20 Science-Backed Ways To Stop Feeling Hungry All The Time

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Understanding the basics of hunger and why we feel hungry can help to reduce the frequency of those hunger cues. Plus, by addressing the root cause of hunger (hint: it's not always because we haven't eaten enough), we're able to nourish our body, provide the recovery it needs and feel our best.

The main reasons we feel hungry (outside of just not eating enough in general) include:

not eating enough protein
not eating enough fat
feeling stressed
feeling tired
blood sugar crashes

Pssst.. curious to learn more about the science behind each of these causes? Check out THIS blog post for the full details.

Today, I'm sharing 20 different ways you can help to reduce hunger by addressing each of these five main causes so that you can nourish your body and feel good again.

1. Eat 30 grams protein at each meal

Protein is needed to shut off the hunger hormone ghrelin while also raising our satiety hormones peptide YY and CCK. When we eat enough protein, it helps us to feel full and satisfied for about 4 hours.

The exact amount of protein each person needs will vary, but 30 grams of complete protein per meal is a great place to start for most people.

2. Remove very high glycemic load foods

High glycemic load foods are those that cause a big blood sugar spike, and therefore can lead to a big blood sugar crash. A blood sugar crash can leave us feeling moody, hungry and craving sugar. This is typically when we feel "hangry".

High glycemic foods include those such as processed flours, added sugars, white rice, dried fruit and sugar-filled drinks.

3. Add more natural fiber to each meal

Natural fiber is fiber that is naturally found in veggies, fruits, legumes and some grains. These help to stabilize blood sugar levels so we don't experience a blood sugar crash. The best sources of fiber can be found in foods such as chia seeds, edible basil seeds, avocado, artichoke hearts, lentils, raw cacao nibs and raspberries.

As a Nutritionist, I prefer prioritizing these natural sources of fiber rather than adding fiber powders to a meal because it also provides necessary nutrients for the body to feel satisfied and nourished.

Try adding 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds to your favorite protein smoothie or you can test out one of my favorite high fiber smoothie recipes HERE.

4. Add 1-4 servings high quality fat to each meal

This might seem like a huge range, but it's because each of us has such a different need for fats. You can get a full breakdown on how much fat you might need to eat per day with my livestream HERE.

High quality fats help to shut off hunger and turn on the satiety hormone CCK. Fats are also rich in fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. Balancing enough fat with high quality sources of protein can help to boost satiety and prevent hunger.

5. Switch to full-fat dairy products

Full fat dairy products, like yogurt, cheese and cottage cheeses, contain both protein and fat. As we know, this combination is essential for shutting off hunger. Low or zero fat dairy products only contain protein, not fat. This means you won't feel as satisfied and will likely feel hungry faster.

My favorite full-fat dairy products to use include cottage cheese, greek yogurt, skyr (a type of high protein yogurt), parmesan, cheddar cheese and whole milk (to make my zero added sugar hot chocolate recipe).

6. Stop snacking (eat 3 full meals)

It might seem counterintuitive, but studies have actually found that eating 3 full meals helps to prevent hunger more than eating 6 small meals per day.(1)

7. Try using a high quality protein powder

If you have trouble sneaking protein into your diet, a high quality protein powder can help get your intake up. You can add protein powder to smoothies, grain-free oatmeal, chia pudding and yogurt. You can even make yummy healthy meals like protein waffles and pancakes with it!

My zero sugar pasture-raised protein powder was specifically designed to taste amazing in recipes while providing 20 grams of complete protein. Each bag also comes with a free download with 10 DELISH high protein recipes to get you started.

Checkout my protein powder HERE.

8. Focus on whole fats

Fats are important for boosting satiety, but fats from whole food sources are ideal. These fats typically also contain fiber and protein to help you feel even more satisfied from your meal. Adding some isolated fats (like olive oil, butter, avocado oil and coconut oil) into your meal is fine and has other great perks, but it's important to balance those with whole fats as well.

You can find whole fats in foods like avocado, ground beef, full-fat greek yogurt, olives, nuts and seeds.

9. Reduce your caffeine intake

Anecdotally and from my own experience, I've seen that reducing overall caffeine intake can have a big impact on reducing sudden intense hunger. This is likely because caffeine acts as an appetite suppressant which can lead to you accidentally under-consuming certain foods (like protein) at your last meal.

