High protein breakfast may reduce food cravings in teenage girls
19 Sep 2011

High-protein breakfast may reduce food cravings in teenage girls

2 mins to read
Online personal trainer Andrew Cate investigates new research that suggests a protein-rich breakfast may help to reduce appetite and control cravings.


The importance of breakfast

Most of us are aware of the importance of breakfast for weight loss, with benefits such as an elevation of metabolic rate, and improved energy levels for the rest of the day. But it’s also a meal that is often skipped, especially amongst teenage girls.

Skipping breakfast can often result in unhealthy snacking afterwards, and is associated with excess body fat. However, new research suggests that eating breakfast can be a good strategy for appetite control and the prevention of overeating in young girls.

The research suggested that the protein content of a breakfast meal may help determine how effective it is in helping to reduce appetite and control cravings.

The research

Teenage girls who ate breakfast on two days or less each week were tested on a breakfast-free day. They were then given six days of a high protein breakfast and six days of a normal protein breakfast. Breakfast was either cereal and milk (normal protein content) or protein-enriched waffles with syrup and yoghurt (high protein content).

Questionnaires were used to evaluate appetite and satiety (fullness), and MRI scans of the brain were performed just prior to lunch to identify brain responses

Both types of breakfast resulted in reduced brain activation in areas such as perceived hunger, desire to eat, and food motivation prior to lunch.

But the results also showed that the high-protein breakfast eaters caused even more positive changes. The extra protein seemed to help the girls control their appetite and stay satisfied for longer – meaning they could be less likely to snack on high sugar and high fat foods afterwards.

Lifestyle implications

Having a healthy breakfast containing protein-rich foods can be an easy strategy for young girls to control their appetite. They may also be less likely to snack throughout the day.

Being a building block of all the cells in the body, protein may also be helpful to help healthy skin, nails, and hair, which can often be a priority for teenage girls.

Here are some suggestions on how to include more protein rich foods at breakfast time:

  • Eat more eggs – Eggs are packed with protein, and are the ideal breakfast food. The yolks do contain some saturated fat and cholesterol, so limit your intake to 3-5 a week if you have any concerns about your heart health. You can always add extra egg whites to make up the difference. Some suggestions include French wholegrain toast, omelettes, poached eggs, scrambled eggs and hard boiled eggs. Try to accompany your eggs with foods like baked beans, grilled tomato, grilled mushroom, steamed spinach and smoked salmon instead of bacon, sausages and hash browns to keep your fat and kilojoule intake under control.
  • Protein-rich smoothies – Smoothies are quick and easy to prepare, and can be loaded with protein if you include a scoop of protein powder, and some low fat milk or soy drink. Then add your favourite fruit, such as strawberries, banana, or mango, with a little ice and a spoonful of low fat natural yoghurt. You can also add a little fibre to fill you up even more, such as psyllium husk, oats or ground nuts. Just make sure to let them soak in milk for a few minutes before serving to help them soften. Yum!
  • Protein enriched pancakes – The research used waffles enriched with protein powder to great effect, but you can do the same with pancakes. Pancakes already contain eggs and milk (or a soy alternative), but you can boost the protein content even further by using a little less flour, and adding a scoop of protein powder. When making the pancakes, use skim milk (or a low fat soy alternative), and a low-fat oil to lower the fat and kilojoule content. Top with your choice of fruit such as chopped banana, raspberries or blueberries, fragrant spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, and a small portion of syrup.

References available on request



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