One of the most challenging things that people face when they’re trying to eat differently is dealing with hunger pains. Unlike processed foods that tend to 'stick to your ribs' and clog up your system, whole foods are meant to be absorbed by the body quickly. While this is great in terms of your body getting the nutrients that it needs fast, it’s also hard because it means that you tend to get hungry faster.
Think about it, even though fries and a milkshake may have been enough to get you through your workday before you started eating whole, now that you are eating more fruits and vegetables you’re likely finding that you are feeling hungry much faster.
But there is good news! You can find a way to stick to your whole foods routine and keep yourself feeling full at the same time. You just need to learn which foods will keep you feeling full and make those foods a staple in every meal.
For starters, you want to be sure that every meal has a good dose of protein. While it might seem like you’re eating too much protein, it’s important to remember that protein is a crucial part of our bodies and many of us aren’t getting enough protein. If you’re a whole foods plant based eater, your grains will provide you with the protein that you’re looking for. And, of course, if you’re a meat eater then you’ll be getting the majority of your protein through the meats that you eat.
Once you’ve found your proteins, the next step is to find your fibers. Fiber not only helps to clean out your system naturally, but it also goes a long way in allowing you to feel full.
Finally, you want to be sure that you have good carbs added to all your meals. A great source of this can be found in sweet potatoes. The beauty of sweet potatoes is that you can eat them in abundance and they work for both meat and plant based whole food eaters.
One of the easiest ways to find success when you’re switching to a whole foods lifestyle is to find ways to keep yourself feeling full. When we start to feel hungry, it becomes very easy for us to reach back to our favorite comfort foods. After all, even if these foods are unhealthy they’re the foods that your body is used to eating so they’re the foods that your body knows will satisfy it.
But the good news is that planning all your meals around protein, carbs, and fiber will allow you to feel full for longer. And feeling full will help you greatly on your whole food eating path.