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A high protein breakfast of eggs and steak could help you stay slim and stop dieters snacking at night, scientists say.
Experts at the University of Missouri have found that a breakfast rich in protein significantly improves appetite control and reduces unhealthy snacking on high-fat or high-sugar foods in the evening.
But according to research some 60 per cent of American young people consistently skip ‘the most important meal of the day.’
Now, Heather Leidy, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology says a proper breakfast could hold the key to solving the American obesity crises, which currently sees more than 25 million overweight or obese young adults in the U.S.
Leidy is the first to examine the impact of breakfast consumption on daily appetite and evening snacking in young people who habitually skip breakfast.
In her study, 20 overweight or obese adolescent females ages 18-20 either skipped breakfast, consumed a high-protein breakfast consisting of eggs and lean beef, or ate a normal-protein breakfast of ready-to-eat cereal.
Every breakfast consisted of 350 calories and was matched for dietary fat, fiber, sugar and energy density.
The high-protein breakfast contained 35 grams of protein. Participants completed questionnaires and provided blood samples throughout the day.
Prior to dinner, a brain scan using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed to track brain signals that control food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior.
