If you eat well, exercise and avoid junk, what do you eat that fills you up?

[potentialqualms]

I've just had a reasonable sized steak, homemade oven baked potato wedges, fried onions and peas and carrots but I'm still really hungry, craving pudding.

I run loads so burn lots of energy and I'm not overweight so I'm not eating too many calories but I know I feel better when I don't eat junk, especially sugar. So what would you have?

[Jaimx86]

Could the high GI of the potato, peas and carrots be causing the hunger following a blood sugar spike?

[ChickyDuck]

I eat huge (and I mean huge!) amounts of veg and salad. Like piles of the stuff, and the higher fibre the better. I'm talking a properly heaped plateful of salad leaves/half a plate full of peas/three quarters or even a whole broccoli/a whole punnet of mushrooms etc. I'm a steady healthy weight so I'm assuming all that veg doesn't add up to too many calories. I have normal portions of the other components of each meal.

[Artandco]

I just ate steak also.

Fillet steak, with a blue cheese and mushroom sauce. With asparagus and runner beans. I'm stuffed.

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

A big chicken Caesar salad.
Or a green salad with fish, avocado, oil & lemon juice, and a bread roll.
Both are quite protein-heavy and a big bowl of salad leaves takes a fair old time to eat.

Are you eating too quickly and your body hasn't had time to register that you're full?

[HubbleBubbles]

I always crave something "else" pudding after my evening meal - I "let it go down" to quote my mother, for half an hour or so , have a cup of tea or whatever, then if I still really need something I will have it but usually the urge will have worn off.

[qwom]

Can of coconut milk + avocado + maple syrup in an ice cream maker = healthy yummy treat! 😊

[PeesInaSquad]

Oatcakes and cheese are always good

[Lalsy]

I am trying to cut back on sugar and like a Pukka tea after dinner. Ones like cinnamon or liquorice and peppermint - they taste quite sweet.

[Roygrace]

No white carbs, no junk

Low carb majority of the time and then good carbs grains etc

Then the odd day eating rubbish

[lljkk]

I don't like steak, so not that.
Bread with butter?
More spuds.
Fig rolls, bananas, cheese.

[Happyhippy45]

Read somewhere that if your main meal has a good amount of salt in it you will crave something sweet after.
Rice keeps me fuller than potatoes.
A cup of herbal tea after eating helps digestion too I think.

[HeadDreamer]

I usually have fruit after dinner. If I'm hungry, I have a big bag of mixed nuts and dried fruit. Fruit, especially dried, have a lot of sugar.

I don't crave pudding though. I didn't grow up with them. It never occurred to me I should be having something after dinner. DC on the other hand, are always asking for pudding after dinner. (We are in the UK). It's social conditioning!

[HeadDreamer]

Rice keeps me fuller than potatoes. Happyhippy how does that work? Aren't rice and potatoes both high GI?

[Sparklesilverglitter]

Chicken breast, noodles and loads of veg. Cook in a wok with some soy sauce and spice

Veg lentil stew ( veg stock, any veg you've got really bulk in out, paprika, black pepper, then add cooked lentils) big bowl of that does the Trick

Veg chilli ( make a chilli sauce, add 4 different types of beans, onion, peppers) I have it with a baked potato. Very filling

A massive salad with some grilled paprika chicken

A vegetable curry with rice. Again with all the veg it is a very filling meal

[Happyhippy45]

headdreamer
I usually eat basmati rice which has a lower GI that long grain rice and brown rice. Not sure why it seems to keep me fuller for longer. Keeps me going even longer if I have it cold in a salad.

[KoalaDownUnder]

Do you mean 'what would you eat after dinner if you were still hungry (and didn't want to eat junk)?'

• an orange
  
• small bowl of Greek yoghurt, blueberries, cinnamon
  
• handful of almonds and raisins

[Highlove]

If you run loads, was that meal just not big enough? Pre-DC when I used to run properly (occasional half marathons etc) I found that after a long run I needed a really big meal with plenty of protein, carbs and fat. So maybe just eat a bit more?

Also, I always crave something sweet after dinner and always have a piece of fruit.

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Anything with lots of protein or something like soup or broth work for me.

I have to say though that my DH and DS do triathlons and train pretty much every day. They eat ridiculous amounts and are both really trim. Running burns loads of calories.

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

Would it help to have something kind of like a starter prior to your main? Something like a veggie soup or some kind of salad, a slice of melon?

[mudandmayhem01]

Sounds like a perfectly normal meal for a fit and active person, enjoy your pudding. Baked apples with custard after lasagne for me tonight. I run loads, train hard, actually win races and my only dietary limit is avoid too much junk.

[lljkk]

@Potential: how much do you run, miles per week?

[oldlaundbooth]

Sounds like you need more fat I.E Blue cheese and mushroom sauce like artandco would do it.

[Statelychangers]

Are you actually hungry or pudding hungry? If actually hungry have bigger portions at dinner. If craving sugar you either give in, eat a piece of fruit, pomegranate- it'll take ages, tea pigs liquorice tea tastes sweet but is sugar free or go make yourself busy and move on.