Greek yogurt cup with pomegranate, mandarin, and walnuts

Why it is filling

A holiday dessert with seasonal fruit and no added sugar, meant for the end of a long meal instead of a tray of turrón and cookies. Nonfat Greek yogurt gives you protein in a cold, creamy texture you eat slowly, and the pomegranate and mandarin bring the sweetness. On a GLP-1 medication, a cold, low-fat dessert often sits better after a big meal than a rich one, and if you want a holiday sweet, a small piece fits alongside.

In numbers, each serving has 17.8 g of protein and 3.4 g of fiber, with an energy density of 79 kcal per 100 g of the dish. In the satiety index by Holt and colleagues (1995), the foods that were most filling per calorie were those with more protein, fiber, and water and less fat.

High in protein

At least 15 g of protein per serving and 6 g per 100 kcal.

Easy to digest

A soft dish with little fat (20 g or less per serving) and no large amounts of ingredients that often cause gas or nausea. This is an editorial call, not a measurement.

Nutritious in small servings

A serving of 300 g (about 10.5 oz) or less with at least 10 g of protein: a lot of nutrition in a small volume.

Low energy density

100 kcal or less per 100 g of the dish: plenty of volume for few calories.

If your appetite is small

• If you get to dessert with no room left, have half a cup: the protein in the yogurt matters more than finishing it.
• Assemble the cups without the walnuts up to 2 hours ahead and keep them in the fridge; add the walnuts when serving so they stay crunchy.