Foods that are filling can help you stay full longer so that you don’t overeat at your next meal.

At Eating Enlightenment we focus our energies on overcoming overeating struggles. How? In part by having a daily diet of filling foods is very important.

Getting too hungry is the top predictor of binge eating. So it’s very important that you prevent yourself from getting too hungry filling up on some of these foods listed down below!

While we don’t focus on weight loss, eating foods that contribute to a feeling of fullness which will help you to lose weight (if you are overweight).

As you’ll read in the article below, there a few general principles to keep in mind:

• Fiber

• Protein

• Healthy fats

When you eat foods high in fiber, they take a long time to digest meaning they keep you fuller for longer time.

Protein also helps keep you full because it takes a longer amount of time to digest.

Healthy fats help fill you up because they take the longest amount of time to digest, even longer than protein!

And if you eat foods that are high in healthy fats, protein and fiber – well, that’s the way to go. Think nuts!

So with those principles in mind, here’s our list of the best foods that are healthy and filling!

1 – Oatmeal 

Oatmeal is a popular breakfast choice because it’s one of the best filling foods while being a great source of fiber.

Oatmeal’s filling power comes from the oat’s ability to soak up water.

This process of soaking up water make the oatmeal bulkier and takes longer to digest.

This is partly why oats can help you stay full for several hours after eating it!

Of course, there is more to oatmeal than soaking up water. Oatmeal also contains many of the vitamins, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, and minerals that our bodies need.

Because of these nutritional qualities found in oats, many lists of superfoods put oats in their top 10!

Finally, oats are also high in fiber. A one-half cup serving of oats contains around five grams of fiber.

Studies show that diets high in foods with dietary fiber can help improve blood sugar levels as well as cholesterol. Because when you eat foods high in protein and fiber, you naturally eat fewer calories because you are full and won’t reach for that sneaky bag of chips!

Oatmeal is low in calories and has been linked to reducing the risk for heart disease and diabetes.

It can also help reduce cholesterol levels, which is great news if you’re trying to eat foods that are healthy and filling!

Try eating oatmeal with fresh or dried fruit on top such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries.

You can even have oatmeal can also eat it for lunch or dinner too, why not?

Snacks too! You can make oat flour and use oats as an ingredient in foods. Like cookies and muffins without compromising the healthy benefits of this superfood!

One of the best things about oatmeal is that it’s customizable. To create a delicious meal, you can add fruit, honey, nuts, or eve other grains to your bowl.

2 – Greek Yogurt 

Greek yogurt is another popular breakfast choice.

It contains calcium and healthy bacteria for our digestive tracts.

Greek yogurt also contains protein, which is another reason why it’s a filling.

There are also lots of benefits to eating foods that contain protein, such as reducing appetite and helping control blood sugar levels.

By having over one-half cup serving size of Greek yogurt you can get around twelve grams of protein! That’s almost the same amount found in a six-ounce piece of chicken!

Greek yogurt is also high in probiotics. This means Greek yogurt contains healthy bacteria that can help improve digestion and strengthen the immune system.

As much as I like all the other foods on this list, Greek yogurt is one of the filling foods that also has probiotics.

This makes foods like Greek yogurt a great choice for foods that are filling and good for your gut!

Plus, the texture of Greek yogurt is thicker than traditional yogurt. You’ll find yourself satisfied after a serving if you’re used to normal yogurt and want a different texture.

But besides texture, what I really like about Greek yogurt is the lack of sugar.

Yogurt these days often has added sugar and while there are Greek yogurts with added sugar, in general Greek yogurt has less added sugar.

This decrease in sugar helps Greek yogurt taste even better. It definitely makes foods like Greek yogurt a healthier option than foods that are filled with sugar.

Greek yogurt is versatile. You can use it as an ingredient in recipes such as soups or dips to add protein and probiotics!

You can eat it with fruit and granola or use it as a base substitute in your favorite dips. 

Of course, let’s not forget about oatmeal and Greek yogurt paired together.

This is a perfect combination of foods that are healthy, foods that are filling, and foods with protein!

For years I had Greek yogurt, honey, some almonds and oatmeal every morning and I would stay full for hours! Highly recommend you try the same combination!

3 – Boiled Potatoes 

Though high in carbs, boiled potatoes are very healthy and nutritious. You can mash them too!

I know carbs can get a bad rap, but what really matters is how full you get from said carbs.

If you go to fast food, the carbs you’ll eat there have been processed. Processed carbs won’t keep you full for very long.

For example have you ever eaten a burger and fries?

If so, you may have felt hungry an hour or two later. That’s because foods that are processed don’t keep us full very long! Instead, they give us lots of calories without much nutritional value.

Boiled potatoes are not processed and will keep you full for much longer. Boiled potatoes are actually one of the foods with the best energy density ratios, meaning you get a lot of bang for your buck!

Plus, potatoes offer nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, in add which is great for foods that are foods that are healthy and filling.

