If you find you spend most days grazing, but never truly feel full or satisfied, you often rely on sugar to get you through the mid-afternoon slump, are low in energy and struggle to lose weight, it could be that you’re not approaching nutrition in the right way.
“How you eat matters just as much as what you eat,” says menopause specialist nutritionist and author Emma Bardwell, whose latest book The 30g Plan Cookbook is out next month. “One of the biggest mistakes I see is women under-eating at meals and then wondering why they’re constantly hungry. Grazing keeps you in a cycle of never quite full, whereas proper meals give your body time to register satiety. ”
If your goal is fat loss, the aim isn’t to simply eat less, she says. “It’s to eat in a way that actually keeps you full, so you’re not constantly battling cravings or reaching for sugar. If you build meals around protein, fibre and volume, eat regularly and don’t underfuel yourself at meals, fullness becomes something that happens naturally.
“People who feel most in control of their eating aren’t the ones cutting things out, they’re the ones eating in a way that actually satisfies them,” Bardwell adds.
Here, experts share their top tips and favourite filling snacks and go-to meals to try if your goal is fat loss.
Prioritise lean protein to trigger fullness hormones
Focusing on lean protein sources should be your starting point, according to Bardwell. “It’s the most satiating macronutrient and helps to slow digestion and trigger key fullness hormones like GLP-1 and PYY (peptide YY). In practical terms, I recommend women build meals around foods like eggs, Greek yoghurt, chicken, fish, tofu, tempeh, beans and lentils.”
Around 30g of protein per meal is a helpful benchmark, she believes, “yet most women under-eat protein, particularly at breakfast, which in turn translates into mid-morning energy slumps, hunger and grazing”.
Fill your plate with colourful fibre to slow digestion and feed gut microbes
Alongside protein, “fibre does a huge amount of heavy lifting,” Bardwell says. “It adds bulk, slows digestion and feeds the gut microbiome, which in turn produces compounds linked to appetite regulation,” Bardwell says.
“The biggest gap in the UK diet is fibre, not protein, with 96 per cent of the county not eating the recommended 30g a day. Interestingly, women do worse than men. Vegetables, wholegrains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and fruit all count, with a target of as much plant diversity (think colour) as possible.”
Start with a hearty, balanced breakfast
Volume matters, Bardwell says. “You don’t just eat for energy, you eat for fullness. Meals built around high-volume, fibre-rich foods physically stretch the stomach and send signals to the brain that you’ve eaten enough. A large bowl of yoghurt, berries, oats and seeds will keep you fuller for far longer than a small pastry such as a croissant, even if the calories are similar. Carbs on their own don’t tend to satiate long term, but when paired with protein and fibre they work perfectly well.”
A roughly 400–500 calorie breakfast with protein and fibre is often what’s needed to stabilise energy, reduce cravings and prevent overeating later on, she continues. “The people I see in clinic who struggle most with food noise are often those trying to be overly restrictive earlier in the day.”
Research suggests eating more of your calories earlier in the day, when you are more insulin sensitive (and in line with your body clock), is believed to support metabolic health and weight management.
Five balanced meals and snacks ideas for weight loss
“Pairing lean, high-protein foods with fibre-rich options helps you feel fuller for longer,” explains registered dietitian Freya Perry. “Aim to fill half your plate with vegetables at main meals. Variety is key, so try to ‘eat the rainbow’ to ensure a wide range of nutrients, and where possible, keep the skin on vegetables to increase fibre intake and support digestion. I also recommend lower-fat cooking methods such as steaming, air frying or boiling.”
Balanced healthy meals and snack ideas from registered dietitian Freya Perry
Omelette with spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes Tofu stir fry with vegetables, using a low-fat sauce such as soya sauce Lean turkey lettuce wraps with vegetables and reduced-fat sour cream Hard-boiled eggs on oatcakes or low-fat cottage cheese on rice cakesAdd herbs and citrus to brighten flavours naturally
“I love adding fresh herbs and citrus to my meals to keep them interesting and flavourful without adding extra calories,” Perry says. “Fresh mint works well in salads, chopped chives are great on crackers, parsley or coriander enhances soups, stews or stir fries and adding lemon or lime can also brighten flavours.” Herbs and spices also count towards weekly plant points.
Combine snacks to feel fuller
“Nuts are nutritious and naturally high in heart healthy fats and therefore high in energy, so it’s important to be mindful of portion sizes,” Perry says. “A 100 kcal snack is roughly equivalent to either three Brazil nuts, 12 cashew nuts or 14 peanuts.” To make your snack more filling and longer-lasting, she suggests pairing nuts with a piece of fruit or crudités such as carrot sticks, cucumber or peppers.
When the 3pm slump hits and you start to crave something sweet, reach for nuts with a couple of squares of dark chocolate or yoghurt and fruit. “Choosing low glycaemic index (GI) fruits can help provide sustained energy and reduce blood sugar spikes,” Perry says. “Low-GI fruit options include apples, pears, berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries) or oranges.”
Be mindful of liquid calories
Liquid calories like smoothies, shakes, juices, milky coffees and alcohol don’t trigger the same fullness signals as solid food, Bardwell points out, “so it’s very easy to consume a lot without feeling satisfied.” While these items can have a place in a healthy diet, she encourages focusing on whole foods where possible.
Don’t confuse thirst with hunger
Speaking of drinks, we sometimes mistake the body’s thirst signals for hunger, Perry says, so staying well hydrated is key. “Monitor the colour of your urine throughout the day and aim for a light straw colour as a guide to good hydration.” Alongside water, she suggests lemon, cucumber and mint infused water; green tea or other herbal teas that you enjoy; or cordial topped up with sparkling water.
Consciously limit UPFs
We are becoming more aware of the importance of being mindful of how many ultra-processed foods we eat, and this is important as heavily-processed foods rarely promote satiety and often leave you feeling hungry.
“They’re designed to be easy to eat, are low in fibre and less filling per calorie, which makes it harder to stop at one portion,” Bardwell says. “You don’t need to cut them out entirely, but basing most meals on whole or minimally processed foods makes a noticeable difference to appetite.”
Meet your sleep needs
It’s often an overlooked factor when focusing on nutrition, but Bardwell stresses sleep is a key part of the puzzle. “Poor sleep increases hunger hormones and drives cravings for high sugar, high fat foods, regardless of how well you eat,” she says.
While there’s no magic number when it comes to how many hours each person needs per night – this is something unique to you, your body clock and lifestyle – it’s about tuning in to how much sleep you need to wake feeling refreshed the next day. Prioritising a regular sleep schedule, where you rise each morning at the same time, including on weekends, is a good starting point.
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