Ideal food choices are influenced by mealtime, new research is starting to suggest.
In one study, men ate one of two breakfasts, each with an equal number of calories, and then ate freely for the rest of the day. The men who had a protein-rich breakfast (scrambled eggs and toast) not only reported feeling less hungry at lunchtime, but also ate about 400 fewer calories over the following 24 hours, when compared with men who had the carb-rich breakfast (a bagel with low-fat cream cheese and low-fat yogurt.)
Protein has long been known as the most satiating food source, although the extra fat in the egg breakfast could have also contributed to the long-lasting satiety. While the study was funded by the Egg Nutrition Center, senior researcher Maria Fernandez of the University of Connecticut said "other types of protein could have the same effect, including tuna, chicken, meat and steak." One might want to avoid manufactured protein supplements, however.
Other studies have also supported the value of hearty, even rich, breakfasts when it comes to healthy eating -- especially if lighter choices are made at later meals.
Eating this way, Fernandez told LiveScience, "is especially good when people are trying to lose weight. If you eat a high-protein meal at breakfast, it helps decrease your appetite for the rest of the day."
Fernandez's study was published in February 2010 in the journal Nutrition Research.
