Plus, the one you should go for instead
We’ve got some good news, and we’ve got some bad news. Let’s start with the bad news: Having toast for breakfast may increase your odds of weight gain. But the good news? Eggs may help you stay svelte. At least, that’s according to the latest what’s-the-best-breakfast-for-weight-loss study from the journal Appetite, which found that high-carbohydrate and low-fat breakfasts could make you gain weight, whereas low-carbohydrate, high-fat ones can help you slim down.
For the study, University of Alabama researchers had 64 overweight adults, ages 21 to 50, eat one of two breakfasts: a high-carb, low-fat meal or a low-carb, high-fat meal. Study subjects ate their designated meals every day for four weeks. Then, after they’d had that period to get used to the meals, researchers had them eat the breakfasts again—but this time, they measured participants’ insulin and glucose levels both pre- and post-meal. They also asked them to rate their hunger and fullness levels afterward.
The results? The low-carb, high-fat meal won out: Those who had been placed into that category reported feeling less hungry three and four hours after breakfast, whereas those who ate the carb-ier meal reported feeling hungrier. They also had a faster “rise and fall” of glucose levels. Researchers believe that’s because the carbs caused their blood sugar levels to crash earlier, so they were hungrier as a result. And as we’ve said before, fat keeps you full for longer.
The takeaway? Go ahead and leave the yolks in your omelet—and don’t feel like low-fat or even full-fat yogurt should be avoided at all costs.