Get the Most out of What you Eat

"There is more difference in the quality of our pleasures than in the amount"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I am going to be honest with you...I could eat an entire bag of animal crackers gladly. Seriously, I sound like a 5-year-old at VBS, but I grab a handful throughout the day! 13 of those things are 100 calories-but who really stops at just 13? Whether it is animal crackers, pretzels, or whatever your guilty pleasure is, have you ever noticed how you are often left unsatisfied. Maybe another handful will do the trick? In no way do I intend to break my obsession with animal crackers, but maybe replacing it with foods that satisfy will be a better option.

So what exactly does it mean to be satisfied? It is that feeling at the end of the meal that you are finished and no longer deprived. Unfortunately, being full and being satisfied are not the same. A lot of times our bodies our physically full but our minds convince us we are not satisfied. Ever talk yourself into being hungry so that you can eat that Raspberry Cheesecake after a meal? You were probably full just not completely satisfied.

Before we go into feeling satisfied, I wan't to debunk the term calories for a minute. Calories have such a bad rap and they should not be avoided like the plague. How often people glance at the food labels and check out the calorie count of the food without taking anything else into consideration. Calories simply mean the energy in the food that will provide for your body's fuel. Skim milk has roughly 90 calories. A fun size of skittles is roughly 90 calories. Calories alone won't tell you that milk packs potassium, calcium, vitamin D, protein and many other nutrients into the 90 calories while skittles provide sugar sugar and more sugar.

Satisfaction is not a luxury and may even be your ticket to success. Achieve satisfaction by eating foods that fill you up. Last night my mom made rice and we were all talking about how a little goes a long way. You truly feel full when you eat just a little rice. Looking to eat about the same number of calories just choosing a food with more volume can lead to satisfaction. 1/4 cup of raisins and 1 2/3 cup grapes have the same number of calories but think about how many more grapes you get to eat (with a lot less sugar). Using a smaller plate allows the foods to fill up more and tricking your mind.

When looking for satisfaction, think about what you are putting on your plate. Find high fiber foods such as spinach, apples or broccoli and complex carbs such as whole wheat rice. Go with a lean protein like skinless chicken breast, non-fat yogurt, fish or beans (which have the double benefit of fiber). Savor the fiber, carbs and proteins by eating slowly so your body registers it and gives your mind a chance to respond with satisfaction.

Real life ways to get satisfaction (because no real person can be successful with an all-liquid diet!)

-Start meal with a first course. This is not loading up on the cheese fries but rather choosing a broth-based soup or a salad while staying under about 100 calories. Research shows that starting a meal with a first course will reduce the amount eaten throughout the meal because it fills you up and leads to satisfaction.

-Fill up on vegetables. Loaded with water so they are high-satisfaction, high-volume, low-calorie superstars!

-Limit dry foods. Foods such as pretzels and my loved animal crackers lack water and are low-volume. Thus, these foods pack more calories into smaller portions and are easy to overeat.

-Choose foods you enjoy. You are never going to feel fully satisfied on broccoli if you force yourself to eat it while eyeing the cheesy garlic bread. Find foods that are good for your body that you enjoy so you aren't left feeling deprived.

What is your secret for satisfaction?

Megan