7 Reasons Why You Should Pack More Protein to Your Meals
Get More Out of Your Breakfast by Adding Some Extra Protein
Protein is a healthy diet staple—it’s delicious, satisfying, and absolutely essential for your body.
But did you know that it can also be a secret weapon for weight loss? That’s right, eating the right foods can actually help you shed pounds.
Who knew losing weight could be this simple? Here’s how adding more protein to your plate can work in your favor.
1. Keeps You Full Longer
Ever had a sugary cereal for breakfast only to feel ravenous an hour later? Protein can fix that.
Protein takes longer to digest and process than carbohydrates or fats. This leads to feelings of fullness that last longer, which can help prevent overeating and food cravings.
In fact, people who eat protein in the morning consume fewer calories throughout the day because they’re simply not as hungry.
An earlier study found that people who had eggs for breakfast felt fuller longer than those who ate a low-protein, cereal-based breakfast—meaning fewer cravings and less snacking later in the day.
A more recent study in overweight Australian adults found similar results: those who ate eggs for breakfast consumed fewer calories at lunch (about four hours later) compared to when they started their day with a low-protein cereal breakfast.
2. Makes You Eat Fewer Calories
Protein stabilizes your blood sugar levels, reducing cravings and making overeating less likely.
One study found that eating high-protein breakfast led to eating up to 400 fewer calories throughout the day than those who skipped breakfast or ate something low in protein.
Another study explored what happens when people increase protein intake (to about 30%) without reducing carbs. Interestingly, although hormones that normally signal hunger (like ghrelin) went up, participants still felt fuller, ate fewer calories naturally, lost weight, and reduced body fat.
Another study found that increasing your protein intake to 25% cut late-night snacking by half and lowered obsessive thoughts about food—by as much as 60%!
3. Preserves Lean Muscle Mass
When you lose weight, you don’t just shed fat—you also lose muscle and other lean tissues (collectively called fat-free mass). For people at a healthy weight, more than 35% of the weight they lose often comes from this valuable muscle mass.
Unfortunately, losing muscle can make it tougher to keep the weight off in the long run.
Protein helps with that by giving your body the building blocks to maintain lean muscle mass while burning fat and losing weight through fat loss. This is especially important if you’re cutting calories or working out regularly.
Eating extra protein (overfeeding) can improve your body composition by helping you gain more lean muscle mass rather than fat.
4. Burns More Calories
Did you know your body burns more calories digesting protein than it does carbs or fats? This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF), and protein has the highest TEF of any macronutrient.
Eating a protein-rich meal gives your metabolism a little boost—burning extra calories just by eating!
A study found that when participants overate on a low-protein, high-fat diet, their energy expenditure didn’t increase. However, when they consumed excess protein, they burned an extra 260 calories daily—a significant boost for weight loss.
5. Less Likely to Contribute to Belly Fat
Unlike carbs, which are easily stored as fat when consumed in excess, protein is harder for the body to store in fat reserves.
This means that increasing protein intake may help prevent fat accumulation, particularly around the belly.
Case in point: a 2021 study found that having older men increase their protein intake helped shed belly fat.
An older study found that people on a calorie-restricted diet who ate eggs for breakfast lost 65% more weight, reduced their BMI by 61% more, and trimmed 34% more off their waistlines compared to those who ate calorie-matched bagels.
So if you’re on a diet, simply swapping your usual breakfast for something protein-rich like eggs could make losing weight significantly easier.
6. Alters Your Weight-Regulating Hormones
Protein plays a key role in managing appetite-regulating hormones like GLP-1, peptide YY (PYY), and cholecystokinin, which signal fullness to your brain.
Studies have found that high-protein meals increase these hormones while reducing ghrelin levels, the hormone that stimulates hunger.
7. Boosts Metabolism
Eating more protein helps your body build muscle—and the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism runs.
A faster metabolism means your body burns more calories even when you’re just relaxing. I mean, who doesn’t want to lose weight while chilling?
Fill Your Plate With More Protein!
Stuffing more protein to your plate doesn’t have to be complicated—or boring! Think scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt with berries, or even a tofu scramble if you’re plant-based.
So, next time you’re planning a meal, make sure protein is front and center!
What’s your favorite high-protein meal? Feel free to share them—including your recipes—with us!
More Health News
Study Finds: Males and Females Need Different Breakfast for Weight Loss. Learn More
Emotional Eating: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Control It. Learn More
Skipping Breakfast to Lose Weight? Having a High-Protein Breakfast May Be Better. Learn More
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