The Most Filling Foods That Will Banish Your Snack Cravings

Believe it or not, some of the most filling foods are delicious enough to make you forget cookies and chips. From tasty fruits to savory cuts of meat, these satisfying options can help you tame your temptation for any unhealthy snacks. Better yet, they can even help you slim down for the same amount of calories. And guess what? You don’t have to give up your beloved popcorn.

Potatoes

Spuds may have a bad rap, but it’s largely unwarranted. Potatoes actually swept the top spot in an Australian study that measured the satiating index of 38 common foods. This means that compared to all the other foods measured, calorie-for-calorie, potatoes are the most likely to keep you from snacking and help you feel full and satisfied.

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Oatmeal

You might have a busy schedule keeping you from cooking up a warm breakfast like oatmeal in the morning, but there’s an easy way around that: Make some overnight oats by combining rolled oats, milk, and your flavorings of choice in a grab-and-go container. Pop it in the fridge overnight for a filling start to your day.

Oranges

Though they’re actually not the top food for vitamin C, these sunny fruits are still a good pick for snacking. Just make sure that you’re reaching for a whole orange instead of orange juice. The blood-sugar-stabilizing fiber inside the fruit is the key to feeling satisfied, and that fiber is often lost through juicing.

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Whole-Wheat Pasta

You might already know that whole-wheat versions are more filling than white pasta, but if you’re looking for a surprising health benefit, commit to eating your pasta cold. Enjoying noodles chilled, like in pasta salad, can help boost the resistant starch content. When substituted for 5.4 percent of your total daily carbohydrates, this nutrient can actually increase fat burn, according to a Nutrition & Metabolism study.

Beef Steak

It turns out that fans of a “meat and potatoes” diet might be on to something. Steak follows closely behind spuds when it comes to silencing your rumbling tummy. Pair the two and you have a meal that will banish the urge to reach for chips while you watch your favorite late-night show. Just make sure you also eat a healthy helping of something green!

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Baked Beans

Don’t feel like you need to shell out your hard-earned cash for a steak if your recipe can be made with beans. A daily serving of beans (about 3/4 cup to 1 cup) can help you feel as much as 31 percent fuller, according to a study published in Obesity.

Grapes

Poppable and portable, grapes are often unfairly outshined by fuits like apples and oranges. Mix things up and bring grapes to work with your lunch a couple days a week, or stash the whole package in the freezer. Grapes take on a sorbet-like consistency when they’re given the chill treatment. Make them a go-to, guilt-free dessert to slim down without sacrificing a sweet treat at the end of the day. Learn how to cut grapes for the little ones in your life in the video below:

Popcorn

Don’t shy away from the popcorn just because it’s a carb-rich snack, but do choose air-popped kernels over microwavable versions. Most bags that you nuke have harmful chemicals in the lining that leach into the popcorn. In addition to being rich in fiber, air-popped popcorn packs even more health-boosting polyphenols than fruit or vegetables. Try out our ideas for flavoring popcorn for the ultimate healthy and delicious snack.

Eggs

Though there’s really no wrong way to enjoy them, science wants you to start eating eggs on your salad. Adding a cooked egg to raw veggies helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients from the veggies, ensuring that they deliver the most nutritious punch possible. Try it this weekend with our trick to the easiest poached eggs.

Here’s to your happy (and healthy) snacking!

Watch the video below to learn more about six delicious life-extending superfoods: