While you're finding yourself spending more time at home, you might be tempted to take a little walk into the kitchen for a snack. Hey, it happens to the best of us! But what you don't want to end up doing is eating foods that are simply going to end up leaving you wanting more. Seriously, there are foods that will just make you more hungry.
Here, we compiled the most unwholesome foods you're going to want to ditch, as that will just make you hungry. And instead, replace them with some healthy, filling snacks!
Cheese
It all goes back to when we were tiny babies. "Humans are programmed to have an opioid (opiate-like) response to a protein found in milk (casein) so that infants will continue their desire to consume adequate amounts of their mother's milk," explains Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, a plant-based dietitian and author of The Vegiterranean Diet and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition. "Cheese, which is a concentrated form of milk, also induces this effect. These protein compounds, called casomorphins, combined with the high amount of fat and salt are what is responsible for the popular obsession with cheese. Thus, the more you have, the more you crave—as devised by nature."
Juice
"Although juicing and juice cleanses are highly popular right now, the process used to make juice strips the most filling nutrient—fiber—from the sugary liquid," explains Janel Funk, MS RD LDN. "This leaves you with a calorie-containing beverage that spikes your blood sugar, leading to a crash that leaves you hungrier. Studies have shown that our bodies aren't any more satiated with the calories in juice as opposed to those from food, so stick with water for thirst and hydration and eat whole fruits and vegetables with their fiber intact." If you're craving something to drink and not a snack, try this idea from Rebecca Lewis, RD for HelloFresh: "Blend the fruits and veggies that you were planning on juicing. If you can't get past all the pulp, try adding some protein powder or a nut butter. The added protein and fat act in a similar way to fiber in slowing down the absorption of the foods into your bloodstream."
Low-Fat Yogurts
"While yogurt is constantly promoted as a super healthy food, it truly depends on which one you choose to keep you full," shares Nutritionist Kayleen St. John, RD at Natural Gourmet Institute, a health-supportive cooking school in New York City. "A typical 6-ounce fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt clocks in at 150 calories, 6 grams protein, 1.5 grams fat and around 25 grams sugar. The higher carbohydrate load and very low-fat content will keep you looking for more to eat, even after your last spoonful." Instead, opt for a plain Greek-style yogurt that has twice the protein, and add your own fruit, nuts and seeds for additional fiber and antioxidants.
Egg Whites
"There's a reason you may feel hungry soon after your morning egg white omelet. While egg whites are a good source of protein, a great deal of the beneficial fats, vitamins and minerals lie within the egg's yolk, and a 2010 meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke or coronary vascular disease," shares St. John. "The saturated fat in egg yolks not only adds to satiety but is necessary for hormone production and the body's absorption of some vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A (great for skin and your immune system), B vitamins for energy, and choline, which is supportive of brain and muscle health." We'll raise our protein shake to St.John's healthy pilgrimage to bring egg yolks back in style for dieters.
Fat-Free Salad Dressings
"When we grab for the fat-free bottle, we think we are making a good choice," says Lisa Hayim, registered dietitian and founder of The Well Necessities. Not the case. "These fat-free salads dressings can be loaded with salt and sugar to give them flavor. We end up pouring on more, making sure each piece of lettuce in our salad is doused. After the salad is over, the salt and sugar make you feel unsatisfied and craving more." Exactly what the salad dressing company is hoping for, but not your flat belly diet.
Foods Labeled "Healthy"
"We tend to overeat those foods labeled healthy, according to a recent report published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research," cautions St. John. "This tends to make people order larger portions and feel less full after eating foods touted as healthy. The exact reason behind it is unclear, but likely has to do with subconsciously programming ourselves to relate unhealthy foods to satiety." Be wary of those label claims, and always check the ingredient list before you buy.
Sugar
Sugar and all of its counterparts (from artificial sweeteners to organic cane sugar and everything in between) are highly addictive because of its associated heightened dopamine release. "Given the fact that we are evolutionarily designed to seek out sweetness in order to survive and that highly concentrated sources of sugar are omnipresent in endless quantities, sugar addiction has become increasingly prevalent and a huge contributor to our current global healthcare crisis," comments Hever. "Refined and processed sweeteners are unrelenting in their ability to entice you to overeat and yet, don't provide satiation, satiety, or nourishment." Don't swear off fruit, though: "Whole food sources of sugar, such as fruit, is different because fruit maintains its fiber and nutrients. That's why you can swiftly consume a couple of candy bars or drink a huge cup of juice without feeling full, but eating 10 apples or pears would be challenging," she adds.
Granola Bars
"Traditional granola bars are often made of just sugar and hydrogenated oils and are void of protein (the stuff that fills you up)," shares Hayim. "They are often lower in calories than a traditional meal and do not serve as a meal replacement. The flavor is just enough to whet your appetite, but leaves you far from satiated."
Ketchup
Think twice before smothering this naughty condiment on your baked sweet potato fries or mixing with your breakfast egg dish. "Ketchup, or any food made with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), can make your appetite continue to grow stronger. HFCS interrupts the body's metabolism and slows down the production of leptin (which helps us feel full). As a result, there is no message being sent to the body that you're full and that it's time to stop eating," warns Hayim.
Muffins
"Ever stuff yourself with a giant blueberry muffin, only to find you were hungry right after?" asks Hayim. Been there, done that. "Although it can be loaded with calories, it is made almost completely of sugar. This sugar is rapidly digested and absorbed, leaving your body starved for more." Yikes!
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