It is known that a protein-rich meal keeps you full for longer. The reason for this is the satiety hormone PYY. Depending on the amount of food and protein intake , it is produced in the wall of the small intestine and released from there into the blood . It is transported with the blood to the hunger-satiety center in the hypothalamus, where it influences our feeling of hunger and satiety.
A study by Leidy HJ and Racki EM was published in February 2010 at the University of Kansas for Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences, which investigated whether a protein-rich breakfast influences energy intake at lunch. The test subjects ate three different breakfast meals on three different test days:
- One breakfast consisted of a meal with a normal protein content.
- The second consisted of the same meal, but it was additionally enriched with whey protein, so that the protein content was significantly higher than the first.
- The third breakfast consisted only of water.
Four hours after breakfast , the test subjects were able to choose their own lunch from a buffet. During the rest of the day, they were allowed to eat according to their own hunger. However, they had to record exactly what they ate.
The evaluation showed that the appetite before lunch was greatest at breakfast, which consisted only of water. No wonder!
After the other two breakfast meals, the test subjects were no longer hungry and felt full.
Four hours after the high-protein breakfast, hunger was lower than after the normal breakfast.
A blood test also showed that the PYY concentration in the blood was higher after the high-protein meal than after the other two breakfasts. When selecting the lunch, it was observed that a lunch with approx. 370 kcal was selected after the high-protein breakfast. After the other two breakfasts, lunches with approx. 500 kcal were consumed. In other words, around 1.5 times more! After lunch, the test subjects were able to continue eating as they pleased. The comparison of the eating protocols of the different test days showed that there were no differences in the total energy intake until the end of the day.
Conclusion: Regardless of which breakfast and lunch the test subjects had eaten, they had consumed the same amount of calories at the end of each test day. The reduced calorie intake at lunch had no effect on the total energy intake for the day.
However, the question arises as to what effect it would have if lunch had also been high in protein. The study supports the theory that increased protein consumption can be an important factor in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Protein-rich foods include milk, dairy products, eggs, meat, fish and pulses.
Tips on how to make your breakfast protein-rich:
- Enjoy a muesli with milk.
- Mix fresh, chopped fruit with yoghurt or quark.
- Prepare yourself a cheese or meat sandwich.
- Drink a glass of milk. If you like it fruity, you can puree fresh berries or fruit puree with the milk and prepare a milkshake.
- Boiled eggs, cheese and meat side dishes are particularly delicious at Sunday brunch.
Source: SMP - Swiss Milk Producers:
Eiweiss zum Zmorge
Da bin ich ja beruhigt: Als ich den Titel las, dachte ich schon, ich müsste jetzt wie die Amis verbrutzelten Speck zum Frühstück verschlingen oder gar die Schlabberwürstchen des English Breakfast. Zum Glück tun's auch Milch, Käse, Eier oder Müesli!