How to Stop Feeling Hungry in Between Meals?

November 20, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a survey of 2,000 UK adults, nearly 9 in 10 have eaten when they were not physically hungry. If you constantly find yourself wondering how to stop feeling hungry in between meals, it's a common issue stemming from a mix of biological and psychological factors. By understanding the difference between true hunger and cravings, you can regain control and support your health goals.

Quick Summary

This guide provides practical strategies to manage hunger between meals. It covers dietary changes, such as prioritizing protein and fiber, alongside behavioral techniques like mindful eating and stress management. Learn how to identify hunger triggers and build sustainable habits to feel fuller for longer.

Key Points

Prioritize Protein: Add lean protein to every meal to reduce ghrelin and increase satiety hormones like PYY and CCK.
Increase Fiber: Consume high-fiber foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to slow digestion and provide lasting fullness.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day, as thirst can often be mistaken for hunger.
Practice Mindful Eating: Focus on your food without distractions to allow your brain to register fullness signals more effectively.
Get Adequate Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to regulate appetite hormones and reduce cravings.
Manage Stress: Use techniques like exercise or meditation to lower cortisol levels and prevent stress-related eating.
Distinguish Cravings from Hunger: Learn to identify whether your desire to eat is physical or emotional by checking for specific triggers.
Plan Healthy Snacks: Keep smart, balanced snacks containing protein and fiber on hand to bridge the gap between meals effectively.

Prioritizing Protein, Fiber, and Water

To effectively stop feeling hungry in between meals, it's crucial to adjust your diet with a focus on specific nutrients. The right balance can significantly increase feelings of fullness, known as satiety, and prevent the blood sugar spikes and crashes that often trigger hunger.

Maximize Protein Intake

Protein is widely regarded as the most satiating macronutrient. It decreases levels of ghrelin, the 'hunger hormone', and increases key satiety hormones like peptide YY and CCK. Incorporating a lean protein source into every meal and snack is an excellent strategy.

Eggs: A protein-rich breakfast, such as eggs, has been shown to increase fullness and reduce overall calorie consumption later in the day.
Greek Yogurt: This dairy product is packed with protein and can effectively curb appetite.
Fish and Lean Meats: These are excellent sources of protein that can help you feel satisfied for longer.
Legumes: Plant-based protein sources like beans and lentils are also rich in fiber, providing a double dose of fullness.

Embrace Fiber-Rich Foods

Fiber plays a pivotal role in hunger control by slowing digestion and stabilizing blood sugar levels. It also adds bulk to food, helping to physically fill your stomach and trigger fullness signals to the brain. Soluble fiber, in particular, forms a gel in the digestive system that slows down the rate at which your stomach empties.

Vegetables: High-volume, high-fiber vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are excellent for filling you up on fewer calories.
Fruits: Whole fruits such as apples, berries, and pears provide both fiber and water content.
Whole Grains: Opt for oats, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread over refined grains, which are stripped of their fiber.

Stay Adequately Hydrated

It's a common mistake to confuse thirst with hunger, as the same region of the brain can signal for both. Drinking a glass of water before or with a meal can add volume and aid in satiety. Choosing warm beverages like tea can also contribute to feelings of fullness. The simple practice of keeping a water bottle nearby and sipping throughout the day can prevent unnecessary hunger pangs.

Behavioral and Lifestyle Adjustments

Beyond the plate, several lifestyle factors influence hunger and appetite. Managing these can be just as effective as dietary changes.

Practice Mindful Eating

Eating while distracted by screens or work can cause you to miss your body's satiety signals, leading to overeating and feeling hungry again sooner. Mindful eating involves focusing on the present moment, savoring each bite, and paying attention to your body's cues. This practice helps your brain catch up with your stomach, allowing you to recognize when you've had enough. A food diary can be an excellent tool for increasing awareness of your eating habits and identifying triggers.

Get Enough Sleep

Insufficient sleep significantly disrupts the hormones that regulate appetite. Sleep deprivation leads to an increase in ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and a decrease in leptin (the fullness hormone). Prioritizing 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night can help bring these hormones back into balance.

Manage Your Stress Levels

High stress levels trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite and cravings. Finding healthy coping mechanisms for stress—like exercise, meditation, or talking with a friend—is crucial to preventing stress-induced eating. Physical activity, in particular, can reduce food cravings and suppress hunger hormones.

