Why some foods make us feel fuller.

Have you ever noticed why some foods make you feel fuller and sustain your appetite longer? It’s all about nutrient density, getting the most of nutrients for the least amount of calories! And nutrient density is so important when you’re dieting.  It can mean difference between going to bed hungry and miserable or going to bed feeling satisfied and losing fat. 


For example:
               1.7 oz. bag of Doritos – 262 Calories
               Deli Turkey on wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and yellow mustard –             250 calories

These two food items are roughly the same amount of calories, however the turkey sandwich is going to hold you over far longer than the bag of Doritos.  Why you say?  Well the Doritos have 14 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of protein, and 29 grams of carbohydrates.  The turkey sandwich is going to have less than 1 gram of fat, roughly the same of amount of carbohydrates, and 30 grams of protein.  The difference is between the fat and protein.  The fat is not nutrient dense, where the turkey (protein is).  Also important to note is that 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 calories and 1 gram of protein is equal to 4 calories.  You get more bang for your buck by loading up on protein.

Does this mean you should stay away from fat? Absolutely not, you just need to stick with healthy fats like Omega 3’s.  Salmon is one of the most nutrient dense foods out there.  So when we make our food choices we should also be thinking about the nutrient density in those foods.  And don’t be afraid of carbohydrates either.  There are good and bad ones, that bagel is awfully tempting but save those carbs for a baked potato, the potato is one of the world’s most perfect foods, just don’t slice it up and fry it.
Vegetables also pack a big bang for the buck.  As I always say to my clients no one ever got fat eating too many Brussel sprouts!

Here is a list of nutrient dense foods to keep you full during your diet!
Black Beans
Blueberries
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Kale
Lean proteins
Mushrooms
Raspberries
Salmon
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatos
Lean proteins

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