We’ve all been there before. You’re starving, you’ve been looking forward to this meal the whole day, and you could inhale it in 2 minutes flat. As satisfying as that can be, there’s something we can all use here to help us out.

So, before you dig into your next meal, have a read of this..

Researching Eating Habits

Findings from the researchers at Texas Christian University uncovered that eating slowly leaves us feeling less hungry an hour after our meal, in comparison with speed-eating.

The results found that individuals who ate slower consumed 88 less calories than those eating fast. But how does this work?

It takes approximately 20 minutes for your hormones to firstly recognise, and then tell your brain, that you’ve ate enough. However, when you eat quickly, your body misses this process – leading to you overeating.

Note: you don’t need to drastically cut your portion sizes or go on a crazy diet – simply give these tips below a try..

1 – Take. Smaller. Bites.

Ever ate a meal so quickly that you forgot what you ate? It might satisfy your hunger temporarily, but may lead to being hungrier in the long term. A study from the Netherlands that was published by Wageningen University discovered that individuals who took smaller bites of their food ate 30% less than those that ate with larger mouthfuls.

2. Drink water BEFORE your meal.

Water helps us to feel full, so drinking a glass of water before your meal can help you to reach the feeling of satiety quicker than eating a huge plate food. The quicker you feel full, the less you eat, the less calories you consume. We’ve spoke about hydration before, here.

3. Eat the right foods.

Be sure to include lots of veggies and foods that contain water, air and/or fibre as these generally have fewer calories but can also cause the stomach to fill up – then empty slowly. Snacks with a high water content including celery and watermelon are great snacks for in between meals too, as they will help to keep you full and increase water intake.

4. Take a break.

If you put your fork down throughout your meal, not only does it allow you to think about the food you’re eating and enjoy it more, but you can also decide whether you really have to finish the whole plate. Are you satisfied? Are you full but simply finishing the food ‘because it’s there’?

5. Chew. Chew. And chew some more.

Chewing thoroughly allows your body to register what’s taking in and absorb nutrients. Research found that ‘a minimum of 40 chews’ is recommended. We don’t advise counting, however we do suggest trying to chew food more before swallowing.

Give these 5 tips a try and see if you find yourself feeling fuller.