You’ve just eaten. A meal that, on paper at least, should hold you – maybe a yoghurt and granola, a smoothie, or a light salad. It ticks all the boxes: healthy, low in calories, even “balanced.” But by the time you’ve cleared your emails or made it through your morning meeting, the hunger’s back. Not subtle either – the kind that pulls focus and leaves you rummaging for something else to eat.
It’s frustrating. Especially when you’re trying to eat well, manage your weight, or just feel more in control of your appetite. And it’s easy to blame willpower. Why can’t I just feel full like everyone else seems to?
But satiety – the feeling of being genuinely satisfied after eating – is more complex than just the number of calories on your plate. It’s driven by a mix of hormones, gut signals, nutrient timing, and food structure. And if any of those cues are missing, you can feel unsatisfied even after eating “enough.”
In this article, we’ll look at what actually keeps you full – from the role of fibre and protein to the way food interacts with your gut and brain. We’ll also explore common reasons meals fall short, and how small adjustments (not overhauls) can make hunger more manageable. Plus, we’ll introduce a few tools (like FiiHii Frinks®) that make it easier to build satisfying habits, without starting from scratch every day.
Because this isn’t about eating less. It’s about eating smarter – so your meals actually keep you going.
Fullness Isn’t Just About Eating Less
We often treat calories as the definitive measure of how “filling” a meal should be. But when it comes to how long you stay satisfied after eating, the number alone doesn’t tell the full story. What really matters is the hormonal response your meal triggers – and that’s determined less by quantity and more by quality.
A 2022 study in Nutrients highlights this exact point. Satiety is controlled by a coordinated system of peptide hormones. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone – it rises before meals and stimulates appetite. But fullness is signalled by a set of other players: PYY, GLP-1, CCK, leptin, and insulin. These are released in response to different types of stimulation: the stretch of food in the stomach, the macronutrients you consume, and the rate at which glucose enters your bloodstream (1).
The study draws a stark contrast between two meals with identical calorie counts:
400-calorie muffin (mostly refined carbohydrates):
→ Ghrelin remains elevated
→ Rapid glucose spike → insulin surge
→ Minimal PYY or GLP-1 response
→ Hunger returns within 1–2 hours
400-calorie whole-food meal (think roasted veg, lentils, olive oil, or a grain bowl with chicken and avocado):
→ Triggers stomach stretch through volume and texture
→ Slower digestion from fibre, fat and protein
→ Stronger release of PYY, GLP-1, and CCK
→ Stable blood sugar and longer-lasting fullness
It’s not just what’s in the food – it’s how it behaves in the body. Whole foods with structure require chewing, which initiates the digestion process before food even reaches the stomach. This supports better hormonal signalling and helps activate what’s known as the “ileal brake” – a slowing of gastric emptying that extends satiety and improves nutrient sensing. Meals that combine fibre, protein, healthy fats, and physical volume are far more effective at sustaining fullness than those that simply meet a calorie target. They stretch the stomach appropriately, trigger gut hormones, and avoid the spike–crash–craving loop that’s common with high-GI, low-fibre options (1).
The Satiety Cascade
Rakha et al.’s 2022 review describes satiety not as a single switch, but as a cascade – a sequential chain of signals that runs from your senses to your stomach to your gut hormones, and ultimately to the brain. In simple terms, the body decides whether you’re “done eating” in three overlapping phases.
The first is the cephalic phase, which happens before food even reaches your stomach: sight, smell, texture and chewing trigger early neural and metabolic responses (including cephalic insulin release), essentially priming the digestive system and setting expectations for fullness. The review makes a key point here: texture matters, because foods that require chewing generate stronger oro-sensory signalling than creamy or liquid foods. In fact, the paper reports that liquid calories can produce 50–70% less satiety signalling than solid versions, even when calorie-matched – largely because they bypass the oro-sensory work that helps the brain register intake (1).
The second stage is the gastric phase, where fullness is driven by stomach distension and immediate nutrient sensing. As the stomach stretches, vagal nerve signalling increases and hormones like CCK are released – especially in response to protein, followed by fat, and then carbohydrates. This is where energy density becomes critical: meals that provide volume (often through fibre and water content) generate more stretch and stronger satiety signals.
The third stage is the post-absorptive phase, where nutrients reaching the distal gut stimulate the release of GLP-1 and PYY, activating the “ileal brake” that slows gastric emptying and extends fullness over time. Importantly, the cascade only works when food moves through the system at the right pace. Highly processed, rapidly digested foods compress the entire window of nutrient sensing, meaning the hormonal “follow-through” is weaker – and hunger returns sooner. The review’s broader message is that satiety is an integrated feedback loop: oral processing + gastric stretch + distal gut hormone release all need to be engaged for the body to interpret a meal as genuinely satisfying (1).
Structure First, Then Calories
If you want a meal that actually keeps you full, don’t start with how many calories it has – start with how it’s built. The structure of a meal determines the satiety signals it sends, and those signals rely on a specific combination of nutrients, volume, and texture.
