If you were to describe The Perfect Food, it might go something like this: healthful, delicious, bigger than a morsel and filling enough to fight hunger for hours. "Foods that promote satiety" -- a feeling of lasting fullness -- "do exist," insists Dr. David Katz, founder of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. <br /><br />What makes some grub extra satisfying? "Fiber and protein can help," says Barbara Rolls, author of "The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet." Getting more bang for your bite matters, too: Low-energy-density foods, which yield big portions for few calories, "allow you to eat more without gaining weight," Rolls says. Want some of that? Make room for these secret-weapon picks.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: The 25 best diet tricks of all time</a>
If you were to describe The Perfect Food, it might go something like this: healthful, delicious, bigger than a morsel and filling enough to fight hunger for hours. "Foods that promote satiety" -- a feeling of lasting fullness -- "do exist," insists Dr. David Katz, founder of the Yale University Prevention Research Center.

What makes some grub extra satisfying? "Fiber and protein can help," says Barbara Rolls, author of "The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet." Getting more bang for your bite matters, too: Low-energy-density foods, which yield big portions for few calories, "allow you to eat more without gaining weight," Rolls says. Want some of that? Make room for these secret-weapon picks.

Health.com: The 25 best diet tricks of all time
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<strong>Baked potato</strong><br /><br />The potato has been unfairly demonized -- it's actually a potent hunger tamer. In a study that measured the satiating index of 38 foods, including brown rice and whole-wheat bread, people ranked boiled potatoes highest, reporting that they felt fuller and ate less two hours after consuming them. <br /><br />Though potatoes are often shunned because they're considered high in carbohydrates, they shouldn't be. Whether baked or boiled, they're loaded with vitamins, fiber and other nutrients. Result? You get steady energy and lasting fullness after noshing on them.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Eat baked and boiled tubers skin-on to get more fiber for just 160 calories a pop.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: 26 reasons to love potatoes </a>
Baked potato

The potato has been unfairly demonized -- it's actually a potent hunger tamer. In a study that measured the satiating index of 38 foods, including brown rice and whole-wheat bread, people ranked boiled potatoes highest, reporting that they felt fuller and ate less two hours after consuming them.

Though potatoes are often shunned because they're considered high in carbohydrates, they shouldn't be. Whether baked or boiled, they're loaded with vitamins, fiber and other nutrients. Result? You get steady energy and lasting fullness after noshing on them.

Feel even fuller: Eat baked and boiled tubers skin-on to get more fiber for just 160 calories a pop.

Health.com: 26 reasons to love potatoes
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<strong>Bean soup</strong><br /><br />"Soups have a high water content, which means they fill your stomach for very few calories," says Rolls. Broth-based bean soups, in particular, contain a hefty dose of fiber and resistant starch -- a good carb that slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream -- to make that full feeling really stick. "Once in the stomach, fiber and water activate stretch receptors that signal that you aren't hungry anymore," Rolls says. All this for a measly 150 calories per cup.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Resist the cracker pack on the side in favor of a bigger soup helping. Beans are starchy, satisfying and caloric enough on their own, Rolls says. Hate soup? Throw lentils, black-eyed peas or kidney or navy beans into a vinegar-based salad.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: 20 best foods for fiber</a>
Bean soup

"Soups have a high water content, which means they fill your stomach for very few calories," says Rolls. Broth-based bean soups, in particular, contain a hefty dose of fiber and resistant starch -- a good carb that slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream -- to make that full feeling really stick. "Once in the stomach, fiber and water activate stretch receptors that signal that you aren't hungry anymore," Rolls says. All this for a measly 150 calories per cup.

Feel even fuller: Resist the cracker pack on the side in favor of a bigger soup helping. Beans are starchy, satisfying and caloric enough on their own, Rolls says. Hate soup? Throw lentils, black-eyed peas or kidney or navy beans into a vinegar-based salad.

Health.com: 20 best foods for fiber
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<strong>Eggs</strong><br /><br />A study from Saint Louis University found that folks who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 330 fewer calories throughout the day than those who had a bagel. "Eggs are one of the few foods that are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that your body can't make itself," says Joy Dubost, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Once digested, those amino acids trigger the release of hormones in your gut that suppress appetite."<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Don't discard the yolks -- about half an egg's protein lives in those yellow parts. Adding vegetables to a scramble boosts its volume and fiber content for few extra calories (an egg has 78, and a cup of spinach just 7).<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: The 20 best foods to eat for breakfast</a> <br />
Eggs

A study from Saint Louis University found that folks who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 330 fewer calories throughout the day than those who had a bagel. "Eggs are one of the few foods that are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that your body can't make itself," says Joy Dubost, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Once digested, those amino acids trigger the release of hormones in your gut that suppress appetite."

