Experts Explain Why You Feel Hungry After Eating

THIS MIGHT BE a familiar scene: You just ate a hearty dinner but find yourself rummaging through the refrigerator five minutes later looking for more food.

Well, you’re not alone. Lots of people still feel hungry after mealtimes. As a result, many Americans eat a whole meal’s worth of calories in snacks every day, a 2023 study found.

Feeling hungry right after eating should typically only happen here and there, however, says gastroenterologist Roshini Raj, M.D. “You really shouldn’t be on a regular basis, so if you are, look at your diet.”

After eating, you should feel full and satisfied. If you don’t, it’s most likely because of what you’re filling your plate with during mealtimes, Dr. Raj says. It’s less likely to happen when you incorporate multiple food groups and avoid junk food.

“Consider making sure your meals and snacks are nutritionally dense and complex so you will feel satisfied with your meal quality and intake,” says Angel Planells, R.D.N., a Seattle-based registered dietitian nutritionist and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Along with what your meals consist of, several other factors could make you feel hungry after eating, including how hungry you were when you started chowing down, hormonal issues, physical activity, how much sleep you’re getting, and your stress levels, Planells says.

There are several things that can explain feeling hungry after you just ate, experts say. Here’s an overview, and what dietary and lifestyle changes you can make to feel more satiated after meals.

Why You May Feel Hungry Right After Eating

DIET AND LIFESTYLE factors play a big role in how you feel after eating. Here are some common reasons you might still feel like you want more food after meals.

Your meals aren’t balanced.

THE NUTRITIONAL MAKEUP of your meals determines how full and satisfied you’ll feel later, Planells says. “The more complex the meal is, the more potential for satisfaction a person has with it.”

For example, a breakfast of doughnuts may be fun, but it’ll give you a sugar rush that will get your blood sugar out of whack. You’ll likely reach for a few more doughnuts and probably grab something savory, possibly causing you to overeat.

Meals should be balanced with carbs, protein, and healthy fats, Planells says. Fiber-rich foods, like whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, will help you feel full longer.

“Fiber takes longer to digest,” Dr. Raj explains. “Fiber also can help release some appetite-suppressing hormones so that’s another thing that can curb hunger.”

Planells suggests going by the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines, where half of your plate contains fruits and vegetables, and the other half is protein and whole grains. Ultra-processed foods (like those doughnuts, as well as fast food and packaged meals) cause rapid rises and falls in blood sugar—making you feel hungry soon after eating due to a “lack of substantial energy from these foods,” he explains.

It can be hormonal.

TWO HORMONES DICTATE your hunger and energy balance: leptin and ghrelin, Planells says.

Leptin, produced by fat cells, signals satiety and helps regulate energy balance. When you eat, leptin rises to tell the brain to reduce your appetite and increase energy expenditure, he adds. “It’s known as the anti-hunger hormone.”

Ghrelin, on the other hand, is known as the “hunger hormone,” Planells says. It’s produced by the stomach and stimulates hunger—it increases before meals and drops after eating.

“In short, leptin reduces your appetite, and ghrelin increases it,” he adds.

Both hormones work together in a “complex interplay,” says Steven Kaplan, M.D., a gastroenterologist at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. But, feeling hungry right after eating can be a learned behavior or a psychological phenomenon.

However, you can have leptin resistance when your brain doesn’t respond to leptin properly, and you don’t experience the sensation of feeling full or satisfied, according to the Cleveland Clinic. So you’re more likely to always feel hungry and overeat.

Other things can affect the hormone balance, such as stress, Dr. Raj says. When your body releases the hormone cortisol, it can increase your appetite. Lack of sleep can also increase the hunger hormone ghrelin.

You’re not eating mindfully.

IF YOU EAT while scrolling your phone or watching TV, you may feel less satisfied afterward.

A 2024 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that the more distracted people were during meals, the less satisfied they were, and they were less likely to have enjoyed their meals. Those who were distracted and unsatisfied tended to snack more later on than those who weren’t distracted.

Other research has connected distracted eating with a higher body mass index (BMI).

