My eyes are approximately 2x bigger than my stomach. No matter my current hunger situation, if something looks delicious (or edible – let’s be honest), there’s a chance I will attempt to eat all of it, all at once.

For Ryan (and I’m assuming most people who require a diet of 3,000+ calories a day to function), my “2x bigger-than-necessary meal” is still not enough to fill him up. Aside from quadrupling every recipe we come across, or ordering two entrees at a restaurant, over the years we realized this was not sustainable.

After chatting (aka complaining) to my friend Madeline – whose blog you can check out over at Big City Hippies – I learned some valuable tips and tricks on how to feed my giant without depleting my wallet and my pantry. The following are my top 5 tips on how to satiate the insatiable.

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Tip 1: Revenge of the Snacks

Although it may be counterintuitive for most people, snacking throughout the day can often help regulate hunger – and prevent bingeing at dinnertime. While Ryan enjoys his meat snacks as much as I do, I’ve learned the hard way that a strict low carb diet does not work for him. It usually takes a good balance of protein and carbohydrate-rich snacks to help reduce the amount of food he needs to consume at the end of the day. Here are his favourites:

• Granola & yogurt
• Tortilla chips & salsa
• Naan & hummus
• Donuts (in moderation, of course)

Tip 2: Breaking Bread

One of Madeline’s suggestions was simple enough. Whenever her husband (who also happens to be of a giant nature) is still hungry after a meal, he’ll just make himself some toast. While ours is a mostly bread-less home, Ryan often keeps a package of fresh buns handy – not only to make sandwiches for lunch, but as an In Case of Emergency dinner supplement to tide him over.

Tip 3: No Hoppy Endings

I’m not suggesting you attempt to put a stop to your giant’s beer-guzzlin’ ways (if I ever figure out how to do this, you’ll be the first to know). But it’s common knowledge that whenever we drink *a lot* of alcohol, chances are we’ll get hit with a bad case of the drunchies. When this happens, nothing we eat will subdue our beer-fuelled hunger – resulting in bloated bellies, empty pockets and plenty of regret.

Tip 4: Got Beef?

Whether they choose to incorporate beef jerky and pepperoni sticks into their daily snacking regime, or simple make sure to incorporate protein into every meal – this is key to not only filling a giant’s belly, but keeping them full for longer periods of time. Much in the same way that loading up on fat reduces hunger (a Keto 101 blog post is in the works, folks), increasing the amount of healthy protein in your diet will ultimately stave off hunger and keep you energized longer. Of course, you don’t have to only eat red meat – other protein sources include: eggs, dairy, tofu and beans.

Tip 5: Watery Going To Do?

Water, water, water. As most of you know, it is incredibly important to drink water all day, every day. I generally go by weight – meaning I try to drink at least half an ounce of water for each pound of my body weight to ensure I stay hydrated, focused and – you guessed it – FULL. No wonder Ryan is constantly hungry – for him to get the minimum recommended daily water intake in this way, he would need to drink ~150 oz of water a day. I don’t know about you, but 19 cups of water sounds a bit daunting. Do the best you can, but remember – if you start to feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

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I hoped these tips helped alleviate some of the pressure that comes with feeding giants. Of course, if you have any questions – or suggestions of your own – feel free to reach out and shoot us a message!