Feel even fuller: Don't discard the yolks -- about half an egg's protein lives in those yellow parts. Adding vegetables to a scramble boosts its volume and fiber content for few extra calories (an egg has 78, and a cup of spinach just 7).

Health.com: The 20 best foods to eat for breakfast
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<strong>Greek yogurt</strong><br /><br />Harvard researchers examined the eating habits of 120,000 people for 20 years and found that yogurt was the single best food for shedding pounds: Over time, people who downed more of the protein-packed stuff lost pounds without trying. Meanwhile, a Nestlé Nutrition Institute study review found that consuming dairy proteins increases satiety, reduces food intake and keeps blood sugar steady. "Greek yogurt, which is strained to remove liquid whey, contains double the protein and less sugar than regular yogurt," Dubost says.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Top yogurt with fibrous foods like raspberries (4 grams of fiber per half cup) or a cereal such as Kashi Go Lean Crisp Cinnamon Crumble (9 grams per three quarters of a cup).<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: Best superfoods for weight loss</a>
Greek yogurt

Harvard researchers examined the eating habits of 120,000 people for 20 years and found that yogurt was the single best food for shedding pounds: Over time, people who downed more of the protein-packed stuff lost pounds without trying. Meanwhile, a Nestlé Nutrition Institute study review found that consuming dairy proteins increases satiety, reduces food intake and keeps blood sugar steady. "Greek yogurt, which is strained to remove liquid whey, contains double the protein and less sugar than regular yogurt," Dubost says.

Feel even fuller: Top yogurt with fibrous foods like raspberries (4 grams of fiber per half cup) or a cereal such as Kashi Go Lean Crisp Cinnamon Crumble (9 grams per three quarters of a cup).

Health.com: Best superfoods for weight loss
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<strong>Apples</strong><br /><br />Apples are one of the few fruits that contain pectin, which naturally slows digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness, according to a study in Gastroenterology. In fact, people who ate an apple as part of a meal felt more satiated and ate less than those who consumed a calorically equivalent amount of juice and applesauce. <br /><br />"Whole apples take a long time to eat for very few calories," says Susan Roberts, professor of nutrition at Tufts University. Your body has more time to tell your brain that you're no longer hungry. That means you can eat lots of this low-energy-density, high-satiety fruit and avoid feeling deprived while losing weight, adds Roberts.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Add apple chunks to oatmeal or salad, or slices to a turkey-on-whole-wheat sandwich.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: 25 amazing apple recipes</a>
Apples

Apples are one of the few fruits that contain pectin, which naturally slows digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness, according to a study in Gastroenterology. In fact, people who ate an apple as part of a meal felt more satiated and ate less than those who consumed a calorically equivalent amount of juice and applesauce.

"Whole apples take a long time to eat for very few calories," says Susan Roberts, professor of nutrition at Tufts University. Your body has more time to tell your brain that you're no longer hungry. That means you can eat lots of this low-energy-density, high-satiety fruit and avoid feeling deprived while losing weight, adds Roberts.

Feel even fuller: Add apple chunks to oatmeal or salad, or slices to a turkey-on-whole-wheat sandwich.

Health.com: 25 amazing apple recipes
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<strong>Popcorn</strong><br /><br />This movie-night fave is a low-energy-density food -- for 90 calories, you could eat 3 cups of air-popped corn but just a quarter cup of potato chips. "Popcorn takes up more room in your stomach, and seeing a big bowl of it in front of you tricks you into thinking that you're eating more calories and that you'll feel full when you're finished," Rolls says.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Sprinkle on some red pepper. In a recent Purdue University study, people who added a half teaspoon of the spice to a meal felt less hungry.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: 16 ways to lose weight fast</a> <br />
Popcorn

This movie-night fave is a low-energy-density food -- for 90 calories, you could eat 3 cups of air-popped corn but just a quarter cup of potato chips. "Popcorn takes up more room in your stomach, and seeing a big bowl of it in front of you tricks you into thinking that you're eating more calories and that you'll feel full when you're finished," Rolls says.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle on some red pepper. In a recent Purdue University study, people who added a half teaspoon of the spice to a meal felt less hungry.

