When the proportion of protein in the diet is lowered from 15% to 10% of total calories, people tend to eat more total food to maintain their protein intake, resulting in higher overall energy consumption.

People can eat a lot more without feeling hungrier — meaning something other than hunger might be making them eat more.

When people eat a meal with less protein than usual, they tend to eat more total calories that day — and this pattern holds up even when accounting for other factors.

When lean adults reduce their protein intake from 15% to 10% of their daily calories, they tend to eat about 12% more calories over four days, mostly by snacking more on savory foods, suggesting that lower protein levels may lead to increased overall food consumption.

Eating a meal with less protein makes you eat more calories — but not because you’re hungrier. Something else about the meal is making you eat more.

Eating more protein makes you feel fuller than eating lots of carbs or fats, which can help you eat less and lose weight over time.