If you’re just embarking on your diet, you may find it difficult to stick to your calorie limitations and avoid that chocolate cupcake. Instead of clutching your tummy with hunger, why not curb your appetite a bit? And no, we don’t mean by taking crazy diet pills. There are items that you can find at your grocery store that naturally suppress appetite. Next time you’re planning your diet menu plan, use these natural suppressants.

• Salads before lunch and dinner: If you want to avoid overeating, try eating a small salad before a meal. The fiber helps slow the entrance of glucose into the bloodstream, making you less likely to be hungry. According to one study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, when 42 women ate a simple 100-calorie salad before dinner, they consumed 12 percent less calories during the meal, even without trying to diet or limit their intake.
• Tea: Certain teas, like yerba mate and green tea are widely known to be appetite suppressants. They are also beneficial to digestion and they reduce thirst. If you’re still hungry after a meal, just drink a cup of green tea, instead and you’ll feel just as satisfied.

• Soups: Another meal for your diet menu plan is soup. Weight loss and appetite control is all about staying hydrated, and soup helps us do just that. In fact, Research at Pennsylvania State University shows that men and women consuming two servings of low-calorie soup daily lost a whopping 50% more weight than those consuming the exact same number of calories with snack foods. Of course, favor lighter soups, like chicken noodle or miso soup, over their creamier counterparts, like clam chowder or cream of mushroom soup.
• Powders: Protein takes longer for the body to break down, so it naturally keeps us fuller for longer. Try putting protein powder, like whey protein, in a breakfast shake to keep you full until lunchtime.
• Apples: If you need something sweet on your diet menu plan, try having baked cinnamon apple slices. This high-fiber food will require extra chewing time, signifying to your brain that you’re full sooner than with other foods. The fiber will also help you stay full for longer, much like salads.
• Flaxseeds: Toss flaxseeds in salads, throw them in smoothies, or sprinkle them over veggies for a filling addition. Flaxseeds keep us full because they have plenty of fiber. In addition they have omega-3 acids and treat many ailments, including ADHD, bladder infections, and high cholesterol.

Next time you’re planning out your menu for weight loss, implement these foods into your menu to suppress your appetite and help you lose weight without feeling hungry. Stay hydrated, eat your veggies, and keep these appetite suppressants in mind and you’ll be slim and trim in no time.