Health.com: 16 ways to lose weight fast
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<strong>Figs</strong><br /><br />A great natural cure for a sweet tooth, fresh figs have a dense consistency and sweet flesh that's high in fiber (each 37-calorie fig packs about a gram), which slows the release of sugar into the blood, preventing the erratic high caused by cookies or cake.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Halve and add protein, like a teaspoon of goat cheese and a walnut.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: 20 snacks that burn fat </a>
Figs

A great natural cure for a sweet tooth, fresh figs have a dense consistency and sweet flesh that's high in fiber (each 37-calorie fig packs about a gram), which slows the release of sugar into the blood, preventing the erratic high caused by cookies or cake.

Feel even fuller: Halve and add protein, like a teaspoon of goat cheese and a walnut.

Health.com: 20 snacks that burn fat
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<strong>Oatmeal</strong><br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Oatmeal</a>'s filling force comes from its high fiber content and its uncanny ability to soak up liquid like a sponge. When cooked with water or skim milk, the oats thicken and take more time to pass through your digestive system, meaning you'll go longer between hunger pangs.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Sprinkle almonds on top of your bowl. "The nuts pack protein and fiber and contain unsaturated fats that can help stabilize insulin levels," regulating blood sugar, Katz says.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: 13 comfort foods that burn fat</a>
Oatmeal

Oatmeal's filling force comes from its high fiber content and its uncanny ability to soak up liquid like a sponge. When cooked with water or skim milk, the oats thicken and take more time to pass through your digestive system, meaning you'll go longer between hunger pangs.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle almonds on top of your bowl. "The nuts pack protein and fiber and contain unsaturated fats that can help stabilize insulin levels," regulating blood sugar, Katz says.

Health.com: 13 comfort foods that burn fat
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<strong>Wheat berries</strong><br /><br />Move over, quinoa. Wheat berries, which are whole-wheat kernels, contain one of the highest amounts of protein and fiber per serving of any grain -- 6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. "Protein triggers the hormone ghrelin to tell our brain that we are satisfied," Roberts explains, "and fiber activates appetite-suppressing gut hormones."<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Do what celeb chef Ellie Krieger does: Toss wheat berries with apples, nuts and other diet-friendly foods to make a super tasty salad.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" target="_blank">Health.com: How berries prevent aging</a>
Wheat berries

Move over, quinoa. Wheat berries, which are whole-wheat kernels, contain one of the highest amounts of protein and fiber per serving of any grain -- 6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. "Protein triggers the hormone ghrelin to tell our brain that we are satisfied," Roberts explains, "and fiber activates appetite-suppressing gut hormones."

Feel even fuller: Do what celeb chef Ellie Krieger does: Toss wheat berries with apples, nuts and other diet-friendly foods to make a super tasty salad.

Health.com: How berries prevent aging
Vlorika Prikhodko/Getty Images
<strong>Smoothies</strong><br /><br />While most beverages don't satisfy hunger very well, drinks blended full of air are an exception: They cause people to feel satiated and eat less at their next meal, according to a Penn State University study. Just be sure you're not whipping your smoothie full of sugary, caloric ingredients like fruit juices or flavored syrups, which will negate the health benefits.<br /><br /><strong>Feel even fuller:</strong> Put ice and fat-free milk or yogurt in a blender, add in fruit and give it a whirl. Try strawberries, which are extremely low in energy density -- they're 92% water! -- and bananas, which are loaded with resistant starch.<br /><br /><em>This article originally appeared on </em><a target="_blank" target="_blank"><em>Health.com</em></a><em>. </em>
Smoothies

While most beverages don't satisfy hunger very well, drinks blended full of air are an exception: They cause people to feel satiated and eat less at their next meal, according to a Penn State University study. Just be sure you're not whipping your smoothie full of sugary, caloric ingredients like fruit juices or flavored syrups, which will negate the health benefits.

Feel even fuller: Put ice and fat-free milk or yogurt in a blender, add in fruit and give it a whirl. Try strawberries, which are extremely low in energy density -- they're 92% water! -- and bananas, which are loaded with resistant starch.

