Q: My job is a sedentary one. I also have a tendency to snack on a lot of sweet foods and am steadily putting on weight. What foods can help me feel full naturally?

A: First of all don’t stop snacking as eating meals or snacks every three or so hours is a great way to keep your blood sugar levels and your weight stable. If you go for long periods without food your blood sugar level will drop and you are more likely to crave unhealthy snacks and stimulants to give you an energy boost. The secret is to snack on the right foods so have a healthy breakfast, a mid morning snack, lunch a mid afternoon snack and supper.

 

The most important thing you can do is to start the day with a healthy breakfast, such as eggs or baked beans (sugar free ones) on whole grain toast or oat porridge with seeds and fruit. Foods like this provide a slow release of energy during the day and will prevent that mid morning drop in blood sugar that causes you to crave sweet foods and snacks. Eating breakfast is in fact one of the best ways to prevent weight gain. Also try to incorporate some organic nut butters e.g. peanut, almond, cashew etc in your diet as far from being fattening they can make you feel fuller for longer. Nuts and seeds (with a small amount of dried fruit) are rich in essential nutrients and very filling and provide a slow release of energy. They are great to keep on your desk or in your bag or car. Do avoid ones covered in chocolate, flavourings and salt though.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 1st, 2009 at 12:50 am and is filed under Ask Marilyn, Healthy Living, Nutrition and Healthy Eating, Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.