Tame Your Appetite
Health, January/February 2001

If you eat low-energy-density meals--plenty of substance but relatively few calories--you'll satisfy your appetite without gaining weight.

The 10 foods listed below aren't just delicious; research shows they can actually keep you from gaining weight.

1.
Chicken Soup: Its high water content makes you feel full. Also produces a steady level of blood sugar, rather than a sudden rise and a hunger-triggering fall.
2.
Vegetable Juice: Has a low energy density and modest dose of fiber that helps you take in fewer calories.
3.
Bran Flakes: Fiber rich; take the edge off your appetite longer than many other foods.
4.
Berries: High water content and lots of fibers with few calories.
5.
Smoothies: A scoop of protein powder, fruit and nuts, and water knocks out hunger because it's nutrient dense.
6.
Tuna: Protein in albacore or chunk light tuna may be more filling, bite for bite, than carbohydrate or fat.
7.
Salsa: Capsaicin (the chemical that makes peppers hot) boosts the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, making you feel less hungry.
8.
Low-Fat Milk: Drinking milk with a meal helps you feel full sooner and eat less the next time.
9.
Rice: Lowest energy density and fiber rich fills you up for fewer calories.
10.
Low-Fat Frozen Desserts: They satisfy a sweet tooth without piling on the calories.