According to a new research, having a breakfast rich in protein significantly helps losing weight as it prevents unnecessary snacking during the day.
Even though researchers and dietitians have constantly stated that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, more than 60 percent of Americans continue to skip this meal. Now, scientists have found one more reason not to skip breakfast and this could be especially helpful for people looking to lose weight.
According to a new study, consuming a breakfast rich in protein significantly helps losing weight as it prevents unnecessary snacking during the day. It also helps in controlling appetite so that one doesn't feel hungry constantly. This can also be beneficial for the more than 25 million overweight or obese young adults in the U.S. as it would improve their diet and prevent them from snacking on high-fat or high-sugar foods.
"Eating a protein-rich breakfast impacts the drive to eat later in the day, when people are more likely to consume high-fat or high-sugar snacks," Heather Leidy, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology said. "These data suggest that eating a protein-rich breakfast is one potential strategy to prevent overeating and improve diet quality by replacing unhealthy snacks with high quality breakfast foods."
Leidy said she knows that many people are skeptical about having breakfast as they are not used to eating so early in the day but according to the professor, it takes the body only 3 days to adjust to eating food earlier in the day.
During the study, participants were given egg and beef-based foods such as burritos or egg-based waffles with applesauce and a beef sausage patty as part of a high-protein breakfast. Leidy also suggests eating plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or ground pork loin as alternatives to reach the 35 grams of protein. However, the professor also clarifies that more studies need to be done on whether regular consumption of protein rich breakfast improves body weight management in young people.
