What a person eats often determines how full they feel. The reason why is because different types of food can affect how full a person is after they eat. It’s not a bad thing to feel full, and if there’s fullness after a healthy meal, that’s even better when trying to lose weight. Foods that fill up a stomach can keep hunger away and result in eating less for the next meal. On a ketogenic diet, which we talk about in the Body Reboot book, dieters eat a lot of fat and fewer carbohydrates, which naturally makes them full. Many people lose weight and get healthy from eating foods that are good for them (yes — fat is good to eat!) and it also helps that certain keto-friendly foods are satiating. Even though there are many foods to eat on the keto diet, here are 7 foods in particular that can help you lose weight in the long run. They’re filling, and they’re tasty!

1. Eggs

Eggs are pretty delicious, and according to Healthline, they are also packed full of nutrients and make you feel full. Feel like whipping up an omelet? This high-fat food is super tasty and is the perfect keto diet staple when you’re trying to eat more fat and feel full afterward.

Eggs are incredibly healthy and nutrient-dense.

Most of the nutrients are found in the yolks, including the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthine, which may benefit eye health.

Eggs are a great source of high-quality protein. A large egg contains around 6 grams of protein, including all 9 essential amino acids.

Eggs are also very filling and score high on the satiety index.

One study found that eating eggs for breakfast, rather than a bagel, increased fullness and led to less calorie intake over the next 36 hours.

Another study found that a protein-rich breakfast of eggs and lean beef increased fullness and helped people make better food choices.

2. Meat

In 2010 Obesity (Silver Spring). Conducted a study on whether obese men would be affected by increasing their protein intake. They found that eating more protein did help with appetite control. Keep in mind that even though protein is a large part of the keto diet, focusing on mainly eating fat will keep you full and lose weight!

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dietary protein intake and eating frequency on perceived appetite, satiety, and hormonal responses in overweight/obese men. Thirteen men (age 51 +/- 4 years; BMI 31.3 +/- 0.8 kg/m(2)) consumed eucaloric diets containing normal protein (79 +/- 2 g protein/day; 14% of energy intake as protein) or higher protein (138 +/- 3 g protein/day; 25% of energy intake as protein) equally divided among three eating occasions (3-EO; every 4 h) or six eating occasions (6-EO; every 2 h) on four separate days in randomized order. Hunger, fullness, plasma glucose, and hormonal responses were assessed throughout 11 h. No protein x eating frequency interactions were observed for any of the outcomes. Independent of eating frequency, higher protein led to greater daily fullness (P < 0.05) and peptide YY (PYY) concentrations (P < 0.05). In contrast, higher protein led to greater daily ghrelin concentrations (P < 0.05) vs. normal protein. Protein quantity did not influence daily hunger, glucose, or insulin concentrations. Independent of dietary protein, 6-EO led to lower daily fullness (P < 0.05) and PYY concentrations (P < 0.05). The 6-EO also led to lower glucose (P < 0.05) and insulin concentrations (P < 0.05) vs. 3-EO. Although the hunger-related perceived sensations and hormonal responses were conflicting, the fullness-related responses were consistently greater with higher protein intake but lower with increased eating frequency. Collectively, these data suggest that higher protein intake promotes satiety and challenge the concept that increasing the number of eating occasions enhances satiety in overweight and obese men.

My Fitness Pal recommends eating lean proteins like chicken, which is very healthy; however, don’t shy away from fatty meats. Protein and meats that are high in fat will make you feel full long after your meal.

“Lean proteins, like chicken, aid in satiety by affecting the hormones that control hunger and how quickly food empties from our stomachs,” says Keri Glassman, MS, RD. “Chicken also has the highest thermal effect of food, meaning it burns the most calories during digestion, versus carbs and fat.”

3. Vegetables

A study by the Journal of American Diet Association in 2004 found that eating vegetables, such as an energy-dense salad before another part of your meal can help you feel full and reduce the number of calories you’re consuming. Even though eating veggies isn’t always fun, pile up on them, add some avocado or vegetable oil to get your fats in, and eat your heart out!

