I’m always looking for ways to get more protein into breakfast so when National Dairy Council invited me to invent a new recipe featuring whey protein, I decided to work on a breakfast casserole…something simple to make but impressive enough to trot out for company.
Calorie for calorie, protein can help you feel fuller longer than carbohydrates or fats. And whey protein powder is a convenient way to add complete, high-quality protein to a recipe. I use it almost every morning in my smoothie and now I’ve got a new “whey” to add protein to breakfast!Continue reading “Recipe: Spinach and Feta Breakfast Strata”>
The study, which was funded by the American Egg Board, found that people who ate eggs for breakfast were less hungry and ate less for lunch than people who ate cereal. But before you conclude that the study was simply rigged to yield a flattering result for the funder, take a closer look at how it was designed.
Although it’s impossible for a study like this to be truly “blinded” (how do you keep the subject from knowing that they are eating eggs instead of cereal?), the effects on satiety and subsequent food intake were measured objectively as well as subjectively. The subjects were asked to rate their hunger but researchers also took blood samples and found that levels of “hunger” hormones were consistent with their reports. They also didn’t ask the subjects to self-report their subsequent food intake; they actually measured how much the subjects ate (without the subjects being aware of that their intake was being monitored). The study is currently before a peer-review board.
Now, if this were just a story about protein being more filling than carbohydrates, I wouldn’t be wasting space here on my blog with it. (See also: How to eat less without feeling hungry.) But here’s what’s particularly interesting about these results:
The two breakfasts contained virtually the same amount of protein.
The protein in eggs is considered to be a higher quality than wheat protein because it provides a more balanced and complete profile of amino acids. The study suggests, therefore, that when it comes to controlling hunger, it’s not just about how many grams of protein you include in your meal. The quality of the protein appears to be at least as important as the quantity. Definitely something for vegans to keep in mind…it may take more grams of vegetable protein to get the same appetite-controlling effect as you would get from animal sources.
Before we go re-writing the dietary guidelines, I should note that the study only involved 20 subjects, all of whom were obese. It remains to be seen whether we’d see the same results in non-obese subjects (or in a larger study group). I’d also be interested in taking this research a step further, comparing eggs and wheat to other protein sources, like dairy, soy, fish, or legumes.
In the meantime, however, this is an interesting contribution to the “What’s for breakfast” debate.
A company that manufactures a soy-based meal replacement drink funds a study comparing a soy-based meal replacement (i.e., their product) with a “standard breakfast” which had the same number of calories but was lower in protein, higher in refined carbohydrates. They found–gasp!–that the high protein breakfast controlled hunger better and regulated fat-burning metabolism. Conclusion: Meal replacement regimes high in soy protein are beneficial for weight loss and metabolic syndrome.
What about this study design suggests that soy had anything to do with this? The results were completely predictable based solely on the glycemic load and protein content. Here, in fact, is a different study showing that you get more or less the same results using casein (milk protein).
I’ve argued in the past that industry-funded research can play a valuable part in the expensive world of nutrition research. This study, however, was a waste of time, money, and resources. It generates no useful, new information and serves only to promote a product. Shame on the researchers who dignified the study with their time and to the journal that published it.
Here’s a clever way to sneak another serving of vegetables into the day. These pancakes are feather light even though they are made with whole grain flour. The secret is to use whole wheat pastry flour (not bread flour). Look for it in the natural or organic section of your grocery. Continue reading “Harvest Pancakes”>
Several of you have written with questions about oats and oatmeal—in particular, whether steel-cut (or Irish) oats are healthier or more nutritious than regular oats. I think some of you will be surprised by the answer. Read or listen to this week’s podcast here.
I recently came across the following weight loss advice from “Biggest Loser” trainer Bob Harper in Shape Magazine (February 2011, page 171):
“Eating first thing revs your calorie burn…If you don’t eat within two hours of waking, your metabolism can slow down to conserve energy.”
Arrggh! What will it take to put a stake through the heart of this myth-that-will-not-die? Bob Harper and Shape are not the first to perpetuate this urban legend and I’m sure they won’t be the last. But, c’mon! A guy of this clout and a magazine of this caliber should do better than repeat well-worn nonsense. They should be a beacon of accuracy in the swirling fog nutrition misinformation. And so, I’d like to issue…
A Friendly Challenge to Mr. Harper and the Editors of Shape:
Hold the skim latte and bring on the butter? High-fat breakfasts are enjoying a comeback in some circles, after a study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that rats who ate a high fat breakfast burned more fat throughout the day than rats who ate a high carbohydrate breakfast.
But the reality on the ground looks a little different. Multiple studies have found that people who eat high fat breakfasts end up eating more calories over the course of the day–almost certainly trumping any increase in the fat-burning metabolism observed in the mouse study.
That’s not to say that a breakfast high in refined carbohydrates (corn flakes, toast, jelly, juice, etc.) is the way to go. The ideal breakfast for appetite and weight control appears to be one that’s high in both protein and fiber. So bring on the eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt, oatmeal and other whole grain cereals.
As a bonus, research suggests that this type of low-glycemic breakfast may help you burn more fat during your lunch-time workout.
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Special Live Event!
Join me tomorrow night, March 8th, at 9pm Eastern for a forum on breakfast, fitness, and weight management. Joining me for this live webcast are Ben Greenfield of BenGreenfieldFitness.com, Darya Pino, PhD of SummerTomato.com, and Gloria Tsang, MS, RD of Healthcastle.com. Your questions and comments are welcome. The event will be broadcast right here on NutritionOverEasy.com. Click here to RSVP.
I’m always looking for ways to get more protein into breakfast so when National Dairy Council invited me to invent a new recipe featuring whey protein, I decided to work on a breakfast casserole…something simple to make but impressive enough to trot out for company. 
Hold the skim latte and bring on the butter? High-fat breakfasts are enjoying a comeback in some circles, after