A protein rich breakfast beverage consumed as a breakfast meal leads to weaker dietary responses than a protein rich solid meal
I routinely push for a high protein breakfast with a good serving of healthy fats for all bio-signature clients as well as anyone who asks what a healthy breakfast consists of. A group of researchers did some valuable research looking at whether all protein is created equal with regards to breakfast. The researchers compared a solid protein meal with a liquid meal replacement shake to assess the level of satiation and dietary responses following breakfast. The group tested consisted of young adolescents. Both meals ingested where of equal caloric content and macro nutrient profile.
Interestingly the researchers found that both groups experienced the same level of satiation, but the liquid groups dietary habits were quite different post meal. The liquid meal group consumed much higher calories in the meals following the breakfast shake.
I found these results intriguing as I would have assumed those with a liquid meal to have much less satiation than the solid meal. Anecdotally this seams to be the case with near 100% of people I know who have experimented. Beyond the satiation effect the most interesting results were with regard to caloric consumption in the following meals. The liquid group consumed higher levels of food similar to studies comparing high carbohydrate breakfasts to high protein breakfast eaters. High carbohydrate and liquid protein meals will drive subjects to consume more food post breakfast. This is possibly due to the hormonal and peptide responses to food.
The best breakfast choice is the meat and nut breakfast. It is simple choose a lean cut of meat (preferably red meat) and a small handful of nuts (pick your favorite). Most people simply have to get past the thought of meat for breakfast as it is not conventional, but it displays the best satiation effects due to the high protein content, and weight loss goals due to controlling appetite and insulin.
