You make sure that your meals consist of healthy choices, you follow your meal prep and nutritional plan religiously, yet a little after your meal or snack, you get hungry again and end up snacking in order to feel full and saturated.

Various reasons may trigger this feeling of insatiable hunger, such as a diet plan for weight loss, emotional hunger, foods in our direct field of vision that create the feeling of cravings, or even polyphagia.

Extreme hunger, aka polyphagia, can be a medical symptom, so it’s important to consult a physician because it may be a sign of diabetes, hypoglycemia, or thyroid disease.

However, if there is no medical situation and the feeling of hunger is a daily occurrence for you and disorganizes you or affects your productivity, then the following tips will help you increase the feeling of satiety and drive the feeling of hunger away, allowing you to manage your appetite!

1. Give Volume to Your Meal

Try to give volume to your food because, with less food, you will be full much faster! And when we talk about volume, we mean foods rich in fiber! Fiber takes up space in our stomach because it absorbs water and since digestion takes time, it will quickly induce the feeling of satiety and keep you full for longer! Plus, foods rich in fiber will help you avoid unhealthy snacking between meals in order to combat your insatiable appetite. So, make sure that you add salad to every meal and include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains that are rich in fiber in your daily diet!

2. Drink Lots of Water

Proper hydration of the body is very important to enhance metabolism and support all the functions of our body. Water, in addition to hydration, will help you feel saturated, so you do not need snacking to feel full! Also, make sure you drink 1-2 glasses of water before each main meal to curb hunger with a smaller amount of food.

Plus, it’s good to keep in mind that when you don't consume enough fluids, you may feel hungry when you're actually thirsty! Always remember to drink water, tea, and herbal drinks daily to cover the recommended daily amount of fluids (8-10 glasses, according to Global Recommendations).

3. Add Protein to Every Meal

Don't forget protein! Starting with breakfast, try to add a source of protein to every meal – if you can, even add a small source of protein to your snacks! It will fill you up with fewer calories, and it will help you regulate the feeling of hunger during the day! Lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and turkey are some distinct sources of protein of animal origin. Legumes, nuts, soy, and its derivatives are excellent choices of protein of plant origin, as long as you make the right combinations to fully absorb it.

4. Add Variety to Your Meals

Our diet should include foods from all food groups (proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fats). The right combinations are the key to achieving the feeling of satiety and staying full for a long time. So, avoid limiting your meals to just one food group (e.g. carbohydrates) because they will not fill you up, and you will soon be looking for something more. Aim for good combinations, such as fresh vegetables along with healthy carbs and protein.

5. Chew Your Food Properly

An important mechanism to manage the feeling of hunger is chewing your food properly. This contributes to better digestion and absorption of nutrients. It reduces ghrelin -the hunger hormone and reduces the tendency to overeat. But what does proper chewing mean? Chew slowly until the food softens. This will allow your body to absorb all the necessary nutrients and feel the flavor, the aromas, and the tastes of your food! And why should you eat slowly? Because our brain needs 20 minutes from the moment we start eating to understand the process of eating. After this time, the brain gets the indication of saturation. Dedicate the time it takes to your meal, and you will feel full for much longer, and at the same time, you will manage to limit snacking.

6. Follow the Method of Smart Dish

The method of the smart dish includes the following features: Fill half of your plate with salad, the remaining 1/4 with protein (meat, egg, chicken, seafood, etc.), and the remaining 1/4 with carbohydrates (pasta, rice, bread, potato, etc.). Then, you add good fats such as olive oil, nuts, or some avocado. The order in which you consume each food is also important. Start with your salad that is rich in fiber, then move on to your protein, and finally, go for the carbs. By this time, you will notice that the feeling of satiety is more intense, and probably you won’t be hungry for sometime.

Follow these tips you will be able to solve the often annoying and unpleasant feeling of constant hunger; you will manage your weight; you will get rid of any guilt feelings, and be more healthy and productive.