Got a teenager with bad eating habits? A high-protein snack in the afternoon can regulate their hunger and stop unhealthy snacking in the evening, a new study has found.
High-protein snacks can also improve mood and cognitive function, and are a healthier option than the convenience snacks that are invariably high in fat and sugar, say researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
They used a soy-protein pudding, which was specially-prepared for the experiment and isn’t generally available, but any high-protein snack would have similar positive effects, they say.
They gave a group of teenagers aged between 13 and 19 the healthy snack and monitored their food choices the rest of the day and for a few days afterwards. The high-protein snack regulated their eating, made them feel less hungry and even encouraged them to eat more protein and less fat the following day.
(Source: Journal of Nutrition, 2015; doi: 10.3945/jn.115.212092)
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