Fibre plays a central role. It slows gastric emptying, increases meal volume, and supports the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon – which directly trigger PYY and GLP-1, which as we mentioned, are two key hormones involved in long-term satiety and appetite regulation. Soluble fibre, in particular, forms a gel-like matrix in the gut that extends digestion time and helps modulate blood sugar – both of which are linked to stronger and more sustained fullness signals (1,2)
Protein is another satiety cornerstone. It stimulates the release of CCK, GLP-1, and PYY, with higher potency than carbs or fat. It also helps preserve lean mass, which contributes to long-term metabolic stability – another important factor for appetite control (1,2).
Then comes texture and volume – two underrated drivers of fullness. Meals that include whole or minimally processed ingredients, require chewing, and take up space in the stomach generate more vagal nerve signalling and stronger “stop eating” cues. Liquids can be helpful, especially when blended with fibre and nutrients, but purely liquid calories often underperform because they bypass key phases of the satiety cascade (2).
Just as important is what to avoid: ultra-processed foods that combine fat, sugar, and salt in hyper-palatable ratios. These meals override internal regulation systems, delay hormonal feedback, and often leave you hungrier later – despite high calorie content (2).
The Ideal Composition of a Satiating Plate
Example Plate:
- Base: Roasted vegetables (e.g. broccoli, squash, carrots) – texture, volume, fibre
- Protein: Grilled salmon, tofu, or lentils – triggers CCK and GLP-1
- Complex carbs: Quinoa, sweet potato, or brown rice – slow-digesting and filling
- Fat: Drizzle of olive oil, avocado, or nuts/seeds – supports long-lasting satiety
- Optional addition: Side of fermented veg or greens for gut support and micronutrients
- Hydration: Herbal tea, water with lemon/cucumber, or coconut water – supports fibre movement and SCFA metabolism
FiiHii Frinks®: Low-Effort Satiety Support, Frink by Frink
Each Frink® is designed to contribute to satiety differently – here’s how they fit into the picture:
Traffic Light Punch
- Why it works: Chia seeds form a gel-like fibre that slows digestion and prolongs nutrient absorption. The berry polyphenols support GLP-1 release, while lemon aids gastric motility.
- Satiety role: Ideal mid-morning stabiliser. Supports hydration, gut hormone signalling, and blood sugar regulation.
P-Power
- Why it works: Prunes and flax deliver both fibre and natural laxatives (sorbitol), which help prevent sluggish digestion. Flax also brings omega-3 ALA, linked to improved leptin signalling.
- Satiety role: A perfect mid-afternoon option to extend fullness and prevent the late-day snack crash.
Orchard Frink
- Why it works: Apple, pear, and citrus offer pectin, a soluble fibre known to delay gastric emptying and blunt post-meal glucose spikes. Pumpkin seeds add protein and healthy fats.
- Satiety role: Works well with a light lunch or as a pre-dinner buffer – slow, sustained digestion and appetite regulation.
Cocomangofango
- Why it works: Coconut provides healthy fats that slow stomach emptying and enhance satiety. Pineapple adds bromelain, which supports protein digestion – key for nutrient access and gut comfort.
- Satiety role: Great on active days when energy is needed without a crash. The natural sugars are buffered by fibre and fat.
Summer Love
- Why it works: Rich in calcium, vitamin C, and fibre from dried apricots, sesame, and citrus. Balanced hydration and gentle sweetness.
- Satiety role: Light yet grounding – good between meals when cravings aren’t true hunger, but your body still wants something nourishing.
The God Yoghurt
- Why it works: Bananas, avocado, and hemp create a smooth, creamy texture with gut-soothing fats, magnesium, and fibre. Spinach adds potassium and prebiotics.
- Satiety role: A calming, deeply nourishing option for times of stress or erratic appetite. Pairs well with a lighter meal to complete the satiety picture.
Summary: Build the Satiety Cascade
| Component | Why It Matters | How to Include It |
| Fibre | Slows digestion, feeds gut microbes, triggers PYY/GLP-1 | Vegetables, whole grains, seeds, legumes, Frinks |
| Protein | CCK + GLP-1 release, muscle preservation | Tofu, fish, eggs, legumes, seeds |
| Volume/Texture | Stomach stretch = satiety signals | Roasted veg, whole fruit, chewing required |
| Healthy Fats | Slows digestion, enhances leptin, helps absorb nutrients | Olive oil, nuts, avocado, seeds, coconut |
| Hydration | Supports fibre movement + SCFA metabolism | Water, coconut water, lemon water, juicy fruits |
Satiety isn’t just a feeling – it’s a signal. And once you understand how that signal is built, meal by meal, it becomes a whole lot easier to work with your appetite instead of constantly battling it. From the way you structure your plate to the ingredients you rely on daily, the path to sustained fullness is less about restriction and more about strategy. Small changes in composition can lead to big changes in how you feel between meals – and that’s what makes the difference long term.
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References:
- Rakha A, Mehak F, Shabbir MA, Arslan M, Ranjha MMAN, Ahmed W, et al. Insights into the constellating drivers of satiety impacting dietary patterns and lifestyle. Front Nutr. 2022;9:1002619. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1002619.
- Tschöp MH, Friedman JM. Seeking satiety: From signals to solutions. Sci Transl Med. 2023;15(723). doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.adh4453.
