Top 10 foods that make you feel full -TOI

I love to read the Diet section under Health and Fitness on our own desi online newspaper TOI . It was my favorite newspaper and I read it regularly when I was in India. I always waited for the Sunday section as the Sunday special section always had a variety of articles on health and lifestyle and latest fashion in town. We do not get any news paper here in US as the newspapers are full of Ads and hardly any useful news. Hence we mostly browse the online TOI daily to get the lastest ongoings in India and the world. TOI had introduced many new sections in the online version in the last few years which contain some of the very informative articles and columns. Here [1]is one of the articles I recently read on TOI and which I thought was worth making a note of.

Top 10 foods that make you feel full[1]

Fatty Fish
Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and sardines contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which, besides lowering cholesterol, also hasten the metabolism rate. Omega-3 fatty acids alter the level of leptin — a hormone that directly influences metabolism and determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat. Fish also provides ample protein and the best way to eat it is grilled, with steamed vegetables on the side.

Citrus Fruits
Fruits such as grapefruit, lemon, sweet lime, papaya, guava and tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and fibre. Vitamin C helps the body process fat faster and also stimulates the amino acid known as carnitine — carnitine speeds up the body’s fat-burning capacity. Citrus fruits also have high water content and provide around 50 to 75 kcal, leaving us satiated for a longer period of time.

Green Vegetables
Spinach, asparagus and broccoli have a high thermic effect on the body and a low calorie density. This means that it’s almost impossible for them to be stored as fat because most of their calories are burned off in the digestion process. Apart from that, the fibre in these foods provides roughage and contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help you feel full.

Popcorn
Popcorn is rich in fibre and low on calories. Also, since eating it keeps our mouth busy for a longer time, the satiety levels are high. However stay away from the overly buttered, caramel and cheese cousins.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate which takes longer to digest — hence it releases energy slowly, keeping you feeling full for longer. It also keeps blood sugar and insulin levels stable, which helps prevent fat storage. Oatmeal is the most satisfying breakfast cereal, providing more protein per serving than any other grain. Mix it with yoghurt or skimmed milk and it’ll keep you full all morning.

Almond and Walnuts
Raw, unsalted nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, provide essential roughage, protein, fat, minerals and micronutrients. Munching on handfuls of these nuts keeps you full and energetic for longer without adding to your waistline.

Low-Fat Dairy Products
Skimmed milk, low fat cheese and yoghurt are a good source of calcium, which helps break down fat cells. Some studies indicate that not getting enough calcium may trigger the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage.

Beans
Beans are high in fibre and a good source of protein. They also take longer to digest, making you feel full for a longer time. Also, protein has the highest satiety index (which determines how long will you feel full) than any other element.

Whole grains
Jowar, bajra and ragi contain complex carbohydrates, which release glucose slowly when broken down during digestion. The glucose helps in maintaining your blood sugars levels and combats sugar craving. They are also a rich source of fibre and Vitamin B complex that play an important role in metabolic control.

Apples
High water content and ample fibre is the reason why you feel full after eating an apple. An apple’s skin contains pectin soluble fibre that is a natural appetite suppressant. Seems like an apple a day keeps the weight away.


Reference: [1]Sneha Jain (2009, October ). Top 10 foods that make you feel full. The Times Of India. Retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Top-10-foods-that-make-you-feel-full/articleshow/4890340.cms

Noodle Soup

This is another of comfort food recipe for the cold-cold winters. We love it as has the enriching nutrients of the vegetables and the great texture of the noodles. I use maggi noodles for this soup, but hakka noodles or rice noodles can also be used. Serve it hot and you have a one course healthy and delish meal ready in minutes. I make these noodles without using the maggi tastemaker masala which is included with the noodles. But if you want an Indian- spicy flavored soup, the tastemaker masala can be added to the soup.

