6 Common Empty Calorie Foods That Make You Hungrier

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These Empty Calorie Foods Are Increasing Your Hunger

Live Lean Nation, on today’s episode I’m talking about 6 common foods that make you hungrier.

Just because you eat food, it doesn’t mean it will actually make you feel full.

I often call these foods, empty calorie foods.

What Are Empty Calorie Foods?

Even though empty calorie foods contain calories, they are void of the necessary nutrients to fill you up for an extended period of time, and do not keep your body healthy over the long-term.

In some cases, these foods can actually cause you to eat more food.

The key nutrients these empty calorie foods are missing are the foundation of the Live Lean diet:

• Protein
• Fat
• Fiber

This is why you’ll often hear me refer to the meals we eat as PFF meals: Protein, Fat, and Fiber.

If you always find yourself starving and thinking about when your next meal is going to come, you’re probably following a low calorie approach to eating, rather than eating foods high in these 3 nutrients.

One of the reasons I focus on meals primarily containing these nutrients, is because they’re very satiating.

This means they help keep you feeling energized and full, for longer periods of time.

In addition to empty calorie foods not filling you up, some of them actually create even more hunger based on the hormonal shifts they create in your body.

6 Common Foods That Make You Hungrier

Here are the 6 common foods that make you hungrier.

1. Low Fat “Diet” Foods

I’m referring mainly to low fat dairy foods being marketed as low calorie options.

The goal of Living Lean is not to eat as few calories as possible.

The goal of Living Lean is to eat the right amount of calories, based on your activity level, comprised of foods that control your hunger, nourish your body, and keep you feeling full.

Although I don’t eat dairy, if you do, always go with the natural, full fat option, as well as higher protein options like greek yogurt.

2. Foods Containing MSG

MSG is a flavor enhancer often added to Chinese food, fast food meals, dressings and sauces, and snack foods like chips and low quality beef jerky.

The MSG can trigger an increase in appetite and suppress your leptin hormone, which is considered the satiating hormone in your body.

Avoid these junk foods.

3. Salty Foods

In particular:

• Potato chips
• Pretzels
• Instant noodles
• Pizza

“Betcha can’t just eat one?”

Of course not.

The reason is most snack foods high in sodium can make you feel thirsty, which then triggers you to eat more food.

Many times when we feel like we’re hungry, our bodies are actually just craving hydration in the form of water.

Rather than eating more, go guzzle some water and put down the bag of chips.

4. Fruit Juice

This even includes “Green Juices” that are mainly comprised of fruit juice. 

The whole fruit has fiber, however fruit juice has most of the fiber removed and does not contain protein and fat.

Essentially when the fiber is removed, you’re left with calories all comprised of sugar.

You can drink 100+ calories of juice, without even feeling like you consumed anything.

Not to mention, when that sugar quickly enters your bloodstream, insulin is created to rapidly remove the sugar, which then causes your blood sugar to drop, leaving you craving even more sugar.

This is a never ending cycle that you need to avoid.

Also, let’s be real.

There’s just something more satiating about eating fruit, versus drinking it.

In order to just make one small glass of orange juice, you’d have to juice at least 4 oranges.

Now try eating 4 whole oranges, and tell me which option makes you feel more full.

The next time you’re at the grocery store, add fruit to your cart, but leave the fruit juices on the shelf.

One last thing about fruit juices.

If you’re going to have a green juice, go heavy on the vegetables, and light on the fruit.

5. Artificially Sweetened Beverages

Zero calorie sweetened drinks like diet sodas, tea, coffee, energy drinks, and sport drinks contain artificial sweeteners.

This sends a rush of flavor to your brain, which makes it think like it’s getting real sugar, which contains calories.

Although your body doesn’t get any extra calories, there has been studies done showing that these artificial sweeteners may actually cause you to crave more sweetness and calories to make up for it throughout the day.

It’s best to stick with black coffee, tea, and water, or beverages sweetened naturally with a plant based sweetener called stevia.

6. Processed Grain Products

Not only are processed grain foods mainly comprised of wheat like bread, crackers, cereal, and pasta, they’re also low in hunger crushing nutrients like protein and fat, and most of the fiber has been stripped away during the processing.

As described earlier, when you eat these foods, you’re entering the never ending cycle of the blood sugar rollercoaster.

However, if you just refuse to cut back on bread, crackers, and pasta, add some protein and fat on top, like nut butter, avocado, or eggs.

This will decrease your hunger and fat gain, by filling you up and helping slow down the spike and drop in your blood sugar.

There you have it Live Lean Nation.

Use these tips to avoid the 6 common foods that make you hungrier.

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It’s been a game changer for the Live Lean Nation.

If you’re not yet hanging out with us on our Live Lean TV Instagram page, go find us at @LiveLeanTV to see more videos of how to Live Lean 365 days a year.

Keep Living Lean.