The Incredible Edible Egg™ II

Posted By elissa on Apr 12, 2010 | 2 comments

I’ve blogged about the virtues of eggs before, but there’s more news on that front…

Eating eggs for breakfast helps reduce calorie consumption throughout the day by 18 percent

Park Ridge, Ill. (April 6, 2010) – A new study demonstrates that eating protein-rich eggs for breakfast reduces hunger and decreases calorie consumption at lunch and throughout the day. The study, published in the February issue of Nutrition Research, found that men who consumed an egg-based breakfast ate significantly fewer calories when offered an unlimited lunch buffet compared to when they ate a carbohydrate-rich bagel breakfast of equal calories.(1) This study supports previous research which revealed that eating eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet helped overweight dieters lose 65 percent more weight and feel more energetic than dieters who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories and volume.(2)

……A Closer Look at the Study

• blood tests showed that ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger when elevated, was significantly higher after the bagel breakfast
• they consumed approximately 400 fewer calories in the 24-hour period following the egg breakfast
• the men ate roughly 112 fewer calories at a buffet lunch three hours following the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast.

I can believe it.  I start the day with eggs more often than not, and find that they make for a far more satisfying meal than anything carb-based (even oatmeal). They’re quick to fix, too… and are a fantastic vehicle for veggies. Veggie omelettes and scrambles are great.  Some combos I like are zucchini/herbs/reduced fat feta, spinach/mushroom/parmesan and red pepper/onion/salsa with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar.  I’ll chase one of these concoctions with some fresh fruit (berries, pineapple or citrus) and am pretty much set for the next 3 – 4 hours.

Of course, I suspect that there’s nothing special per se about eggs, other than they’re a great source of high quality protein. So if you can’t stand eggs (and some people can’t), subbing some other solid protein source will work just as well. There’s really no need to consume traditional breakfast foods at breakfast, after all – if grilled salmon and herb-sauteed vegetables are nutritious at 7:00 p.m., they’re just as nutritious at 7:00 a.m. Go for whatever (high-protein) entree floats your boat.

The point is, skip the toast, cereal, pancakes/waffles, muffins and bagels – go for a breakfast that has staying power. Eggs – and other high quality protein sources – are where it’s at.

Study abstract here.