A Pre-Meal Prune Snack for Weight Management

A common weight management strategy is to focus on foods that provide higher levels of satiety (feelings of fullness) in an attempt to reduce hunger and overall calorie intake.  Foods rich in protein and fiber are commonly used as part of this weight loss strategy.  A new study explored the potential benefit of including prunes (dried European plums) as part of a pre-meal snack as a strategy to reduce subsequent food consumption.

In their study, researchers provided 45 healthy, normal weight men with one of two pre-meal snacks.  One of the pre-meal snacks included prunes, while the other pre-meal snack included a bread product (instead of the prunes) and had the same caloric value and weight.  After consuming their pre-meal snack, the study volunteers were offered an all-you-can-eat meal with dessert.  Food and dessert intake and feelings associated with appetite were assessed.  The study investigators reported that:

• Volunteers consuming the prune-based snack consumed fewer calories at the following meal.
• Consuming the prune-based pre-meal snack also resulted in a lower amount of dessert consumed after the meal.
• At all time points tested between consumption of the snack and the following meal, volunteers who ate the prune-based snack reported less hunger and a less desire to eat.

The results of this study suggest that prunes have a satiating effect, thereby reducing food consumption at the next meal.  The study investigators suggest that the ability of prunes to increase one's feeling of fullness is likely due to their fiber content; one-fourth cup of prunes contains more than 10% of the daily value of dietary fiber.  In addition to promoting satiety, dietary fiber has been reported to have a number of potential health benefits, so including fiber-rich foods is a healthy choice for any diet plan. 

Making snacks or meals that are rich in satiety-promoting ingredients like fiber and protein, can be an effective part of a good weight management plan.  By aiming for foods that help you feel full, you can reduce overall caloric intake throughout the day.  My protein bars and shakes contain 20 grams of protein to help you feel full and my soy protein bars also contain 5 grams of healthy fiber.  Visit us to learn more.

Different Proteins Impact Appetite Differently

Numerous research studies have reported that dietary protein consumed at one meal can reduce appetite at the following meal.  However, some studies have suggested that different proteins might impact appetite differently. 

A recent nutrition study published online in the British Journal of Nutrition, examined the impact of 4 different types of protein on appetite and energy intake in lean men.  For this study, 22 lean, healthy men were asked to eat four meals at four different occasions with each meal containing a different protein source.  These four protein meals were whey, tuna, turkey, and egg white.  After consuming each meal, blood samples were collected to measure changes in blood sugar.  Appetite and energy intake were measured four hours after the first meal by offering the study volunteers a buffet meal and measuring food consumption.  The study researchers reported that:

• The whey and tuna meals had less of an impact on blood sugar than the turkey and egg white meals.
• Rating of hunger were substantially lower after the whey protein meal compared to each of the other three protein meals.
• Calorie consumption at the buffet meal was significantly lower after the whey protein meal compared to the tuna, egg, and turkey meals.

Overall, these results suggest that a whey protein meal reduces appetite and calorie intake at a subsequent meal to a greater extent than meals rich in tuna, egg, or turkey proteins.  Therefore, choosing dietary proteins that can make you feel full for a longer period of time is one weight management strategy by which an individual might be able to reduce their appetite and overall food consumption as part of their weight loss plan. 

My protein bars and shakes are available in soy protein or milk protein (whey and casein), proteins that have been reported to help control appetite.  Visit us to learn more about my easy diet plan.