Do you feel the need for raiding the fridge despite eating a heavy meal?  If your stomach constantly growls for food, your eating habits could be at fault. It could be a sign that you are not eating enough of those satiating fibre and other filling nutrients. Being hungry all the time sabotages our best health goals. Luckily, with a few hacks, you can feel satiated after meals and stay on your healthy-eating track. Make note of these tips.

1. Eat More Protein

Protein tops the chart of being the most filling macronutrient beating fats and carbohydrates. So if you feel hungry shortly after eating, it could be because your meal was too rich in carbohydrates and low in protein. Fish, lean meat, cheese, beans pulses, tofu, nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protein so you may want to add more of these foods to your big bowl of pasta. Brain Chemical Triggering Junk Food Cravings Identified. 

2. Pick Satiating Foods

Hunger is not just affected by the quantity of food but also what you eat. This is precisely why you may notice that you have a limitless appetite for fries but not for sautéed broccoli. Satiety is the feeling of fullness and loss of appetite that happens after eating, and different foods affect satiety differently. Foods like eggs, oatmeal, beans, fish and broth-based soups can help you feel fuller for longer.

3. Load Up on Fibre

Fibre increases the digestion time and enhances the feeling of fullness. So, by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and pulses, you can prevent sugar cravings and dips in your energy levels. Your go-to white bread, pasta and rice have fibre stripped from them. Unhealthy Food Cravings Make you Pay More, Says Study. 

4. Pile Your Plate with Salad and Veggies

Not only do the raw veggies pack fibre, but they are considered as 'low energy density foods'. In other words, these foods are dense and have high water content, so they fill you up with a lot of extra calories in your meal. So start your meal with a small bowl of salad or vegetable soup, to make it more satiating.

5. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep plays a vital role in regulating your hormone ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone. The stomach produces ghrelin and increases appetite. When you are sleep-deprived, the stomach produces more of this hunger hormone. Junk Food Cravings: Watching TV with Ads Drive Teenagers to Eat High-calorie Food and Drinks. 

Just the sight of food is enough to make you eat every time you are not hungry. So, try and stay away from the source. Use the little mantra: see no food, eat no food.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 17, 2020 11:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).