Want to get more bang for your bite? These foods do double duty—they help you
blast fat and make you feel full longer, so you'll eat fewer calories.
Eggs
78 calories each
An egg's not only a nutritional
powerhouse, it's also loaded with protein that satisfies. Eat eggs for
breakfast; they'll curb your appetite enough that you'll have about 330 calories
less than usual throughout the rest of the day.
Bonus tip: For a healthy
fried egg, brush a nonstick skillet with a smidge of oil or cooking spray.
You'll get crispy edges without much fat.
Dark chocolate
170 calories
for 1 ounce
Just one more reason to indulge: nosh on dark chocolate and
you'll eat less at your next meal, according to research from the University of
Copenhagen.
Why? Compounds in chocolate slow down digestion and make you
feel full longer. A small piece of chocolate (aim for the size of a business
card) can also curb your cravings for salty, sweet, and fatty foods.
Pine
nuts
95 calories for 1/2 ounce (about 84 nuts)
Move over almonds! The
heart-healthy fatty acids in pine nuts boost satiety hormones that make you feel
full, according to Korean researchers. The same fatty acids also keep belly fat
at bay.
Cheese
76 calories for 1 ounce
Go for fresh goat
cheese or feta for a dose of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)—it helps you feel
full and burn more fat. Cheeses from grass-fed animals have the most CLA, so buy
ones labeled "grass-fed."
Skim milk
86 calories for 1 cup
Most
of us think of milk as kids' stuff, but it boasts grown-up benefits. Milk's
proteins (whey and casein) can make you feel more satisfied than sugary drinks.
CLA in milk fights fat, too.
Oranges
59 calories each
An
orange is one of the most satisfying grabs from the fruit bowl—thanks to all
that fiber. Oranges were the highest-ranked fruit on the "satiety index," a list
of 38 filling foods put together by Australian researchers. And fiber fights
fat: people who eat more fiber have less flab.
Potatoes
161 calories
each
High-carb spuds often get a bad rap, but they deserve to be a
dieter's BFF. Three times as filling as a slice of white bread, potatoes top all
of the foods on the satiety index. Plus, the resistant starch in potatoes help
your body burn fat, too.