RESULTS:

Compared with having no first course, consuming the low-energy-dense salads reduced meal energy intake (by 7% for the small portion and 12% for the large), and consuming the high-energy-dense salads increased intake (by 8% for the small portion and 17% for the large). When two salads with the same number of calories were compared, meal intake was decreased when the large portion of the lower-energy-dense salad was consumed.

CONCLUSIONS:

Eating a low-energy-dense first course enhances satiety and reduces meal energy intake. Consuming a large portion of a low-energy-dense food at the start of a meal may be an effective strategy for weight management.

4. Nuts

Medical New Today recommends eating nuts to stay full, and we couldn’t agree more! Not only are nuts an excellent source of fat, but they’re also healthy for you because they have tons of vital nutrients. They make the perfect snack and will keep you full. Sounds like a win, win!

Nuts are high in protein and unsaturated fats, which are healthful fats.

These unsaturated fats have a range of benefits and are different from the saturated fats found in many unhealthful foods.

Nuts may be a high-calorie food, but they are nutritionally rich and effective at increasing satiety.

A 2013 systematic review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating nuts did not increase body weight or fat when included in a diet.

Eating nuts as a snack may help to satiate hunger between meals, without leading to weight gain.

5. Avocado

Who doesn’t love avocados?! Eat This, Not That says that avocados keep you full, not to mention they taste pretty good, right? Pair some guacamole with something low carb, and you’ll have yourself a delicious, nutritional snack or meal.

Leading the charge of the healthy fat brigade are avocados. This wonder fruit is essentially Mother Nature’s butter. It’s rich, creamy, and—unlike butter—an acceptable food to eat all on its own. While you should still limit yourself to a quarter or half of an avocado per meal, you have no reason to fear its fats. Avocados pack in healthy monounsaturated fats that contain oleic acid, which can actually help quiet feelings of hunger, according to a Food Function study. They also give you two things butter doesn’t: protein and fiber.

6. Water

Water doesn’t usually come to mind when you think of being full, but Live Science says that even though some experts would disagree, water can help you feel less hungry quite a lot. Instead of grabbing food and eating mindlessly, try drinking some water instead.

Downing a glass of water before a meal certainly seems like it would fill you up, but experts still don't agree on the answer to this one.

Some studies have shown that drinking water before a meal may affect satiety a bit, but it's possible that there's a psychological effect, too, Rolls said. For example, if people believe that drinking water before a meal will lead them to eat less, that may well be the case, she said.

On the other hand, drinking water does distend your stomach, which can make you feel full, Manore said. But the body doesn't register liquids the same way it does solid foods, she said. For example, if a person drinks a martini with 300 calories before a meal, that person wouldn't necessarily eat 300 fewer calories at dinner, she said.

7. Fish

Healthline says fish is very filling and, it also has omega-3 fatty acids, which is something a body needs. This is also an essential food item and thus vitamins to have while on the keto diet.

Fish is loaded with high-quality protein.

Fish is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fats that we must get from food.

According to one study, omega-3 fatty acids may increase the feeling of fullness in people who are overweight or obese.

Additionally, some studies indicate that the protein in fish may have a stronger effect on fullness than other sources of protein.

On the satiety index, fish scores higher than all other protein-rich foods, including eggs and beef. Fish actually had the second highest score of all the foods tested.

Another study compared fish, chicken and beef protein. The researchers found that fish protein had the strongest effect on satiety.

It’s great news when it’s possible to lose weight and feel full. Sometimes it’s hard to find a diet that works, but the keto diet makes dieting so much easier. To learn more about keto, help us cover shipping and receive the Body Reboot book for free.

Sources: Healthline, NCBI: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010, NCBI: Journal of American Diet Association 2004, Medical News Today, My Fitness Pal, Live Science