“When you’re eating, you should only be eating,” Dr. Kaplan says. “You shouldn’t be reading, watching TV, listening to the radio. You shouldn’t be at your desk working on your computer.”

Mindful eating is crucial, Dr. Raj says. Paying attention to each bite, chewing slowly, and savoring everything will enhance your enjoyment of your meals and increase after-meal satisfaction.

You’re very fit.

IF YOU EXERCISE a lot, you’re burning more calories and may have a bigger appetite and a faster metabolism, so you might feel hungry frequently, Dr. Raj says. You may need to eat more food at meal times; just make sure it’s a balanced meal.

The phase of your training, such as pre-workout, recovery, or post-workout, can also influence your hunger, but it depends on the person, Planells says. Fueling up before activities is important for your muscles and stamina while looking for fuel after an activity is also important.

“Some may need a little bit of time before developing an appetite while others, like myself, are ready to chow after some exercise,” he says.

You’re exhausted or stressed.

YOUR MOOD, INCLUDING how stressed or tired you feel, could make you feel hungry after eating.

Sleep deprivation can increase ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and decrease leptin, which Planells says will boost hunger and cravings, especially for salty, savory, or high-calorie foods.

Stress eating is also a factor. That, along with anxiety, could make people want to eat more, Dr. Kaplan says. Chronic stress elevates your cortisol, which may trigger cravings for comfort foods that are high in sugar and fat, Planells adds.

“This emotional eating may contribute to over-consumption of foods even when the body doesn’t need more energy,” Planells explains.

You’re not eating enough.

ONE SIMPLE REASON you feel hungry after eating is that you simply haven’t eaten enough food. Planells says this could be due to skipping meals or going on a restrictive diet. Or, you may be burning excess calories.

“Missing meals or extending your periods between meals or snacks may cause a major drop in blood sugar, leading to intense hunger later in the day and possibly overeating,” he adds.

Make sure your plate features multiple food groups, including protein and fiber. And eat the appropriate amount of calories for your age and activity level. Active men typically need 2,400 to 2,600 a day, while those who aren’t active need around 2,000 calories, according to the National Institute on Aging.

You have a medical problem or take certain medications.

SOMETIMES, A HEALTH problem could cause you to feel hungry after eating or just all the time. Diabetes, for example, can cause insulin resistance, blood sugar shifts, and hunger after eating, Dr. Raj says. Obesity can have similar effects.

An overactive thyroid, known as hyperthyroidism, can increase metabolism and energy needs, leading to increased hunger as the body uses up its energy sources quickly, Planells says.

A rare genetic disease called Prader-Willi Syndrome causes an insatiable hunger, and someone may constantly look for food, Planells says.

Medications, including antidepressants or steroids, may also increase appetite generally, Dr. Raj.

How to Avoid Eating More Right After a Meal

FIRST, GIVE YOUR diet a once over. Making sure your meals consist of plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, beans, and whole grains will give you enough fiber and protein to feel full and satisfied for longer, Planells says.

Chew slowly and concentrate on what you’re eating during mealtimes, Dr. Raj says. Eating too fast or not focusing on the taste and texture of your meals diminishes satiety.

If you still feel hungry after eating, wait 20 to 30 minutes before having a snack, she urges. You should give your body a little time to start the digestive process—and the hunger might go away.

If you’re still hungry, consider why you want more food. Are you truly hungry? Are you bored or stressed? Sometimes, eating more after meals can simply be a bad habit, Dr. Kaplan says. If you’re not actually hungry, try to resist eating more.

When choosing snacks, go for high-fiber, high-protein options, Dr. Raj says. Planells recommends apple slices with peanut butter.

When to Worry

USUALLY, STILL FEELING hungry after eating isn’t much to worry about, and you can probably solve the problem by adjusting your diet and eating more mindfully.

But if you’ve tried those things and your appetite still seems to be in overdrive, or if you’re gaining weight, Dr. Raj suggests talking to your doctor. Also, see your healthcare provider if your increased hunger levels seem to come out of nowhere.

“There may be something else going on to investigate,” she says.