The idea that carbohydrates are fattening and protein is slimming has persisted in the American psyche for as long as bunless hamburgers and cottage cheese have been served as the “diet plate.” But most experts insist that Americans eat more than enough protein, and they point out that obesity is practically unknown among Asian people who follow traditional high-carbohydrate diets.
That is, unless they migrate to the United States and start eating supersized burgers and sitting in front of the television along with the rest of us.
On the other hand, there is concern that a large share of the excess calories in the American diet is coming from refined carbohydrates. And too much of the wrong kind of carbs at the wrong time of day can trigger overeating, says Donald Layman, professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“Controlling the amount of carbohydrate at breakfast is critical for people who struggle with their weight,” he said.
“A typical breakfast of a bagel, jelly and a glass of fruit juice–very high in carbs and very low in protein and fat–sends blood sugar and insulin soaring,” he said, “and then hunger sets in about two hours later after all that insulin has done its job of lowering blood sugar too well.”
Layman’s research in the area of protein metabolism leads him to believe that eating a higher proportion of breakfast calories as protein steadies blood glucose levels and keeps hunger at bay. The carbohydrate content of a meal determines how much insulin is released to move sugar (glucose) from the blood into cells where it can be used for energy or stored as fat. Low blood glucose is a trigger for hunger, and a mid-morning dip may result from eating a large load of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates on an empty stomach with very little protein or fat to slow things down.
Replacing carb calories with protein not only lowers the amount of insulin released, Layman says, but it also helps by supplying leucine, an amino acid that is converted first to alanine and then to glucose. The glucose produced by this “alanine cycle” sustains blood glucose (and satiety) until the next meal.
But Layman’s recommendation to eat 40 percent of calories as protein–more than twice the amount recommended by every major health group–goes too far for most nutrition experts, including Jeanne Goldberg, director of the Center on Nutrition Communication at Tufts University’s School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
“While it is true that protein contributes to satiety and may help individuals get from one meal to the next without experiencing a lot of discomfort related to hunger, I think a cereal-with-milk breakfast will do that,” Goldberg says.
Experimenting with high-protein breakfasts may be worth it for people who struggle with weight and the daily seduction of a mid-morning doughnut. The trick is getting protein without the saturated fat that comes with a plate of bacon and sausage, for instance.
Choose lean proteins (soy protein, egg whites) or protein foods that contain healthful fats (fatty fish such as salmon or sardines), and be sure to include some good carbohydrates for nutrients and fiber (see accompanying story).
Of course, the bottom line for weight control is to never lose sight of what’s really important, says Marion Nestle, who chairs the department of food and nutrition at New York University.
“Nearly everyone needs to eat less,” she says, “because it’s hard for most people to do the amount of exercise needed to lose weight without changing caloric intake.
“If extra protein helps people do that, well, fine. My recommendation: Just eat less. This is hard to do at first, but gets much easier with practice.”
HIGH-PROTEIN, LOW-FAT BREAKFASTS
It’s not easy to create a decent breakfast that gets 40 percent of its calories from protein without resorting to high protein products such as soy protein concentrate and egg substitutes. Most high-protein foods are too high in saturated fat.
Fish lovers have an easy out: A smoked trout omelet or sardines on very thin crackers, for example, provide lots of protein, little saturated fat and a bonus of beneficial fish oils.
The following two sample breakfasts are “nutrient dense (no empty calories) but low in fiber because high-carbohydrate whole grains have been left out to raise the percentage of protein calories.
Such good carbohydrates and other high-fiber foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables should be included later in the day.
Breakfast No. 1
1 cup non-fat milk
Omelet cooked in a non-stick skillet:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 ounce Canadian bacon, diced
1/4 cup chopped peppers and onions
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
230 calories, 24 grams protein (41 percent of calories)
Breakfast No. 2
Shake prepared in a blender:
1 ounce soy protein concentrate (available at health food stores and some supermarkets)
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk
250 calories, 25 grams protein (40 percent of calories)
Q & A
Q: I took great interest in your article about the use of antibiotics in beef/chicken production. How does one buy food that hasn’t been treated with antibiotics?
Mary Dorencz
Aurora
A: There are many producers of antibiotic-free beef and poultry across the country; Whole Foods, Wild Oats and other natural foods stores are retail sources. But safe food handling is equally important for protecting against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other pathogens in the environment. Unfortunately, foods generally thought of as safe have also been the cause of serious food-borne illness. For example, the deadly E. coli 0157:H7, which was first found in undercooked hamburgers, has also been linked to outbreaks from contaminated apple cider, lettuce, sprouts, potatoes and produce from manure-fertilized gardens. The problem is that these strains of E.coli, which can cause hemolytic anemia and kidney failure in humans, are harmless to animal carriers, including cattle, deer, sheep and seagulls.
The solution: Always thoroughly wash fresh produce and cook meat and poultry to recommended temperatures. Also be sure to wash utensils, counters and cutting boards with hot, soapy water to reduce chances of spreading bugs from raw meat to already cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw.
For more information on food-borne pathogens and safe food handling, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 800-535-4555, or visit this Web site:
www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/foodsci/agentinfo
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Elizabeth Hiser’s e-mail address is hisers@together.net.
