The Power of Satiety!

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