It's always an awkward moment when your tummy rumbles in the late afternoon and your colleague on the desk next to you can hear it! The end of work is so close, yet so far away and all you can think about is whether Susan in accounts is still raising money for her kid's hockey trip to Tasmania and whether she has any big chocolate frogs left.
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Fear not! We have a list of foods that will fill you right up so you don't find yourself in this dilemma again. Read ahead (with or without charity chocolate). Thanks to WebMD for the insight!
1. Porridge
Start your day right with a big ol' bowl of oats. This cereal, sometimes accused of being bland, can leave your tummy feeling full for hours instead of mere minutes. It makes you warm in the winter time and taste great with any fruit, honey or in my case wheat-bix on top! The reason this innocent bowl of oats lasts so long? Fibre, you know that thing your nan goes on about? It keeps you going all day and your energy steady! Take that 3pm nap feels.
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2. Soup
Another good one coming into winter. The liquid fills up your stomach and warms you from the inside. There's also not too many calories because it's mostly just made with water. However, let's be smart about this. Go with the broth-based recipes, and anything with the word cream in it, probably isn't going to be as good for you.
3. Salad
Whoever said you don't make friends with salad was lying to you! This lettuce based snack or meal (depending on what time you eat it, how big it is etc.) Along with nan's friend fibre there is loads of vitamins and minerals to stop you grumbling around arvo tea time. Again be smart about it, anything that looks like a Caesar salad is probably too good to be true...
4. Nuts
The hungry person's best friend. Healthy? Check! Fills you up? Check! Tasty? Check! The trifecta. Although nuts are self-proclaimed high in fat, it's not necessarily a bad thing. The fat and protein help give off hormones that help you feel full. You only need a small handful to do the job. Be wary of the sugar or salt covered nuts though! As delicious as they are, salt and sugar are not things we need excess of in our body!
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5. Avocado
It may stop you saving for a house deposit, but avo will definitely help you fill up! Even though they're full of fat, they are the good kind. Be wary of portion sizes as one third of a medium avocado has about 80 calories in it. But you throw it on that salad we were talking about earlier and it will jazz up the flavour AND keep you full for longer. Win, win! I eat mine with a squeeze of lemon and a crack of salt.
6. Eggs
Boiled, poached, fried, scrambled. This versatile protein is epic and great for keeping full. If your aim is not get the after lunch grumbles at all, get a couple of these down your gob at breakfast time. Still hungry? Why not boil some and take them to work? A word of warning, don't leave them in your hand bag, they crack and spill, and then things smell. The boiled egg is your friend...until it is not.
7. Cottage Cheese
Lets be honest anything with the word cheese in it is good news! Don't like eggs/ risk them cracking in your hand bag? This is the way to go. A little cottage cheese on a cracker a couple of hours before home time should get your right through to dinner. It's also delicious and low in calories.
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8. Whole Milk
Ever wonder why you're not hungry after your morning coffee? Whole milk is very filling and some doctors even say it doesn't contribute to weight gain. There is argument to say it can increase levels of "bad" cholesterol though, so maybe keep that in mind before you go take a swig from the fridge.
9. Popcorn
This airy treat is your friend in a way chips and crisps can never be. These little white corn puffs are low in calories and feel like you're eating loads. Plus they take up more room in your belly to make you feel better. See? Everyone needs more popcorn in their lives. Just don't bring along friends butter and oil, they tend to ruin the party a bit.
HAVE WE MISSED ANY? EMAIL YOUR IDEAS TO grace.ryan@fairfaxmedia.com.au