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Beans and lentils (pulses)

Add pulses to salads, soups and pastas. Serve bean or lentil salad as a side dish instead of white rice. Add black beans or pinto beans to tacos and burritos. Use hummus (chickpea spread) instead of mayonnaise in wraps and sandwiches.

Potatoes

Boiled potatoes were the most satisfying food tested for “satiety index.” To get even more fibre, eat boiled or baked potatoes with their skin. Top a baked potato with spicy salsa; capsaicin, the component that gives chili peppers their heat, has been shown to reduce hunger and cravings.

Oatmeal

Its fibre (4 g for one cup), protein (6 g) and slow-burning carbohydrates help this hot cereal keep you feeling satisfied and energized longer in the morning. Choose large flake or steel-cut oats, which have a lower glycemic index.

Oranges

Fruits ranked near the top of the satiety index, with oranges leading the pack (apples were a close second). Oranges are a good source of fibre (4.5 g for one large) and water (87 per cent).

Whole-wheat pasta

Fibre-rich (6 g a cup, cooked), whole-wheat pasta also serves up protein (7.5 g a cup, cooked) and low glycemic carbohydrates. Among 38 foods tested, it ranked sixth on the satiety-index scale.

Salad

Leafy green salads add bulk to meals, which fills you up with fewer calories. Consider starting your meal with salad to help fill you up faster.

Soup

Research suggests eating soup before a meal can help you eat less and curb hunger later on thanks to its high water content. Vegetable-rich, broth-based soups are most filling.

Popcorn

It’s a snack that adds bulk and fibre, plus you can eat a lot more popcorn (air-popped) for the same calories as pretzels or chips. Five cups has 150 calories and 6 g of fibre; six pretzel twists have 140 calories and 1 g of fibre.