Ingredients

1 cup of prepared noodles (wheat or rice noodles--I use maggi noodles without the masala)
1 medium onion
1 cup chopped vegetables (cabbage, peas, carrot, cauliflower, zucchini, corn kernels)
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
salt and pepper for taste
1 tablespoon oil

Method
Slice the onions thinly. Heat oil in a pan and add the ginger and the sliced onions. Fry till the onions are light brown and well cooked. Add the chopped vegetables and cook covered for 3-4 minutes till the vegetables are soft. Cook uncovered for another 4-5 minutes, so that the vegetables are lightly browned. Add salt and pepper for taste. Mix in the noodles and add 3 cups of water or as desired. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce. Serve hot.

Dudhi na Muthia

I saw this recipe on Vani's blog. Thanks Vani for sharing this recipe:-)


I make handvo quite often, but this recipe seemed much simpler to make as there was no prior fermentation needed. It took me just 20 minutes (thanks to my food processor , it took me 2 minutes to grate the pumpkin and gourd) to make the batter and 30 more minutes for steaming. I had a small piece of lauki (bottlegourd) left, so I also added a lot of grated pumpkin and carrot. I also added chopped coriander leaves and 3 tablespoon of grated coconut while making the batter rather than as a garnish.

Serve steaming hot with Coriander-mint chutney and Chai.

Dahi Alu Papdi Chat

We both were working from home on Thursday during the week. We had some work to attend to in the morning, hence planned to work from home. Work was much faster as there were no distractions --no meetings, no gossiping with colleagues in the pantry..so got the days's work pretty faster than other regular days. My husband A wanted to have chaat in the evening and hence I thought of this simple dahi alu papdi chaat. This dish does not take more than 20 minutes to make if the ingredients are on hand. I had some sweet date chutney and the coriander chutney on hand or you can find the recipe to the Green chutney here and the Date-Tamarind chutney here. All I had to do is make the papdi's and boil the potato. It is a very tasty dish and extremely simple to prepare.

Ingredients
8-10 Papdi ( Look here for the recipe)
2-3 potatoes
1/2 cup curd
4 tablespoon sev
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon jeera powder
pinch of amchur or dry mango powder
chaat masala powder
4 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 tablespoon chopped tomato
tamarind chutney
mint chutney
4 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

Method
Boil the potatoes till soft. Cool them and chop them into cubes. Arrange the papdi in a bowl. Add the chopped potatoes, onion, tomato on top of the papdi. Add beaten curd as per desired. Sprinkle sev, jeera powder, coriander powder, chaat powder, amchu, tamarind chutney and mint chutney and coriander leaves on top. Serve immediately.

Papdi

Papdi can be used in various chaats or can be eaten just as a snack. For a healthier version bake it instead of frying it.

Ingredients
3/4 cup maida or all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper powder
oil for frying

Method
Mix the maida, salt, pepper and make a stiff dough by adding little water. For a baked version add 2 tablespoon oil to the dough. Take a two-pea sized piece of dough and roll it thinly into a 2 inch diameter circle. Bake it or deep fry it in oil till crisp.

Mango Rice / Kairi Rice

We would always wait for the kairi's to arrive in the market in the summer season. My favorite memories are going to the kariwalla-bhiya who used to sit on his cycle outside my college serving masala kairis. He would slice up the kairis, add a dash of his secret spice powder the kairi pieces and serve them with papdis made from flour. Me and my friends would visit him every day after college to taste his chatpata kairis. There would be a lot of activity going on in my home when the kairi season would start. My mom would make a fresh batch of Chunda or sweet mango pickle, Manglorean mango pickle, Punjabi achaar to last for the year ahead. She would als make panna and also clean and preserve many raw mangoes in boiled and salted water. We would then use these preserved mangoes to make chutney's in the winter and rainy season. We get kairis all year round at our local indian store and I make this rice very often. It is a great main course and also a great low calorie tiffin recipe.

Ingredients
1 raw mango or kairi
1 cup rice
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon chana dal or bengal gram
1/2 teaspoon urad dal
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 green chilies
2 tablespoon grated coconut (optional)
salt for taste

Method
Cook the rice and cool it down. Salt the rice and keep it aside. Skin the raw mango and grate it. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter add the dals and roast till they are light brown. Add turmeric powder and slit green chillies. Fry for a minute and add grated raw mango. Cook for 5-8 minutes till the mango is soft. Once the mango cools down mix the rice well with the mango. Season with grated coconut.