This article originally appeared on Health.com.
Alexandra Grablewski/Getty Images
The 10 most filling foods for weight loss

Story highlights

Losing weight comes down to three main factors: exercise, food, and mindset

Our brains, more often than not, get in the way of our weight loss goals

Let’s face it—there’s no single, magical way to lose weight. Everyone’s body is different, which means everyone’s optimal diet is also different. But essentially, losing weight comes down to three main factors: exercise, food, and mindset. That last one can be the most challenging to conquer. Our brains, more often than not, get in the way of our weight loss goals, and make us think we’re hungry when in reality we’re just bored, tired, dehydrated, or something else. But your brain doesn’t have to be a diet saboteur; in fact, there are plenty of ways to manipulate yourself into achieving your weight-loss goals. Read on for a rundown of proven ways to eat less, painlessly.

Keep a healthy snack on hand

Fast food or something from a vending machine may call your name when hunger strikes on the go. But if you keep a healthy snack like an apple or granola bar in your bag or glove compartment, you won’t have to sacrifice your diet to silence a grumbling stomach. Even if you pass an ice cream shop when your hunger pangs strike, you should be safe: a study published in the journal Appetite found when people are craving something unhealthy, they’ll still snack on whatever food is most accessible.

RELATED: 20 Snacks That Burn Fat

Keep a journal

Would you still eat that chocolate muffin if you had to log it in a food diary? Research says maybe not. A Kaiser Permanente study found people who kept a daily food journal lost twice as much weight over the course of six months than those who didn’t record their meals. Another study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that women who kept food journals lost, on average, six pounds more than women who were simply part of diet and exercise groups. Researchers believe writing down what you eat makes you more aware of food choices, and therefore encourages cutting the calories you’d otherwise sneak in.

Just keep chewing

Your Doublemint habit may help you keep off the pounds. One study discovered that women who chewed gum for 45 minutes after they ate lunch ended up keeping snack cravings at bay later in the day. Bonus: Sugar-free gum helps clean teeth by stimulating saliva production.

RELATED: Best and Worst Foods for Your Teeth

Put a mirror in your dining room

Researchers at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab found that eating unhealthy food in front of a mirror can make it taste less delicious. Watching yourself eat junk food triggers discomfort, since you’re suddenly very aware of the unhealthy choice. So if you’re seeking an easy way to boost your weight-loss goals, consider picking up a new decorative mirror for your dining room or kitchen. It could help you (quite literally) watch what you eat.

Pick your handbag wisely

Carry a clutch whenever you attend a party where there’s food (in other words, every party). Since you’ll only have one free hand, it’ll be harder to mindlessly snag unhealthy bites, explained Jessica Dogert, RD, dietitian at Fitness Formula Clubs Lincoln Park in Chicago, in a previous interview with Health. To really keep yourself from reaching for a treat, hold a drink in your other hand (something that’s not loaded with sugar, like seltzer). Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to totally deprive yourself at a shindig, but keeping your hands full will force you to make more deliberate, mindful food choices.

Curb hunger with coffee

You may think you’re just drinking your daily cup of joe for a morning pick-me-up, but in reality, it’s doing more than just giving you a caffeine boost. Drinking coffee can actually boost your calorie burn by 12%, according to findings in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Plus, it’s a natural appetite suppressant. But be wary of adding sugar and cream, since too many extras will kill your coffee perks.

RELATED: The Many Perks of Coffee

Count your bites

Counting calories can help you slim down, but it can also be time-consuming (and to some, frustrating) to jot down every bite. Try counting your bites instead, which a recent study found actually works. Study participants lost an average of 3.4 pounds over the course of a month by reducing their daily bites by 20 to 30%. Even just tracking how many times you bring your hand to your mouth to take a bite will help you be more mindful of how much you’re eating, which may help you drop pounds.

Three’s a charm

Whether it’s a gooey brownie a plate of cheesy nachos, go ahead and indulge—but limit yourself to three bites, advised Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, New Jersey–based registered dietitian, in an earlier interview with Health. “Slowly savor those three bites and you should be satisfied.” While showing enough restraint to only take three bites may seem insane, there is a method to her madness. Harris-Pincus explained the first bite will most likely live up to your expectations, but the second won’t be as good as the first. By the time you get to the third bite, remind yourself it’s not going to get any tastier, so you might as well quit while you’re ahead.

RELATED: A Slacker’s Guide to Losing Weight Without Trying

Serve yourself directly from the pot

Rather than leaving serving dishes at the table where you can easily dip in for seconds (and even thirds), leave them in the kitchen—otherwise overeating is simply too convenient to resist. If you have to physically get up and walk to the kitchen for another helping, you’re less likely to do so. In fact, one study suggests you could end up eating approximately 20% less with this subtle trick.

