Lean Protein Helps Dieters Resist Late Night Snacks

Does being on a diet tempt you to munch snacks late at night. You can overcome the urge by including lean proteins like chicken breast, fish, egg whites or cottage cheese in your meals.

Lean proteins that also include beans, fish, protein powder and lean pork increase feelings of fullness and decrease distracting thoughts about food, says a new study.

Researchers at Purdue University conducted two studies on overweight and obese men eating either a normal protein diet (14 percent of total calories from protein), or a higher protein diet (25 percent of total calories from lean protein).

They looked at short-term and long-term effects of the two protein levels in both the studies, reports the journal Obesity 1,2.

The higher protein diets were associated with greater feelings of fullness during weight loss, and in the longer study, particularly decreased late-night desires to eat -- key findings that could ultimately reduce calorie intake and affect weight loss success, according to a Purdue statement.

"Our research shows that eating about a quarter of one's daily calories as lean protein (pork) and other high quality proteins three times a day is a powerful dietary weapon for people seeking weight loss," said study lead Heather Leidy.

Comments Leidy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at the University of Missouri