with weight loss and could lead to health problems.
As well as low fat yoghurt’s ingredients, its texture could be a problem as well.
Low-fat yoghurt on its own can be surprisingly detrimental to your diet
A study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that people who ate food that needed to be chewed self-reported feeling less hungry.
The team of international researchers found increasing the number of chews per bite increased levels of gut hormone that are linked to feelings of fullness.
But for low-fat yoghurt fanatics, Ms Ludlam-Raine suggested adding extra protein sources to your yoghurt to help relinquish those cravings.
She said: ‘Add a sprinkling of chopped nuts or seeds to it for some healthy fats, protein and fibre too, as well as other vitamins and minerals.
‘The yoghurts to have in moderation would be the low-fat, higher sugar ones that may not leave you feeling as full as perhaps a plain yoghurt that is sweetened naturally with fruit at home.’
But dairy and soya yoghurts will always provide protein, which slows down the release of energy, Ms Ludlam-Raine added.
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