Food Swaps To Try Instead Of Ozempic

If you’re snacking between meetings and topping up on the go but still find that hunger creeps back within the hour, the problem likely isn't how much you're eating — it's what you're eating.

Satiety, that genuine feeling of fullness that lingers, comes down to the make-up of your meals: you have to pack in enough protein, fibre, healthy fats and water to keep your body satisfied rather than just topped up. Get it right, and you're not only snacking less, but supporting steadier blood sugar, better energy and fewer afternoon slumps.

To get to the bottom of which foods actually deliver on this, we spoke to Rachel Butcher, ANutr, SENr and Head of Nutrition at Natural Fitness Food, about the ingredients worth building your plate around and the science behind why they keep you fuller for longer. Here's what she had to say

Why are certain foods better for satiety than others?

Not all food is created equal. Some ingredients have a higher protein content, making them more suitable for building muscle, while others contain more carbohydrates, contributing to higher energy levels and physical output.

However, as Butcher explains, when it comes to supporting satiety — that sense of being full and satisfied after eating, without the urge to consume more — there are certain foods that contain a mix of macronutrients and, therefore, help you feel more fuelled for longer.

“The common thread across all five of these foods isn’t a single nutrient, but a combination of protein, fibre and water or volume, with lower fat and sugar,” Butcher says. “Any meal built around these principles is likely to outperform its calorie-matched, ultra-processed equivalent for keeping hunger at bay.”

Additionally, it’s not just what you eat, but when. “Satiety signalling is strongest earlier in the day, with studies showing effects lasting up to 36 hours, because a high-protein, high-fibre start reduces intake at every meal that follows,” says Butcher. “A front-loaded day, [with] a bigger, protein- and fibre-rich breakfast and lunch and a lighter evening meal, tends to produce better appetite control than the reverse pattern,” as insulin sensitivity and ghrelin, the hunger hormone, both follow a circadian rhythm, “making the body more responsive to satiety cues earlier in the day”.

Here’s what you should be adding to your shopping list if your goal is satiety. Think of these as your faux-zempic pantry staples.

Potatoes

Whether you have them as wedges, boil them, mash them, or stick them in a stew, potatoes are some of the most cost- and calorie-effective ingredients you can buy. “Their high-water content adds volume without adding energy through calories. The fibre, especially when skin is left on, slows gastric emptying, and the serving weight for the calorie count means more physical volume in the stomach,” says Butcher.

She also explains that in the original Satiety Index study, boiled potatoes scored the highest of any food tested. They were found to be roughly three times more filling than white bread, and seven times more filling than a croissant: the lowest-scoring food.

Eggs

Another versatile ingredient, the humble egg is “a genuine breakfast heavyweight” when it comes to satiety, says Butcher, who explains that there’s genuine data to back this up.

“This is one of the better-replicated areas of appetite research, as in a crossover trial of 50 overweight or obese adults, an egg-and-toast breakfast led to significantly lower energy intake at lunch four hours later compared with a cereal breakfast, along with reduced subjective hunger," she says.

Similar effects have been shown against bagel- and croissant-based breakfasts, Butcher says, “with reduced intake persisting for up to 36 hours in some studies.” 

Legumes and pulses

Legumes and pulses — such as lentils, chickpeas and beans — are having a well-earned moment in the sun, with a growing interest in fibre intake putting these ingredients firmly back on our plates. This makes sense a lot of sense to Butcher, as “pulses combine plant protein, high fibre and a low glycaemic load, which together slow digestion and blunt the blood sugar swings that can trigger hunger.”

In a systematic review and meta-analysis of nine controlled feeding trials, pulses were found to increase subjective satiety by 31%, “a large enough effect to be considered clinically meaningful,” she adds.

Oats 

An ideal breakfast staple to make the most of the circadian nature of ghrelin, oats aren’t only a cheap ingredient, but also another big-hitter when it comes to staying fuller for longer. “Their satiating power comes largely from beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that forms a thick gel in the stomach and small intestine, slowing gastric emptying and nutrient absorption,” explains Butcher. “The viscous gel not only prolongs the physical sensation of fullness but also flattens the post-meal blood glucose and insulin response, helping to prevent the sharp dips that drive hunger an hour or two later.” 

Nuts and avocado

You shouldn’t be put off by the high calorie content of nuts and avocados. In fact, you should be encouraged by it. Avocados, specifically, are a fan-favourite of Max Lugavere, author and host of The Genius Life podcast. “They perform well for satiety because of how fat and fibre interact,” says Butcher of the two staples. “Research shows that healthy unsaturated fats stimulate the release of satiety hormones, such as CCK [a gastrointestinal hormone that aids digestion] and slow gastric emptying, while the fibre content adds bulk and also delays digestion.”

Almonds, walnuts and avocado are particularly high in fibre. “The combination of fat, fibre and, in the case of nuts, protein creates a multi-pathway satiety response, is slower to digest and is satisfying at a smaller volume, which matters for those with low appetite who find very high-fibre, high-volume meals difficult to get through,” says Butcher.

The takeaway

Just remember that satiety is not about willpower. It's a food quality problem — and once you start solving for it, with nutrient-dense foods like the ones above, you'll quickly find that the snacking, cravings, and 3pm slump tend to sort themselves out.

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