What Foods Can You Not Eat on Weight Watchers
If hunger is your middle name and hanger follows you like the plague, your diet may be missing the ingredients that deliver sustainable energy and help keep big appetites at bay. A telltale sign is still feeling ravenous when you've nearly spent your PersonalPoints™ Budget. For a fast fix, start eating the foods that can help you feel full longer —so you spend your days satisfied instead of scrounging for random snacks.
Here are six science-backed picks to add more staying power to your meals and snacks:
1. Oatmeal
Prospective short term studies suggest oatmeal consumption helps lower body mass index and body weight . Why? One reason is that oats are rich in soluble fiber, a type of fiber that becomes viscous and gel-like when combined with liquid, says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, coauthor of Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet and owner of Bazilian's Health in San Diego. The oats are thought to impact appetite-reducing hormones which makes it more likely you'll eat less, and they empty out of your stomach at a slower rate than simple carbs such as found in a doughnut, for example.
But there's one important caveat: Because soluble fiber needs liquid to thicken up, oats seem to be the most filling when they're cooked in water or milk to make oatmeal. "A muffin or breakfast bar made with oats probably won't have the same level of effect, since they don't have as much water," Bazilian says.
Looking for a quick breakfast option that's also portable? Try WW's oatmeal cups —each of the three flavors are packed with extra protein and can be ready in under two minutes!
RELATED: Overnight oats 3 ways
2. Beans
Toss them into salad, use them in soup, or puree them into a dip. Adding beans and legumes like chickpeas, black beans, and lentils to a meal increases satiety by an average of 31% , according to a recent scientific review published in the journal Obesity .
When it comes to fullness, these tiny powerhouses seem to pack a one-two punch. They are complex carbohydrates, which deliver energy and they are rich in fiber. But they also have protein, which takes longer to process—which helps you stay satisfied for longer. "It's a slow, sustained release of blood sugar, which can lengthen satiety," Bazilian says.
RELATED: A dozen things to do with canned beans
3. Non-starchy vegetables
Veggies like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, and celery have low energy density. That means that they deliver relatively few calories for their serving size—but because they're high in water and fiber, they have more volume and take up more space in your stomach. "If you choose foods that have a lower density of calories in each bite, you'll get a bigger portion for your calorie needs," says Barbara Rolls, PhD, director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at Penn State University and author of The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet .
Case in point: You'd have to eat more than two cups of cooked baby spinach to consume 100 calories, but you'd get the same amount of calories from just 1 measly tablespoon of butter. Which do you think would fill you up more?
4. Eggs
Have them in the morning, and you just might feel fuller all day long. One study found that women who were overweight reported that they consumed less food for up to 36 hours when they ate eggs for breakfast , compared to when they ate bagels. (Talk about incredible, right?)
That could be because eggs are packed with protein, which digests at a slower rate than carbohydrate-based foods to help keep you satisfied longer, Bazilian says. (A large egg delivers 6 g protein.) But that's not all. A small study also suggests that eggs could suppress the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin , which could help nix the urge to nosh.
RELATED: 25 unique egg recipes
5. Greek yogurt
A cup of Greek yogurt delivers around 22 g protein, which can help reduce the desire to eat and keep you feeling full for longer. What's more, it's relatively high in water, so it adds volume in your stomach. Combined, those two things will keep you satisfied, Bazilian says.
Of course, not all yogurts are created equal. Plain yogurt is a better choice than the flavored stuff, since it's free of added sugars which, in excess, have been linked to increased risk for disease.
RELATED: Taste test: The best non-fat plain yogurt
6. Brothy soup
Starting with a soup can help curb calorie intake at mealtime, some studies show. Like non-starchy vegetables, soups have a low-calorie density—all that liquid will help fill you up for relatively few calories, Rolls says.
The key is sticking with broth- or tomato-based soups instead of cream-based ones. Think minestrone or butternut squash. For even more staying power—like if you're having soup for a meal—consider adding a source of lean protein like shredded chicken, Rolls says.
RELATED: Thermos soups, 5 ways
Reviewed by Zoe Griffiths, R.D., October 2019
What Foods Can You Not Eat on Weight Watchers
Source: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/blog/food/filling-foods-weight-loss-journey