The satiety index: which foods actually keep you full
In 1995, researchers fed people 240 kcal servings of 38 foods and measured fullness over the next two hours. White bread scored 100. Boiled potatoes scored 323.
The satiety index (Holt et al., European Journal of Clinical Nutrition) is the classic reference for fullness per calorie. Each food was tested at the same 240 kcal, and hunger was rated every 15 minutes for 2 hours. White bread is the baseline at 100 — anything above keeps you fuller for the same calories, anything below leaves you hungrier.
It's one small study (11 participants), so treat the exact numbers as a guide, not gospel. But the pattern it revealed has held up: water, fibre, protein and physical volume predict fullness; sugar, fat and refined starch predict the opposite.
Satiety index score, white bread = 100. Higher = more filling for the same 240 kcal.
Most filling foods (score above 150)
Boiled potatoes are the outright winner — three times more filling than white bread, calorie for calorie.
Middle of the pack (100–150)
Least filling (below 100)
High energy density, low water, high palatability — easy to eat a lot of, quick to feel hungry again.
What makes a food filling
Water and volume. A food that fills the plate fills the stomach. This is the whole idea behind volume eating.
Fibre. Slows digestion and adds bulk. Potatoes, oats, fruit, beans and wholemeal grains all score high partly for this.
Protein. The most satiating macro gram for gram — see high-protein, low-calorie foods.
Low energy density and low palatability. Plain, simple foods are easy to stop eating. Sugar + fat combos (cake, croissant, ice cream) override fullness signals.
Practical version: build meals from the top of the list — a potato or white-fish base, fruit, oats, beans, plenty of vegetables — and keep the bottom of the list (pastry, crisps, ice cream) for planned treats, not daily fuel.
The index assumes a fixed 240 kcal
Real portions aren't standardised. A “filling” potato meal still turns unfilling if the portion doubles or arrives fried in oil. Volumeal reads your actual plate from a photo and returns the calories as a range.
See how photo estimation works →Frequently asked questions
What is the satiety index?+
A 1995 ranking of how full 38 foods keep you, tested at an equal 240 kcal each, with fullness rated over 2 hours. White bread is the baseline at 100; boiled potatoes topped it at 323.
What is the most filling food?+
Boiled potatoes, by a wide margin — about three times more filling than white bread for the same calories. White fish, porridge, oranges and apples follow.
What foods keep you full the longest?+
High-fibre, high-water and high-protein foods: potatoes, oats, fruit, beans, wholemeal grains, white fish, eggs and lean meat. Refined and sugary foods (pastry, crisps) do the opposite.
Is the satiety index reliable?+
It is one small study, so the exact scores are indicative. But the underlying pattern — fibre, water, protein and volume drive fullness — is well supported by later research.