So if you’re looking for foods to make you feel full, try some boiled potatoes!

They also go great with other foods. Try them out in different combinations over the next week or two! You might be surprised how foods that keep you full for hours can help you control your appetite.

To give boiled potatoes a good combination, try pairing them with foods that are healthy and foods that keep you full!

For example, if you’re eating meat and vegetables, you can add a boiled potato to your plate for a filling carb option. 

Overall, boiled potatoes are also great additions to any meal.

4 – Lean Meat 

High-protein foods such as lean meat are very filling.

Lean meats keep you full because protein foods take longer to digest.

This means foods like lean meat will stay in your stomach for a long time and make you feel full!

Not only does protein help keep us feeling fuller, but it also helps control blood sugar levels by slowing down the digestion process.

This makes foods that are foods with protein great options for healthy foods as well.

Combining foods that are foods with lean protein and healthy foods is a great way to create a meal or recipe.

For example, you can make tacos by adding meat as the protein source! Or you could add chicken to your salad for lunch.

And don’t forget about our earlier example with boiled potatoes!

So if you’re looking for foods that keep you full longer try some lean meats that are packed with protein

If you’re wondering what meats to include, here are some great examples of lean meat:

• Chicken 

• Turkey 

• Fish 

• Beef 

• Pork

5 – Nuts 

Nuts are versatile.

You can snack on them, include them in your recipes, or blend them to create nut butter.

Some other ways you eat nuts are via foods like trail mix or nut butters.

Overall, nuts are great foods to include in your diet because they keep you feeling fuller longer!

Plus, there is some evidence that suggests eating foods with healthy fats can help control cravings and affect appetite hormones positively. This means foods that are foods with fat may be able to assist us in not binge eating!

However, almonds and walnuts are nuts with the highest energy density. Some other great nuts are pistachios, cashews and peanuts.

These nuts are high in protein, healthy fats and fiber too! Nuts even contain omega 3 fatty acids too!

Finally, nuts are also great additions to meals you already enjoy. You can eat these foods as snacks or include them in foods that are foods with protein for a healthy meal!

For example, adding walnuts to your salad is one creative and healthy way to add nuts to your diet. 

Another way to pair nuts with something healthy is with fruit!

6 – Eggs

Eggs are another great food that is filling!

Eggs contain protein and fat. Both of these macronutrients are great foods to include in your diet because they keep you feeling fuller longer.

Also, foods that contain healthy fats may not only make us stay full but can also help regulate our appetite hormones which means foods with fat could assist us from binge eating!

Another great thing about eggs is how easy eggs are to cook.

You can boil them and include them in foods like omelets. Or you could bake eggs into a tasty dish!

Eggs are also great as snacks because they will keep you full for hours!

So next time your stomach starts grumbling, try having an egg to help control those pesky hunger pangs. If you want eggs for other reasons and aren’t sure why, read our popular article about egg cravings here.

Overall, foods that are foods with protein and healthy fats such as eggs make us feel fuller longer which is why we chose this food for our list of foods that keep you feeling full long term. 

Again, lean meats have tons of protein and little fat as well. Same with nuts!

7 – Avocados

Avocados are technically a fruit, but unlike most fruits, avocados are high in healthy fats and protein.

(The seed in the avocado is what makes the avocado a fruit, otherwise you’d never know!)

Avocados help keep you full because foods that contain healthy fats and foods with protein are both great foods to help you feel full.

Again just like with nuts, lean meat, eggs, etc … it’s really the combination of protein and fats which really makes a food effective in helping you stay full and satisfied!

In addition to keep you satisfied, avocados also add a creamy texture when added to foods like sandwiches or salads making it easier for us to eat foods that are foods with vegetables.

For example, try slicing an avocado and adding these slices to a bowl of salad and drizzling with olive oil.

Normally a plain bowl of salad is going to be terrible! But even without salad dressing, just by adding an avocado slice suddenly those leaves of spinach become much more appetizing!

Filling Foods Summary

Food provides our bodies with vitamins and nutrients.

However, some foods will make you feel fuller longer. Not all foods are created equal, even if they are the same calories!

Again, think in terms of whether food is processed or not. If it’s processed, the food most likely won’t fill you up!

After making sure the food is not processed, then you can start to think about whether the food has some whole fiber, protein or healthy fats.

Remember that if you want to stop binge eating it’s absolutely essential you fill yourself up with nutrients that keep you full! Don’t worry about weight loss, worry about finding foods that fill you up!

Because ravenous hunger is the top predictor of overeating so it’s absolutely vital that you prevent this occurrence from occurring in the first place by eating foods that fill you up!

We hope our list of the best foods that are healthy and filling was helpful to you.

Try including these foods in different meal combinations over the next couple weeks and see how it affects your appetite and energy levels 🙂

Leave a comment below – which of these foods do you think sounds the most likely you will start to include in your diet more frequently?