Do equal amounts (weight, bulk, calories) of different kinds of food affect an eater's feeling of satisfaction (fullness, satiety) differently?
For example, if I eat half a pound of potatoes, will that make me feel more, less, or the same as eating half a pound of spinach?
Or, if I eat a 750 calorie serving of, say, flounder, will that make me feel more, less, or the same as eating a 750 calorie serving of brussel sprouts?
You'll remember that back in the old days people used to say that shortly after eating at a Chinese restaurant they felt hungry again. I myself never had that sensation, but it would seem that the implication of that kind of remark was indeed that different kinds of food, or even different kinds of cooking, had different effects on an eater feeling satisfied.
Is it an issue of fats, carbohydrates and/or proteins? Supposing you want to "turn off" very quickly that annoying little alarm inside that starts ringing when you feel hungry. What's the fastest way to do it in terms of (a) food substance (fat, carbohydrate, protein), and (b) cooking method (fry, saute, boil, roast, steam, whatever)?
It's the protein that gives you a sense of fullness. Dietitians will tell you your between meals should have protein in them to get you to the next meal. IE; peanut butter, yogurt, cheese, egg, nuts etc
So why not just eat proteins and lose weight? Not that simple. Your proteins need carbohydrates need fat. The three work together to create a balanced meal that makes you lose/maintain weight. This gives you the healthy body. It is the quality of the food that satisfies you not the volume.
Chinese food? Well, American style Chinese food made you hungry again because it isn't balanced. Your eating nothing but carbohydrates. Now your thinking that you had chicken balls, and shrimp etc. Well here's the bad part. As soon as you deep fry battered foods the molecular structure changes it and you are no longer getting any protein benefit, it's considered carbohydrates. But you say you had a stir fry? Again you run into the changing form of food. The stir fry in restaurants are full of salt, sugar, flour and fat. The veggies are saturated with carbohydrates and the nutritional factor is lost. There is a world of difference between home made and restaurant foods.
As for your cooking methods, steaming is the best. It retains the food quality and nutritional value. But raw is usually the best over all. To me a raw food diet would get boring. I like the variety of preparation method.
So if you eat that potato with spinach/brussel sprouts and flounder just add a drizzle of olive oil when the steamed food is on your plate (keep your portions inside the rim and not piled) you have yourself a balanced and healthy meal. I would say you are satisfied at the end and there is one more thing you can have to make the perfect meal. A piece of dark chocolate for dessert. Now that to me is how I want quality not quantity on my plate.
The quality of the food... how far did it come to get to your plate? The difference between an orange in Florida and one that arrives in Ontario is huge. The difference can mean that a fresh frozen veggie can have more nutrition than fresh due to transportation times. What did the farm use for fertilizer. Buy locally to know what is on your plate. I would buy from a local farmer because I know the rules and regulations of my community and especially the beef. I'm surrounded by cows all summer. I know what they eat because I feed them from my organic property. Yes this is extreme but you are best to find out about your purchases if they are certified organic and just what does that mean in your community. There is a brand of frozen veggies here called Europe's best. I guess the marketing department thought it was a gourmet idea. To me the farmlands in Europe have been abused for centuries and have lost many a nutritional value, all fortified. Plus just how far does this travel ( fuel is not cheap who pays for that, guess) and for how long.
The quality of the cooking.... also must consider the method of the cooking. For example the steaming of the veggies as to overcooked boiled veggies. Night and day difference in the vitamin value you end up with or what goes down the drain.
The quality of the food from the supermarket...The quality is referring to the amount of carb/protein/fat/vitamin/mineral ratio in our food. It is important to learn to read the nutritional breakdown of food. I read a lot of food labels in the store and yes it takes time to learn them all and what they mean. Just recently I discovered my greek yogurt that everyone raves about has a small amount of trans fat in it. No thanks.
When I talk about the quality I use a large spectrum of an equation. Just my personal choice.
I think carbs will make you turn off that hungry feeling faster. Probably last longer, too. I know that bran flakes will keep me full for much longer than Rice Krispies.....the fiber factor, ya know?
Your right watch the fiber. I found that my hot oat bran cereal has less fiber than multi-grain cheerios. But I find any time I have cereal for breakfast I'm starving by 10.30 am. If I have an egg with toast I can go til 1 pm.
Sorry, KarenB, it's all just too complicated for me. Yeah, we steam our veggies and never boil them. But though we're looking for locals from whom to buy produce and maybe meat, I'm not at all sold on the organic thing. And I'm just not willing to spend a lot of time studying this stuff.
I'm old enough now to feel that I've already eaten most of the food in my life and the effect of the food to come can't be all that huge, except for the salt and fat. Not that I'm going out to the supermarket to buy hotdogs or canned fried onion rings or anything. As far as healthy food is concerned, I'm just a middle-of-the-road kind of guy, I guess.
How to Get That Feeling of Fullness (Satiety)
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