What We’ll Cover:

• Factors that impact appetite
• How to make meals more filling
• Tips to support your appetite

Hunger is your body's need for food, while appetite is your desire to eat. They often happen together, but not always. 

Many things affect appetite, including our surroundings, routines, and emotions. This means you may sometimes want to eat when you have eaten recently, or have little appetite when you might normally expect to feel hungry. 

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Factors that impact appetite

• Sleep – Not getting enough sleep can affect appetite and the way we respond to hunger and fullness cues.
• Stress and emotions – Stress, boredom, sadness and other emotions can influence appetite and our desire to eat. We may also find ourselves wanting certain foods when we are looking for comfort or enjoyment. 
• Routines and habits – We can develop patterns around when and where we eat. You might find yourself wanting food because it is your usual lunchtime, even if you're not particularly hungry.
• Our surroundings – Seeing, smelling or being offered food can make us want to eat, even when physical hunger isn't the main reason.
• Movement and activity – Activity can influence appetite, although the effect can be different for everyone.
• Hydration – Staying hydrated is part of looking after your overall wellbeing, and thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger. 
• Medication – Some medications, including GLP-1 medicines, can affect appetite and how quickly you feel full. 
• Health and different stages of life – Illness, hormonal changes, ageing and other changes in the body can affect appetite.
• What we eat – The foods we choose and how we put meals together can affect how satisfied and full we feel afterwards. Meals containing protein and fibre can help support fullness.

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How to make meals more filling

If you often find yourself hungry soon after eating, it may help to look at how filling your meals are. Try building meals around:

• Protein – such as eggs, yoghurt, fish, chicken, beans, lentils or tofu.
• Non-starchy vegetables – such as leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower or courgettes.
• Healthy fats – such as nuts, seeds, avocado or olive oil.
• Complex carbohydrates – such as potatoes, oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice or wholegrain pasta.

The aim is to find combinations that are satisfying, enjoyable and work for your lifestyle.

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Tips to support your appetite

• Try to eat regular meals that work for your routine.
• Include a source of protein and fibre in your meals to help support fullness.
• Drink regularly throughout the day.
• Notice whether tiredness, stress, boredom or your surroundings might be affecting your desire to eat. The hunger scale is a tool that can help you to reflect on this. 
• If you're hungry soon after a meal, think about what was in the meal and whether you could make it more filling next time.
• Remember that appetite can change from day to day.

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Summary

Appetite can change from day to day, and understanding what may be influencing it can help you respond to your body's needs with more awareness and less judgement. 

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Mentor’s Tip

Fancy a fry-up? You can make a classic breakfast more filling by building your plate around protein, vegetables and a source of fibre-rich foods.

Try:

1. Eggs for protein
2. Beans for protein and fibre
3. Tomatoes, spinach or peppers for vegetables
4. Wholegrain toast for fibre and carbohydrates
5. A little avocado for healthy fats

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