The secret to snacking less

According to a study by the University of Missouri in the US, the consumption of a high-protein breakfast could make us feel more full – a process known as ‘satiety’. It could also reduce brain activity responsible for controlling food cravings.

And how about this for a bonus?

“The high-protein breakfast also reduced evening snacking on high-fat and high-sugar foods compared to when breakfast was skipped or when a normal protein, ready-to-eat cereal breakfast was consumed,” reported Heather Leidy, lead study author and an assistant professor from the university’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology.

In her study, twenty overweight or obese adolescent females ages 18-20 skipped breakfast, consumed a high-protein breakfast consisting of eggs and lean beef, or ate a normal-protein breakfast of ready-to-eat cereal. The high-protein breakfast contained 35 grams of protein.

A large egg delivers about six grams of protein– so topping up your protein intake from other breakfast sources is probably not a bad idea. I sometimes like to add natural peanut butter to my eggs on toast, for instance (don’t scoff until you’ve tried it!).

Besides protein, eggs also deliver a whole host of other nutrients, including fats, the antioxidant selenium, iron and zinc – the latter of which supports your immune system.

As nutritionist and author of ‘The Complete Food and Nutrition Companion’ Catherine Saxelby says: “For a very modest 355 kilojoules, you also get 18 different vitamins – every kind except vitamin C.”

She also mentions eggs’ vitamin B12 content, which is traditionally hard to obtain on vegetarian diets. “There’s also choline, a B vitamin that’s important for brain and liver metabolism.”

Easy egg ideas from Saxelby

• Serve poached eggs with asparagus and chutney on toasted Turkish bread or crunchy, grainy toast
• Add hard-boiled eggs to salads and rice dishes
• Beat eggs and mix in chopped green onions (shallots), parsley, grated cheese and a little ham and cook a quick omelette for dinner
• A raw eggs cracked into a smoothie will boost the protein and make a well-rounded breakfast on the go (this isn’t one for the elderly or the pregnant though)

References available on request