Why eating a low-protein snack makes you eat more
Self-selected meal composition alters the relationship between same-day caloric intake and appetite scores in humans during a long-term ad-libitum feeding study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A single low-protein meal caused a 262 kcal spike in daily intake—without any change in hunger or fullness ratings.
Common belief: more food = more hunger. This flips it: more food = protein deficit, not hunger. Appetite signals are decoupled from intake.
Practical Takeaways
If you're trying to manage weight on a high-protein diet, avoid skipping planned meals for low-protein snacks—opt for protein-rich options even if you're not hungry.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
A single low-protein meal caused a 262 kcal spike in daily intake—without any change in hunger or fullness ratings.
Common belief: more food = more hunger. This flips it: more food = protein deficit, not hunger. Appetite signals are decoupled from intake.
Practical Takeaways
If you're trying to manage weight on a high-protein diet, avoid skipping planned meals for low-protein snacks—opt for protein-rich options even if you're not hungry.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Nutrition
Year
2022
Authors
A. Horgan, G. Palmbach, Julia M Jordan, H. Callahan, Kaatje E. Meeuws, D. Weigle, M. Kratz, J. Purnell
Related Content
Claims (10)
Even when people eat more or less than usual because they chose a different meal, they don’t feel hungrier or fuller than normal.
How full or hungry people feel doesn’t explain why they eat more or less after choosing their own meal.
Eating less protein makes people eat more calories — but not because they feel hungrier. Something else is going on.
What you eat in one meal matters more for how many calories you eat that day than how hungry or full you feel.
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.