Why Your Meals Aren’t Keeping You Full (And How to Fix It)
Why Do You Feel Hungry Soon After Eating?
Have you ever eaten a meal, only to feel hungry an hour or so later? Or found yourself reaching for snacks all afternoon because lunch just didn’t satisfy you? If this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place!
The problem may not be how much you’re eating - but what’s missing from your meals. When meals aren’t properly balanced, they digest too quickly, causing energy crashes, cravings, and overeating later in the day.
In this post, we’ll cover the top reasons why your meals aren’t keeping you full - and how you can fix them with simple, sustainable tweaks to what you’re eating.
Why Feeling Full After Meals Matters for Your Health
Staying full between meals isn’t just about avoiding hunger - it’s important for overall health, energy, and maintaining a balanced relationship with food. When your meals don’t keep you full, you’re more likely to:
Experience intense cravings, especially for sugar and processed snacks
Feel sluggish or struggle with energy crashes throughout the day
Overeat later due to lingering hunger
Get stuck in a cycle of restriction and binge eating
When you build balanced meals, you stay satisfied for longer, stabilise blood sugar levels, and avoid the ups and downs of hunger-driven snacking. Here’s how to do it.
3 Common Mistakes That Leave You Feeling Hungry (And How to Fix Them!)
1. Not Eating Enough Protein
Protein is the most satiating macronutrient - it helps control hunger hormones, slows digestion, and prevents cravings. If your breakfast is just toast with jam or your salad is mostly lettuce, you’re likely missing the protein needed to keep you full.
💡 How to Fix It:
Add eggs, yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, chicken, fish, or beans to your meals.
Upgrade plain toast to peanut butter & banana toast for a balanced boost.
Add grilled chicken and chickpeas to salads for extra protein and fibre. My Tuna Vermicelli Noodle Salad is an example of a recipe that is rich in protein, amongst other important nutrients.
2. Skimping on Healthy Fats
Fat plays a key role in satiety, digestion, and nutrient absorption. If your meals are too low in fat (think plain rice cakes, fat-free yogurt, or dry salads), you’ll likely feel hungry soon after eating.
💡 How to Fix It:
Include avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and full-fat dairy in your meals.
Drizzle olive oil over roasted veggies or salads.
Snack on almonds or nut butter with fruit for a satisfying, balanced option.
3. Not Enough Fibre (Lack of Volume & Bulk)
Fibre-rich foods add volume to meals, slow digestion, and keep you fuller for longer. If you’re relying on low-fiber foods (like white bread, processed snacks, or refined carbs), hunger will creep in very quickly.
💡 How to Fix It:
Choose whole grains over refined grains (e.g. swap white toast for wholegrain toast). My Oat & Ricotta Pancakes are an example of a high fibre, high protein recipe.
Add berries, nuts, and seeds to yoghurt or oats for extra fiber.
Load up your meals with vegetables, legumes, and fibre-rich carbs like quinoa or sweet potatoes.
Want More Easy Ways to Make Your Meals More Satisfying?
If you’re tired of meals that don’t keep you full, I’ve got you covered! My free guide, The Ultimate Guide to Balanced Eating, shows you exactly how to:
✔️ Build balanced meals that keep you full for longer
✔️ Reduce cravings and stabilise energy levels
✔️ Transform everyday meals with simple nutrition tweaks
📥 Grab your free copy here of The Ultimate Guide to Balanced Eating