Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In a study in 20 young healthy women, provided 3 days with a high protein or two forms of high carbohydrate and fat snacks consumed 11.25% less calories at dinner on the fourth day.

In a 2014 study, 20 healthy women (body mass index between 22 and 24 kg/m2) between the ages of 25 and 29 were fed 1 of 3 160-calorie snacks for 3 consecutive days:

  • 6 ounces of high-protein yogurt providing 14 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrate, and 0 grams of fat = 7 women
  • 10 high-fat crackers providing 0 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams fat = 7 women
  • 9 pieces of high-fat chocolate containing 2 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrate, and 9 grams fat = 6 women

On the 4th day, each woman consumed a standardized 300-calorie breakfast and 500-calories lunch and then their assigned snack 3 hours after lunch, completing a questionnaire measuring perceived hunger and fullness throughout the afternoon until they voluntarily requested dinner.

The researchers noted that those consuming the high-protein yogurt snack showed greater reductions in perceived afternoon hunger versus the high-fat chocolate and high-fat cracker groups (p < 0.01).  In addition, not only did those in the high-fat yogurt group request dinner 30 minutes later than the high-fat chocolate snack (p < 0.01) and 20 minutes later than the high-fat crackers snack group (p = 0.07), those in the high-fat yogurt group consumed 11.25% fewer calories at dinner than the high-fat chocolate group (710 versus 800 calories, p < 0.05) and 13.5% fewer calories than the high-fat crackers group (710 versus 820 calories, p = 0.08).

For the researchers, “These data suggest that, when compared to high-fat snacks, eating less energy dense, high protein snacks like yogurt improves appetite control, satiety, and reduces subsequent food intake in healthy women.”

Source: Ortinau et al.Effects of high-protein vs. high- fat snacks on appetite control, satiety, and eating initiation in healthy women. Ortinau et al. Nutrition Journal 2014, 13:97 http://www.nutritionj.com/content/13/1/97

© 2014 Ortinau et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

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Posted January 20, 2015.

Reference:

Ortinau LC.  Effects of high-protein vs. high- fat snacks on appetite control, satiety, and eating initiation in healthy women.  Nutr J 2014;13:97. doi: 10.1186/1475-289