240 calories of boiled potato, and 240 calories of croissant. The same number in your app — and two entirely different experiences for the rest of your day.
The study
Susanna Holt and colleagues at the University of Sydney published a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that served isoenergetic portions (1000 kJ ≈ 240 kcal) of 38 foods across six categories, measuring satiety ratings every 15 minutes over two hours, then measuring ad libitum eating afterwards[1].
The index was calculated with white bread = 100% as the reference[1].
the most satiating
What creates satiety?
The study found that protein, fibre and water content correlated positively with satiety scores, while fat content correlated negatively[1]. High-protein foods such as meat and fish scored well, while processed carb-and-fat combinations — croissants, cakes, doughnuts — scored poorly[2].
Translate it to our table
- Start with protein: fish, chicken, meat and eggs — the highest satiety per calorie (how much you need).
- Porridge or jareesh in the morning instead of pastries — the difference shows up at lunch.
- Soup and salad before the plate: water and fibre — the two winning components.
- Beware the "small high-calorie snack": a croissant or biscuits give you 300 calories with almost no satiety — then you eat again an hour later.
- White rice alone is weakly satiating: pair it with protein and vegetables and its effect changes completely.