Create obstacles

Not only should you make sure overindulging isn’t convenient, you should also create actual barriers between you and your food. One study from Switzerland found even the most minor obstacles could help you eat less. Participants were told they could eat all the chocolate they wanted. When the chocolate was unwrapped, they ate an average of 5.3 pieces. But when each piece of candy was wrapped individually, participants averaged just 3.6 pieces. The simple act of unwrapping a piece of chocolate can be enough to keep you from eating more than you truly want—one of the few times being lazy actually works to your weight-loss advantage. So go for other challenges—snack on foods that take more effort to eat (like shelled nuts, edamame, or fruit with a peel).

Hide your unhealthy munchies

A Cornell Food and Brand Lab study found that women who stored soft drinks on the counter weighed 24 to 26 pounds more than women whose counters were free of sugary beverages. Similarly, women who displayed cereal boxes on the counter were, on average, 20 pounds heavier than those who didn’t. So rather than leave your snacks out in the open, make it more challenging to eat by keeping hiding them away on the highest shelf of your pantry.

RELATED: The New Superfoods for Weight Loss

Stock your fruit bowl

Unlike junk food, you should proudly display your healthy snacks. The same Cornell University Food and Brand Lab study found people who kept a fruit bowl in plain sight weighed an average of 13 pounds less than those who didn’t. The takeaway: place a bowl on your kitchen counter and fill it with nutritious oranges, bananas, and apples.

Start out with a smaller portion

If food is on your plate, you’ll probably end up eating every last morsel, according to a Cornell Food and Brand Lab study. But these findings don’t mean your diet goals are hopeless—in fact, this knowledge can help you outsmart your own appetite. The solution is simple: serve yourself less food. Then go back for more if you’re still hungry.

RELATED: 14 Ways to Cut Portions Without Feeling Hungry

Swap out your dishware

Eating off smaller plates or plates that have a thick border could trick you into reducing the amount you eat by more than 20%, according to Cornell research. Having a smaller surface area prompts you to serve yourself less food and curb overeating.

Do some re-organizing

To make sure you actually reach for those smaller plates, make them super-accessible by moving them to your cabinet’s bottom shelf. Doing so will make you more likely to use them, and consequently more likely to drop those unwanted pounds.

RELATED: 10 Signs Your House Is Making You Fat

Create an optical illusion

Another way to confuse your noggin: choose plates that are close in color to your tablecloth or placemat, so they blend together. According to a study in Journal of Consumer Research, those who did so ended up serving themselves less. Researchers believe a monochromatic palette is a disorienting visual cue, making you more wary of piling your plate with food.

Supersize your fork

Plates aren’t the only dinnerware you can use to your advantage; the size of your fork could also affect how much you eat. One study found that people who used larger forks ate about 10% less food than those who used small ones. Researchers believe that since the food is gone quicker, your brain is tricked into thinking your belly’s filling up faster.

RELATED: 9 Ways to Detox Your Home

Eat a breakfast of champions

Filling up on a hearty morning meal makes you less prone to snacking and overindulging later in the day. One study found that women who ate a large breakfast (around 700 calories) had a greater drop in ghrelin (the hunger hormone) than women who ate a smaller breakfast. Plus, eating a tasty meal in the a.m. will keep you from feeling deprived the rest of the day.

RELATED: 10 Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast

Eat dessert after breakfast

We’re not talking about chowing down on a massive slice of chocolate cake every day, but treating yourself to a small sweet after a protein-packed breakfast could help curb your cravings (and keep you from sugar-bingeing) the rest of the day. Israeli researchers discovered women who ate a small sweet after breakfast lost 38 more pounds over the course of eight months than women who ate a more traditional morning meal.

Skip the cooking shows

While you might be taking all the steps to set yourself up for weight loss success, your favorite cooking show could be sabotaging your best efforts. One study found looking at images of fatty foods could stimulate your brain’s appetite center and make you feel hungry. So if you’re trying to eat less, stick to sitcoms.

Eat before grocery shopping

We’ve all heard this advice many times before, but it’s worth repeating: never grocery shop on an empty stomach. In fact, research from Cornell University found that skipping meals before going hitting the supermarket leads to unhealthy purchases. The participants who fasted beforehand bought 18.6% more food than those who ate before the trip. Plus, the same group bought 44.8% more unhealthy products like chips and ice cream. Lesson learned: grab a snack before you hit the market.

RELATED: The Best Energy Bars

For 27 more ways to trick yourself into feeling full, head to Health.com