While caffeine is in your system, it can suppress the natural hunger that results from not eating enough protein... until the caffeine wears off and you're suddenly RAVENOUS.

You don't need to cut caffeine entirely, but try to have no more than 1-2 cups of a high quality coffee or tea per day. My favorite brand is Organic Purity Coffee.

10. Start your day with your favorite exercise

Exercise has been found to help make us more resilient to emotional stressors.(2) This means different difficulties or barriers in your life might not make you feel as stressed out. Stress increases our hormone cortisol which in turn cranks up our cravings for sugary and starchy foods.

Try starting your day off with your favorite form of exercise and make it a new daily routine. Bonus - resistance training (a type of exercise) also helps to reduce our sensitivity to carbs by increasing muscle.

11. Balance cardio with other exercise

If your favorite form of exercise is cardio, then you'll want to make sure to balance it with resistance training to see best results. Excessive cardio can increase the stress hormone cortisol. The exact cardio schedule will vary from person to person, but aiming for up to 3 days per week of cardio balanced with 3 days per week of resistance training is ideal for many individuals.

12. Don't count calories

Counting calories centers our mind around limitation and reduction. This hijacks our rebellious brain and makes us seek out more food. In fact, studies have found that even a year after following a calorie restriction diet, participants still experienced higher levels of hunger.(3)

Instead, you can focus your meals around foods that naturally turn off hunger and stabilize blood sugar levels ~ protein, fat and fiber rich foods.

Not sure where to start? Check out my Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle for over 100 protein, fat and fiber focused meals using simple and delicious ingredients.

Check it out HERE.

13. Go for an outdoor walk when stressed

Studies have found that spending 10-15 minutes in an outdoor environment (such as a park, garden or beach) can help to reduce cortisol levels.(4)

14. Set a bed time (and stick to it)

Another key factor for preventing excessive hunger is getting quality sleep. Poor sleep increases the stress hormone cortisol and the hunger hormone ghrelin. This dangerous combination means you're going to feel even more hungry and crave sugary foods.

One of the best tools for getting good sleep is actually allowing enough time to sleep. Figure out a bed time that allows you to get a full 8 hours of sleep and stick to it.

15. Keep your night time routine sacred

In addition to allowing for enough time to sleep, creating a night time routine can also help to boost sleep quality and make you feel more rested the next day. Thirty minutes before bed, try shutting off all electronics (phone, TV, laptop) and allowing yourself to wind down. This routine can help to increase the sleep hormone melatonin.

Great options to wind down include taking a bath, brushing your teeth, reading a book or going for an evening walk.

16. Opt for a high protein snack if you need something between meals

Sometimes we underestimate what our body needs and we get hungry between meals. In this situation, it's important to opt for a high protein snack to prevent further hunger.

Check out my favorite high protein snacks HERE.

autumn bates intermittent fasting bundle

17. Experiment with Intermittent Fasting

Ironically, Intermittent Fasting (when done properly) has actually been found to result in lower ghrelin levels.(6) Those who have been using Intermittent Fasting for a while tend to share this experience as well.

But it's important to balance the Intermittent Fast with eating enough food to support your body's needs. Check out the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle for those step-by-step details HERE.

18. Try adding eggs to your meals

Eggs are incredibly satisfying and have been found to prevent hunger at higher rates than other breakfast food items, like oatmeal.(5)

19. Make your favorite meals in a way that supports your goals

If you're tired of your meals, then you're going to start craving other foods that don't support your goals. One way to combat this is by making healthier versions of your favorite foods.

For example, I love waffles but regular waffles are made with processed flours that will spike my hunger later in the day. Instead, I make a high protein waffle that shuts off hunger and makes me feel satisfied.

Try out my protein waffle recipe HERE.

20. Have pre-cooked proteins on hand

Often our biggest barrier is time. We just simply don't have the time to prep the food that supports our goals. You can easily bypass this issue by having pre-cooked proteins on hand at all times in your pantry and fridge. Some of my favorites include canned tuna, beef jerky, beef sticks, rotisserie chicken, hard boiled eggs, my zero sugar protein powder, cottage cheese and skyr.