Filling Up on Fiber

Though great for your digestive system and your heart, fibre-rich foods like beans and bran may not be the appetite-quashing superstars past reports would have you believe, finds a new study from the University of Minnesota.

Test subjects were given meal bars loaded with one of the four common types of dietary fibres—or no fibre at all, then were asked to rate their fullness at different times after each meal. The women didn't feel any full after eating the fibre-rich meal bars.

Fiber helps promote healthy digestion and may reduce your risk for heart disease, so don't stop eating it, Slavin advises. But if you want to feel full, how you eat your fibre is a lot more important than the type or amount of fibre you eat, she says. In a separate study, it is found that when women consumed the same amount of fibre in either a solid form (like oatmeal) or a liquid form (like a shake), the solid foods stayed in the woman's digestive system one hour longer, and was more satisfying.

To get your fibre fix, aim for solid bran-fibre foods like bran cereals, peas, bran muffins, or real old-fashioned oatmeal with fruits like raspberries or pears, Slavin advises. Multiple studies, including one recent report from the University of Sydney, have also proved that protein is a great hunger-quelled. Two eggs contain about 12 grams of protein. Legumes, nuts, and meats like chicken or beef are also great protein sources, according to the report.

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