People all over the world follow thousands of different diet plans. There are no-carb, low-carb and all-carb options, fat-free, low-sugar, high-protein ... There is truly a diet for everyone out there.
But some experts say that the key to losing weight, and losing it permanently, is to eat less and move more. One of the best ways to eat less is to pick foods that are more filling so it takes less of them to satiate.
No one wants to feel like they're starving all the time! So with that in mind, the experts at SlimmingWorldUSA.com, a weight loss support program, came up with the top ten list of the least filling foods to eat.
1. Chips
Over half of the calories in chips are in the form of fat. They are also high in salt and low in moisture.
2. Specialty coffees
Coffee is not a snack, even those containing cream. A large Café Mocha with whipped cream contains nearly 500 calories and 16 grams of saturated fat. Whole foods take longer to digest and fill you up, but liquid calories like one gets from coffee, are the ones that fill a person up the least.
3. Take-out pizza with cheese or meat topping
These pizzas can contain as much as 2,000 calories each! That's typically what one person should consume in an entire day. They are low in moisture, low in fiber, low in lean meat, and high in fat, calories and energy density. Not good.
4. Fast food fries
Tempted to go through a drive-thru for a mid-afternoon snack attack? Don't! Fast food fries contain about up to 640 calories and are high in fat, salt, energy and readily absorbed starches. Almost all of the moisture has been replaced by fat during the frying process. This is the least healthy way to eat potatoes.
5. Fried pies
Just because a pie has fruit in the name does not mean it's healthy! Fried pies are made from pastry that contains fat and sugar and is then deep-fried. This results in a product that is a mixture of fats and sugars, with no fiber, little moisture, and virtually no protein.
6. Doughnuts
It is no surprise that doughnuts are on this list. They are packed with artery-clogging saturated fat and trans-fatty acids. An average doughnut also has 200 to 300 calories and few other nutrients. Those with cream or toppings have even more calories.
7. Luxury full-fat ice cream
Those expensive designer pints at the grocery store sure look good but they are about 60 percent fat. There is little chewing or digestion required to activate any satiety signals. Ice cream tastes great so we eat more of it, and once eaten, there is little in terms of a feeling of fullness to put the brakes on.
8. Sodas and other sugary soft drinks
The calories in soda aren't much when one looks at a 12-ounce serving. But rarely does a soda drinker stop at one can or glass. Drinking half of a two-liter will add over 400 calories to one's daily intake. The calories are almost entirely in the form of dissolved sugars, which have a minimal impact on satiety.
9. Smoothies
They are calorie-dense and vary widely with the amount of sugar and fat that is added. And just because there is fruit in it, that doesn't make it a good choice. The blending process disrupts all of the satiety-promoting fiber contained in the fruit.
10. Croissants
Sure, the French love them and look great but they have between 400 and 500 calories on average and 55-60 percent of this energy is in the form of fat, the rest being sugars and quickly digested starches. They have little moisture, no fiber and little protein. Say "Non!" to the croissants.
Sources:
Cookinglight.com. Web. 6 February 2013. "12 Filling Foods".
http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/filling-foods-00412000077269
Emailed Press release: SKIP THE DIET – FILL UP TO LOSE WEIGHT from
http://www.slimmingworldusa.com/
Received 06 February 2013. Can be viewed at
http://www.easier.com/29100-skip-the-diet-fill-up-to-lose-weight.html
Reviewed February 12, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith