Food

10 S’pore Foods That Can Keep a Person Full for A Longer Period

2018-04-28 , 10:50 am

Last Updated on 2020-11-12 , 9:12 am

Fighting a battle with hunger is a useless feat. You lose out, for sure. The end result is always the same – you eat more than you should.

How can we ensure that we keep our stomach full until the stipulated lunch time, which can be quite far away, especially when breakfast is early?

There are some foods and healthy snacks which can keep us full for a longer time so that we do not end up snacking and putting on all those extra pounds that cannot be shed off after that. The science behind this is that they are low GI food, but let’s skip the science lesson and just say that these foods stay in your stomach longer, therefore control your appetite.

Oh, they also fight off diabetes!

Here are 10 of these super foods.

Whole-wheat bread

Yes, we know that it doesn’t taste all that good but this is really good for you. Besides heaping lots of fibres and nutrients for your body, it also keeps your full longer so that you can “tong” until lunch time. Perfect for breakfast, isn’t it?

Oatmeal or Muesli

If you are watching your diet, having oatmeal or muesli for breakfast is a healthy option. Besides taking in the necessary nutrients to keep your body functioning, these options are also low in glycaemic index (G.I). Just make sure you’re not having oatmeal filled with sugar!

Avocado Toast

Image: Elena Shashkina / Shutterstock.com

Yup, some people think that avocado toast (have you seen the price of avocados nowadays?!) is over the top and that it is making you poor. Nonetheless, it is a healthy breakfast that can keep you full much longer. Just be sure to choose wholemeal or whole wheat bread to go along with it.

Avocado is packed full of heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fats and fibre. It also reduces cholesterol levels, heals wounds faster, reduces your risk of heart diseases and stroke as well as a protection for your eyes and hair.

Fruit Salad

It may be a hassle to prepare this early in the morning, so do it before you go to bed at night and stick the bowl in the fridge. You can use greens like lettuces coupled with fruits such as apples, grapefruits and bananas. The vegetables ensure that you get enough nutrients for the start of the day, while the fruits aid to make you full longer.

Nuts

You can add nuts to your fruit salad, oatmeal or muesli for a fuller breakfast. Nuts contain nutrients like proteins, healthy fats, essential vitamins and minerals. They are also full of fibre that can fill you up pretty fast.

Peanut Butter

Before you boo-boo us out of the door, hear us out. Peanut butter can be a source of super food. We are not talking about the ones you buy in the supermarkets that are loaded with fats and sugar. We are talking about homemade peanut butter that you can easily do with just peanuts, a little bit of sugar and extra virgin olive oil. It is a great source of good fat that keeps out the bad ones. It also prevents sugar cravings from coming around way too often.

Now, if you can’t make your own, those processed ones from supermarkets are still better than any jam.

Greek Yoghurt

Greek yoghurt is a huge source of proteins and contains way lesser sugar than most other kinds of yoghurt. Add in some fruits to your plain, low fat, low sugar Greek yoghurt to boost the fibre and proteins for a power-packed breakfast.

If Greek yoghurt isn’t your style, go for normal yoghurt but do make sure they’re not processed with lots of sugar. Having llao llao-style yoghurt is akin to having ice-cream!

Apple

If you get hungry before lunch, munching on an apple may be just the thing. Apples are high in fibre, which aids to keep you full. Its sweetness also fills your craving for sweet stuff such as chocolates or ice cream. Apples are low in fat, calories and sodium, making it an ideal fruit to snack on.

Thunder Tea Rice

Thunder Tea Rice (擂茶饭) is a very healthy option for busy professionals and students. White or brown rice is topped with a variety of finely chopped vegetables, tofu, peanuts and ikan bilis. It is served with a soup made from basil, mint, green tea, mugwort and coriander. The large amount of vegetables you consume in one single meal of thunder tea rice is likely to outweigh at least three meals.

Understandably that you can’t find many stalls selling this in hawkers nowadays, you can also make your own 擂茶饭. And did I mention that it’s damn affordable as well?

Yong Tau Foo

If thunder tea rice is not your “cup of tea”, the next best option is yong tau foo. Try to pick ingredients that are not fried and add in lots of vegetables. If you order it in soup, remind yourself not to drink too much of the soup since it is high in sodium and MSG. If you have it dry, ask for chilli and sweet sauce to be given separately.

As long as you have done your part to give yourself a healthy breakfast and get active often, you should be free to give yourself some pampering during lunch on one or two occasions!