Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. Eating a healthy breakfast can give you the energy and nutrients you need to kickstart your day and keep you feeling full until your next meal. However, when it comes to weight loss, not all breakfast options are created equal. Traditional breakfast foods, such as sugary cereals and pastries, can hinder your weight loss goals.
This is where a savoury breakfast comes in. Incorporating protein and healthy fats into your morning meal can boost metabolism, control cravings, and maintain stable blood sugar levels – all crucial for successful weight loss.
But why does a savoury breakfast work so well for weight loss? Let's look deeper into the science behind this popular meal choice.
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Sustained Satiety
One of the main reasons a savoury breakfast is effective for weight loss is its ability to keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer periods of time. This can be attributed to the presence of protein and healthy fats, which take longer to digest compared to simple carbohydrates found in many traditional breakfast foods.
A study by HJ Leidy and colleagues aimed to examine the effects of adding a breakfast high in dietary protein on appetite and food intake in adolescents who regularly skipped breakfast. This is important as breakfast skipping has been linked to overeating, weight gain, and obesity.
I think that is interesting. Many studies also show that intermittent fasting is healthy. If we should do a dive into the fasting - please let me know in comments below.
The study included 13 participants aged 14.3 years on average, with a body mass index percentile of 79%. Each participant completed three testing days where they either consumed a normal-protein breakfast, a protein-rich breakfast or no breakfast at all. The normal-protein contained 18g of protein while the protein-rich breakfast contained 48g, making up 24% of their estimated daily energy needs.
After the breakfast meals, participants reported feeling less hungry and more full compared to when they skipped breakfast. The protein-rich breakfast in particular led to greater reductions in appetite compared to both the normal-protein and no breakfast conditions. There was also an increase in PYY concentrations, a hormone that helps regulate appetite, following both breakfast meals but not after skipping breakfast.
Furthermore, the protein-rich breakfast also resulted in fewer calories consumed during lunch compared to skipping or consuming a normal-protein breakfast. This suggests that adding a protein-rich breakfast can lead to better appetite control and reduced energy intake throughout the day for adolescents who regularly skip breakfast.
This study provides evidence that incorporating a protein-rich breakfast can have significant benefits for appetite control and food intake in adolescents. Overall, this study highlights the importance of starting the day with a nutritious breakfast to support healthy eating habits throughout the day.
The addition of a protein-rich breakfast can have positive effects on appetite regulation and contribute to successful weight management.
Stabilized Blood Sugar Levels
We all know the relationship of sugar and weight gain. Consuming simple carbohydrates, such as those found in traditional breakfast foods, can cause a huge spike in blood sugar levels leading to an increase in insulin production. This process can result in the storage of excess glucose as fat and lead to feelings of hunger and cravings for more sugary foods.
By incorporating protein and healthy fats into your breakfast, you can help stabilize blood sugar levels, keeping them from spiking too high. This is because protein and fats take longer to digest and therefore provide sustained energy without causing a drastic rise in blood sugar levels.
In fact, a study published by Keyi X and colleagues investigated the effects of a high protein breakfast on postprandial glucose levels in healthy adults. The study found that compared to a normal breakfast, a high protein breakfast was effective in suppressing postprandial glucose levels not only after breakfast, but also after lunch and dinner.
The randomized crossover design study included 12 healthy young participants who were provided with test meals at fixed meal times for four trials over two weeks. Continuous Glucose Monitoring was used to assess blood glucose levels throughout the experiment.
The results showed that the high protein breakfast significantly reduced the postprandial glucose levels by 3 hours after breakfast and by 1.5 hours after lunch. If you’re wondering, postprandial means: after a meal. Additionally, the high protein breakfast suppressed overall postprandial glucose levels during lunch compared to a normal breakfast. However, this effect was attenuated when skipping lunch.
Therefore, incorporating a high protein breakfast into your daily routine can help stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day, reducing the risk of weight gain and promoting overall health and satiety. The study supports the idea that making simple changes to our diet, such as choosing a high protein breakfast instead of traditional options, can have a positive impact on our health and weight management.