Filling Up On Fewer Calories: The American Way

i love it. my boyfriend is the pickiest eater, but for some reason, he loves things like hamburger helper... i usually take a very small portion because it is SO HIGH in calories and fat, even if you do use lean beef- later on i feel as if i've had nothing, if there is any chocolate in my house, best believe i will be 5lbs heavier in the morning from bingeing. this would save us a weekday dinner rut for sure!!

Artificially "filling" foods? Yuck. Why not just eat something that's filling and tasty? Oh, right, according to common lore, most people don't think healthy stuff tastes good. Why can't people just learn to like what's good for them? And then get up a little earlier to prepare it? It's not so hard.

The problem is that when they start messing with the foods we end up with a worse situation...look at the whole trans fat issue. I think if they could indeed add volume in a healthy way, it might be a good thing.

I find the part about frozen entrees with eggs a bit silly, considering I've been eating McDonalds and Burger King eggs for years..but of course thats loaded with biscuit, cheese and bacon undoing the healthiness of the egg LOL.

I've already started adding volume by adding extra veggies to foods...more veggies, less rice or pasta. Soups are another great high volume but filling food. I suppose in theory its a good idea but I'm one who thinks these processed foods should be used sparingly, not as staples in our diet.

Fruits and vegetables rate high on the satiety index because of their high water content...go figure.

Start messing with the food? They have been messing with the food since selling wood mixed with nutmeg. I'd rather them add extra fiber and protein to the junk already out there so maybe people will eat less of it, because people will always eat it. Self included, even if its only on occasion.

Our planet grows older, but its inhabitants grow ever more immature. People seriously need to grow up and start feeding themselves like responsible adults. With real foods!

The whole concept scares the crap out of me. If we look at the food industry's past record of messing with nature and the outcomes of that...well, it is even scarier.

Seriously, it's a gimmick and the solution is not gimmicky, it's educating ourselves on what is good for our bodies and going out and eating that in moderation. Not easy but definitely simple.

I try to stick with oatmeal for breakfast because it keeps me full until lunch but I could really go for some Lucky Charms now. They are so tasty and actually not as bad as you think. :)

There are plenty of ways to increase the "filling-ness" of foods without having to add weird whey isolate and whatnot to them. Fruits and vegetables and whole grains are very filling for very few calories. I use this strategy all the time...I eat measured portions of protein, carbs, dairy, and snacks, but I eat unlimited amounts of veggies and fruit (enough to make me full). Since starting this way of eating, I've really never been hungry and I've also never had problems with my weight. So I guess it works :)

I try to keep my breakfasts healthy AND filling by making sure they include some protein, fat and and then adding veggies for volume. For example, a couple of hard boiled eggs with a lot of veggies fills me up and maintains that feeling for hours.

Gal

My new approach is KISS(keep is simple stupid):

Breakfast: oat cereal w/skim milk

Lunch: ham/turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread w/mustard, no cheese/mayo

snack: energy bar - Nature valley

Dinner: Fresh salad w/olive oil and rice vinegar OR baked chicken breast with baked veggies(brussel sprouts and asparagus)

I think I can keep to this.

BTW, I should say that yesterday I Forgot to take my prepared lunch(in a hurry) and was forced to buy fast food. So I went to McDonald's to find the healthiest option possible(grilled chicken sandwich) and it made me feel gassy and bloated the rest of the day. That made me make sure the next morning to get up a bit earlier to make sure I took my lunch. Even the "best" offerings of fast food are crap.

I actually don't have a problem with extruded cereals like puffed wheat. I think they are satisfying and they trick you into feeling you are getting more than you are, and it's just air, for heaven's sake. Popcorn is extruded dried corn and that's a lot more fun than munching on nuggets. I kind of like all the added fiber in yogurt, bread, etc. Although I wonder what that fiber is made of--something they put through the woodchipper?
Fitness_Wannabee--your diet is remarkably disciplined, but it seems very low in fruits and vegetables. You could add some vegetation into every meal and you'd still be in great shape. And you'd get more to fill your belly at very little cost in calories.

So let me get this straight: instead of eating smaller quantities we are willing to trick ourselves into eating air so the volume of our food doesn't change. How in the world did our culture get here?

LAZINESS!!! That is how our culture got here! We are a society that drives our auto 1 block over to get a cup of coffee. Remote controls, so we don't have to get our big butts off the couch. Fast foods, so we don't have to cook for ourselves. Lawyers, so we can sue the fast food companies for making us fat, diabetic, walking heart attacks. We have as a society lost all accountability for our own actions. We are quick to judge, blame, look for a quick fix.

D said:
So let me get this straight: instead of eating smaller quantities we are willing to trick ourselves into eating air so the volume of our food doesn't change. How in the world did our culture get here? [...]

I do believe we have to spend some time in the kitchen and cook healthier food from fresh natural ingredients. Use less sugar and fat and control the carb intake and you will have a great body and feel better about yourself too. You can make tasty food by using spices, etc. When you buy processed or packaged food, you have no control over what goes into your body, anymore!

Would love to hear your thoughts on my article regarding this:

http://my-deux-cents.blogspot.com/2007/10/sugar-sugar-in-bun.html

Perhaps things are turning around. I am increasingly impressed by the tone of articles found on the web concerning nutrition and lifestyle changes.
Namste.

It makes me laugh that companies now have to find ways to trick the general public into eating healthy.

I just don't get why people are so resistant to education about the benefits and the potential problems associated with the way you eat.

As stated earlier, things are turning around in general. This wellness revolution we are going through is yet to hit mainstream and there will be a point where many more people will be knowledgeable about their person health and proactive health care

I think that nutrition should be on top of our dietary preferences. Now if we are just after getting that instant full feeling, there are fiber-enriched grains and fruits to binge on. I worry that if we would make a habit of the novelty processed foods mentioned, we might just miss out on the vital nutrients. The whole point of feeding is to nourish the body right? So what's nourishing about adding extra air and water with cereals. That might just not work in the context of regulating weight and could probably have an effect on the body's metabolic functions.

I think one of the best tricks is to eat someone healthy right before fully knowing you are going to have that junk food right after.

The healthy food has to be very convenient such as vegetables or fruit.

That way the fibre prevents you from eating so much junk.

Fruits and vegetables rate high on the satiety index because of their high water content...go figure.

I like how just adding air and whipping food up made people fuller. I think a lot of the time it just has to do with volume as compared to actual calories.

Very nice article, these seems like a few easy tricks to lose those extra pounds. I'll go buy some coffee and oatmeal right away :)