Comparison of Hunger-Fighting Strategies


Strategy	Mechanism	Best For	Considerations
High Protein Intake	Increases satiety hormones (PYY, CCK) and slows digestion.	Long-lasting fullness and muscle maintenance.	Can be high in calories; opt for lean sources.
High Fiber Intake	Adds bulk, slows digestion, and stabilizes blood sugar.	Filling up on fewer calories and controlling cravings.	Increase intake gradually to avoid digestive issues.
Hydration	Adds volume to the stomach and helps distinguish thirst from hunger.	Quick, immediate hunger relief.	Not a substitute for a balanced meal.
Mindful Eating	Increases awareness of body's fullness signals.	Reducing mindless snacking and portion control.	Requires consistent practice and focus.
Quality Sleep	Regulates appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin).	Preventing late-night cravings and hormonal imbalances.	Aim for 7-9 hours per night for adults.
Stress Management	Reduces cortisol levels, which can increase appetite.	Controlling emotional eating and food cravings.	Involves addressing the root cause of stress.

The Role of Smart Snacking

Snacking can be a valuable tool for managing hunger, provided you choose the right foods. A healthy snack should be around 100-250 calories and include a mix of protein, fiber, and healthy fats to provide sustained energy. Examples include:

Apple slices with peanut butter.
Raw veggies with hummus.
A handful of unsalted nuts.
Plain Greek yogurt with berries.
A hard-boiled egg.

Identifying and Overcoming Cravings

Distinguishing between true physical hunger and a craving is a key skill. Physical hunger builds gradually and can be satisfied by almost any food, while cravings are an intense desire for a specific food (often salty, sweet, or fatty) that can come on suddenly. To address a craving, try these steps:

Wait it Out: Distract yourself for 5-10 minutes with a non-food activity. Often, the craving will pass.
Conduct a Reality Check: Ask yourself if you'd be satisfied with a plain, healthy food like a carrot stick. If not, it's likely a craving, not true hunger.
Address the Emotion: If you suspect the craving is emotional, find a non-food way to cope with boredom, stress, or sadness, such as going for a walk or listening to a podcast.

Conclusion

To successfully stop feeling hungry in between meals, a multi-faceted approach is most effective. It involves making conscious dietary choices by prioritizing protein, fiber, and adequate hydration to promote lasting satiety. Furthermore, it requires adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as mindful eating, managing stress, and ensuring sufficient sleep to regulate appetite hormones. By combining these nutritional and behavioral strategies, you can minimize cravings, sustain energy levels, and achieve better overall health without feeling deprived. Remember, it's about listening to your body's true needs and building a sustainable routine for long-term success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Foods rich in protein and fiber are best for curbing hunger. Examples include lean meats, eggs, Greek yogurt, legumes, vegetables, and whole grains like oats and quinoa.

Physical hunger builds gradually and can be satisfied by almost any food, often with symptoms like a growling stomach. Boredom or emotional eating comes on suddenly and often involves a specific craving for comfort food. A good test is to ask yourself if you would eat a plain, healthy snack; if not, it's likely a craving.

Yes, drinking water can help reduce hunger. It fills up space in your stomach and often, our bodies mistake thirst signals for hunger. Staying well-hydrated helps prevent this confusion and can make you feel fuller.

No, healthy snacking is not bad and can be beneficial. Planned, healthy snacks can balance blood sugar, prevent overeating at the next meal, and provide a steady energy boost. The key is to choose nutrient-dense snacks and practice portion control.

Sleep is crucial for regulating appetite hormones. Insufficient sleep can increase ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and decrease leptin (the fullness hormone), leading to increased hunger and cravings. Aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per night is recommended.

When stressed, the body releases cortisol, which can increase appetite. To manage stress-related eating, find alternative coping mechanisms such as exercise, meditation, deep breathing, or calling a friend. These distractions can help you manage the urge to eat emotionally.

Refined carbohydrates are quickly digested and absorbed, causing a rapid spike and then a crash in blood sugar levels. This crash can trigger the body to release hormones that make you feel hungry again, prompting cravings for more high-sugar or high-salt foods.