Diet Talk from the Doc
by Dr.Diet, Diet.com's Medical Director

Increasing protein in your diet could reduce hunger and aid in weight loss, according to an animal study published in Cell Metabolism. Higher protein intake in the diet increased levels of PYY, a hunger-fighting hormone.

To read the full article, click here:
Higher Protein Diet Helps Keep Hunger Away

Dr. Diet weighs in:

We’ve known for a long time that the right mix of nutrients in your food can affect your hunger level. This study gives us more insight into the hormonal mechanism between protein intake and hunger levels.

We have also learned that the higher protein content in the low carb diets is what leads to a decrease in hunger, not the effects of the carbohydrate restriction.

This study supports what we suggest in clinical practice: keep hunger at bay by eating meals and snacks that contain lean protein and are high in fiber. Here are some protein source examples to include in your daily meals and snacks:

•At breakfast: low fat cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, egg substitutes or egg whites, low fat mueslix with nuts (found in bulk in health food stores) and nonfat milk added to cereal, high protein/high fiber cereal like Kashi Go Lean Crunch, smoked salmon, meal replacement bar or drink, Morningstar Farms sausage links and breakfast patties

•At lunch: lean chicken, turkey, roast beef, tuna fish, peanut butter, bean soup, low fat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, light cheese

•At dinner: lean chicken, fish, seafood, beef, vegetarian protein sources like tofu, seitan, Morningstar Chik’n Strips, Boca Burgers, Dr. Praeger’s California Burgers, hearty bean soup, 3-bean salad, bean lasagna, bean fajitas

•At snack time: light string cheese, hummus dip, bean dip, peanut butter, low fat yogurt, unsalted almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans, edamame