IF YOU’RE A busy person (and who isn’t these days) you probably don’t always make time for proper meals. Or you find yourself grabbing the nearest, easiest, least healthy option.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Knowing what foods to eat to keep you full during the day will mean you’re less likely to go for the crisps or pastry when you’re running out of energy. In fact, these foods will keep you fuller for longer and best of all, they’re all healthy. Enjoy.
Protein is one of the components that keeps people full, and eggs are chock full of it. They’re a quick and easy breakfast food (fried, scrambled, poached or boiled) and an easy snack to carry around with you (as a boiled egg, not a raw one!). For dinner there are loads of options, from a handy omelette with loads of veg to something fancier, but pretty quick like baked eggs with tomatoes or potato and spinach hash with fried eggs.
Eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods available and contain a lot of vitamins and minerals beside all that protein – including vitamins A, B5, B12 and B2. As well as that they have good cholesterol, and lutein which helps to build up the retina of the eye.
Egg recipes:
Avocado is now known as the food of the hipsters, sure, but don’t let that put you off. Don’t even let it put you off their classic breakfast of avocado on toast because… it’s delicious and so easy to make. Depending on your tastes it could be as simple as slicing or mashing an avocado on toast, or you could be more creative and add a fried egg, tomato, whatever takes your fancy. It’s works for breakfast and lunch and adding avocado to your diet has been shown to keep you fuller for longer. It’s all those healthy fats, you see.
Avocado recipes:
It’s almost certain that as a school child you were subjected to a bowl of porridge every morning to keep you going through the long hard day. If you haven’t embraced porridge as an adult, or are holding on to any lingering distaste, now’s the time to get over it. Porridge is a low glycaemic index food meaning that it takes longer to digest and therefore keeps your energy levels consistent, rather than causing spikes like sugar would. There are so many ways to make your porridge delicious and extra healthy – from adding peanut butter (the protein will keep you fuller too), to chopped up fruit, nuts (more protein) or adding oils (healthy fats help delay digestion, keeping you fuller). You can even try the popular ‘overnight oats’ way.
Porridge recipes:
If you really need a snack, one that won’t send your blood sugar spiking is a handful of nuts. From almonds to Brazil nuts to walnuts or pecans, a handful of nuts will take the edge off your hunger. They also provide you with good oils (for your brain), fibre, vitamin E and could help balance your cholesterol thanks to the unsaturated fats within. You can even have a dollop of peanut or almond butter on a celery stick or apple. Easy.
Nut recipes:
Pulses are another great, and often overlooked, form of protein but they also contain fibre, iron and other essential vitamins and minerals. You can use pulses in addition to, or as a replacement for, meat – and often mince-based dishes such as cottage pie or lasagna can benefit from the addition of some red or green lentils. Chickpeas are a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine from hummus to falafels and can be added to stir fries or curries for some additional goodness.
Chickpea recipes:
Hungry now? Head over to the Bord Bia website for loads of easy, tasty egg recipes. Choose Eggs with the Bord Bia Quality Mark.
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