Eight foods to beat hunger cravings and help you lose weight – from curry to a roast dinner

NOTHING can derail a diet like a 3pm sugar slump.

When you're hungry, even the best intentions can go out of the window.

So it follows that one of the key pillars of healthy eating and fat loss is keeping hunger at bay.

You want to have a breakfast that not only energises you but sees you through until lunchtime, when you then have a meal that keeps your blood sugar level and thus avoiding any mid-afternoon cravings and fatigue.

There have been plenty of theories banded around regarding how to curb our excess, from drinking a glass of water before tucking into main meals, to snacking on Worcestershire Sauce-flavoured soups.

But you know, when it comes to that full-feeling, some dishes are better than others.

We spoke to nutritionist Amanda Ursell to find out which foods naturally help to beat hunger:

1. Omelette

"People eat around 400 fewer calories over the whole day when they have a two-egg breakfast, for instance, in an omelette, compared with a breakfast rich in starchy, fast release carbs like toast and marmalade," Amanda told The Sun.

"Researchers think this could have something to do with the egg breakfast lowering levels of the hunger hormone called ‘ghrelin’, which stimulates appetite."

2. Hot chocolate

Mix up your favourite low-calorie hot chocolate powder with milk to create a filling drink.

When it gets into our stomachs, our digestive enzymes turn liquid milk into a semi-solid gel which helps to keep hunger at bay.

3. Tarka Dhal

Eating this lentil-based curry raises our blood sugar levels slowly, which can keep us feeling satisfied for hours after.

4. Banana smoothie

"Bananas have a reputation for being fattening, but the sugars they give you don’t count towards your 30g maximum a day and their fibre makes them an especially filling fruit," said Amanda.

"You can enhance these hunger beating credentials further by blending with a handful of frozen berries, skimmed milk and plain yoghurt.

"Blend for as long as it takes to pump up the volume of the smoothie through incorporating lots of air.

"The more air you manage to get into your smoothie, the bigger it looks and the more satisfied your brain tells you’ll be, even before you start drinking."

5. Mixed nuts

Nuts are great snacks because they're so nutrient dense.

If you swap out your 3pm cake for a handful of nuts (50g Starbucks Almonds, Cashews, Cranberries and Raisins have 233 calories compared with 436 calories in their Blueberry Muffin), you may be less tempted to overeat at your next meal.

That's because nuts are packed with fibre, protein and good fats.

But they are easy to eat in excess so just snack on them mindfully.

6. Chicken soup

"Serving exactly the same portion of chicken, vegetables and rice but having it in a soup rather than on a plate helps you to feel fuller, even though the calories are the same.

"This is because there is extra volume in your stomach, helping to trigger ‘I’m full’ messages to your brain. Add some Worcestershire sauce for flavour.

"This improves its ‘tastiness’, which in turn seems to dial down appetite and help you to want to eat less."

7. Tuna pasta mayonnaise

This might sound like an instant waist-thickener, but Amanda told us that it's "guaranteed to keep the lid on hunger".

Make simple swaps to use low-fat mayo and tuna in spring water, but don't worry too much about the kind of pasta.

Amanda said: "Pasta, whether it is white or wholegrain has a low glycaemic index. This ‘low GI’ credential means it is digested slowly after eating and helps to you feel fuller for longer."

8. Roast dinner

"A plate packed with roast potatoes and drowned in rich gravy is not an option but changing the emphasis so that you have a good serving of lean roast beef or lamb surrounded with a big pile of vegetables will keep you full hours after tucking in," Amanda told us.

A 150g portion of lean roast beef weighs in at around 263 calories and 48g of protein - and that high protein level not only helps to suppress appetite but also raises your metabolism because the body has to work hard to digest it.

Add in 50g of roast potatoes and a big portion of veg, and your weekly favourite is just 439 calories.

The key to healthy eating is balancing your macronutrients - making sure you have enough protein, fat and carbohydrate to keep your body fuelled.

Our bodies tend go for the easy option - sugar - if it has the chance, and eating a diet high in quick-release carbohydrates and free sugars can leave us feeling hungry pretty quickly.

So your best bet is to opt for meals that contain two or three macronutrients to slow down digestion - as most of the above do.

Last week we revealed why you feel more hungry after eating breakfast, and how to adapt your breakfast to keep you fuller for longer.

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