7 Meal Hacks To Maintain a Healthy Weight (3 of 4)

Eat raw fruits and vegetables

One of the best ways to stay full is to get a good serving of crunchy vegetables and fruits. It isn’t just that they contain a great deal of fiber — although they do — the crunchy texture of carrots, apples, cucumbers and the like take time to chew, and it is a fact that the more slowly we eat our food, the fuller we ultimately feel versus quickly consuming food before we receive signals from our brain to stop. Furthermore, these foods are low in calories, have a high water content, and digest slowly thanks to all that fiber. 

Add more protein to your meals

Although you need to eat vegetables and fruits everyday, you also need a good dose of protein in order to sustain that full, satisfying feeling for hours. A great strategy — especially when you’re eating the “good” kind of carbs, is to pair it up with proteins since it will cause both of these nutrients to digest more slowly. For breakfast, have a pair of scrambled eggs with a slice of whole grain toast, sliced apples, and a glass of milk. For lunch, have some baked salmon with wild rice. For dinner, prepare some lean roast beef with carrots and sweet potatoes.