Filed under: Vegetables, Dairy, Nuts/seeds, Lists, How To, Spices, Light Food

Not all appetite suppressants come in pill form. After all, food itself is an appetite suppressant. The trick is not to used hamburgers and macaroni and cheese, but to opt for more filling and less fattening alternatives. Fortunately, it is actually easy to incorporate some of these filling foods into your regular diet without totally changing the way you eat and without giving in to temptation too often.

Registered dietitians recommend high fiber, low fat foods as the best ways to fill up without filling out. Some top choices are:

• Pineuts - fatty acids in pine nuts trigger the release cholecystokinin (CKK), a hormone that could help suppress appetite.
• Spicy foods - can boost your metabolism and "dull your taste buds so you're apt to eat less". On the positive side, the spices will taste great even if whatever you're tempted to eat after doesn't.
• Apples - high fiber, low calorie. They have more fiber per bite than other fruits and one before a meal can help speed satiety.
• Milk - the research is still up in the air, but some scientists think that the calcium in dairy can help break down fat.
• Light greens - cabbage, celery and lettuce (as well as cucumbers) are very low in calories and can be added to most meals or salads to bulk them up.