Low satiety foods have added fat, sugar and salt. The added
fat makes the food very easy to digest. You can dissolve the food in your mouth
easily. The fat also compresses the food making it lighter. The added salt and
sugar make the food highly addictive. The fiber and protein are removed from
the food as well. Low satiety foods are very difficult to stop eating (Remember
the popular brand ad, “Once you pop, you just can’t stop!) The body does not
know how to regulate low satiety foods because the brain and body do not get a
full signal. Examples of low satiety foods included; chips, French fries, and
cookies.
High satiety foods are high in fiber and protein. They are
lower in sugar, fat and salt. The brain and body are able to tell when you are
full when you eat these foods. The foods are very easy to portion control, as
the body can signal when it has had enough. Examples of high satiety foods include
potatoes, apples and beans.
The satiety test: Next time you want a snack, pick a snack
eat it and notice whether you immediately want more of it. How much of the
snack do you need before you feel full? Have you eaten several servings? Is it
possible for you to just eat 1-2 servings and put this snack down?
My own test:
There is a reason I only need one granola bar and yet I need
10 cookies. The granola bar has road oats which are hearty and full of fiber,
it even has some protein and it is much lower in sugar and fat than most
cookies. The cookies literally melt in my mouth from the rich butter and oils
they are prepared with. The sugar makes them irresistible. I could eat 10
cookies in less than 10 minutes and still want an extra cookie. When was the
last time you polished off a sleeve of cookies? While I have eaten loads of
cookies in one sitting, I have never recalled a time when I have eaten more
than one granola bar in one sitting, unless it was the highly processed, highly
sweet melt in your mouth chewy kind and even in that case I have never eaten a
box full.
CLM
