Healthy Foods That Fill You Up
One of the biggest complaints you hear about healthy foods is that they go through you too fast. You consume a salad for lunch and the next thing you know, you’re hungry for more. While that can be true for some healthy dishes, incorporating foods high in fiber can make a difference. Fiber helps to regulate bowel movements, lower your cholesterol, control blood sugar levels, and sustain a healthy weight. Below are some pretty filling but healthy foods to add to your diet.
Hummus
If you’re looking for a quick snack that fills you up perhaps you should try hummus. Made of chickpeas (an excellent source of fiber), hummus tastes great and keeps you fuller longer. It’s great for dipping whole-grain pita chips, fruit, or fresh veggies. You can purchase hummus in stores or make your own from scratch.
Oatmeal
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and for some people, the only meal they have for hours. As such, you want to feel full as long as you can. A good old-fashioned bowl of oatmeal can do the trick. You can purchase instant oatmeal for an easy and quick breakfast or make your own with rolled oats. Then, add some fruit, cinnamon, or sugar for flavor.
Avocado
Avocadoes have more than 13 grams of fiber in them. They can be great eaten raw or incorporated into your meals. You can make toast with slices of avocado and tomatoes, add avocado to your smoothies, make guacamole and have a side of blue corn chips, and so much more.
Chia Seeds
Many seeds are packed with fiber, like chia seeds which have more than 10 grams. If you’re wondering how to eat chia seeds you can add them to just about anything. You can sprinkle them over a salad, blend them up in a smoothie, or add them as a topping to your yogurt or other desserts.
Broccoli
A member of the coniferous family, broccoli has tons of nutrients, antioxidants, and just one cup has about 5 grams of fiber in it. Broccoli can be enjoyed raw with various dips or you can incorporate it into a number of recipes.
Kale
This popular superfood is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and about 4 grams of fiber in a 2 cup serving. This green leafy vegetable can be enjoyed raw in salads, baked with sea salt and consumed as chips, or cooked and served as a side dish or incorporated into other recipes.
Raspberries
Raspberries are dark in color meaning they have a lot of vitamins and nutrients, including fiber. Just one cup will give you about 4 grams of fiber. You can eat raspberries plain, add them to yogurt, mixed in with oatmeal, blended into smoothies, or used as ingredients in dessert recipes.
Apples
Apples are another fruit with a good dose of fiber to keep you fuller longer. An apple has about 4 grams of fiber. You can eat them plain, cut them into slices and dip them, or add them to meals ranging from pork chops to apple pie.
Artichokes
Here’s a vegetable you might not eat very often, but it’s loaded with fiber. An artichoke has approximately 10 grams of fiber. You can steam them and eat them plain, grind them down to make a dip, or add them to pizza or pasta and you’ll be satisfied for hours.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a gluten-free seed that is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and, of course, fiber. One cup of cooked quinoa has about 4 grams of fiber. The possibilities are endless when it comes to adding quinoa to your diet. You can add it to a smoothie, steam it and have it as a side dish, incorporate it in cold salads, and much more.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes have approximately 4 grams of fiber in them. They can be prepared sweet with cinnamon, brown sugar, and raw honey or they can be savory with some salt, pepper, and garlic. From casseroles to baked sweet potato skins, there are a lot of options to adding this to your diet.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, improve your health, or ward off cravings throughout the day, these high-fiber foods listed above will certainly do the trick. The best part is you can find tons of recipes online that make adding these foods to your diet a piece of cake.