Pick up know-how for tackling diseases, pests and weeds.
Farm bill, farm marketing, agribusiness webinars, & farm policy.
Find tactics for healthy livestock and sound forages.
Scheduling and methods of irrigation.
Explore our Extension locations around the state.
Commercial row crop production in Arkansas.
Agriculture weed management resources.
Use virtual and real tools to improve critical calculations for farms and ranches.
Learn to ID forages and more.
Explore our research locations around the state.
Get the latest research results from our county agents.
Our programs include aquaculture, diagnostics, and energy conservation.
Keep our food, fiber and fuel supplies safe from disaster.
Private, Commercial & Non-commercial training and education.
Specialty crops including turfgrass, vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals.
Find educational resources and get youth engaged in agriculture.
Gaining garden smarts and sharing skills.
Timely tips for the Arkansas home gardener.
Creating beauty in and around the home.
Maintenance calendar, and best practices.
Coaxing the best produce from asparagus to zucchini.
What’s wrong with my plants? The clinic can help.
Featured trees, vines, shrubs and flowers.
Ask our experts plant, animal, or insect questions.
Enjoying the sweet fruits of your labor.
Herbs, native plants, & reference desk QA.
Growing together from youth to maturity.
Crapemyrtles, hydrangeas, hort glossary, and weed ID databases.
Get beekeeping, honey production, and class information.
Grow a pollinator-friendly garden.
Schedule these timely events on your gardening calendar.
Equipping individuals to lead organizations, communities, and regions.
Guiding communities and regions toward vibrant and sustainable futures.
Guiding entrepreneurs from concept to profit.
Position your business to compete for government contracts.
Find trends, opportunities and impacts.
Providing unbiased information to enable educated votes on critical issues.
Increase your knowledge of public issues & get involved.
Research-based connection to government and policy issues.
Support Arkansas local food initiatives.
Read about our efforts.
Preparing for and recovering from disasters.
Licensing for forestry and wildlife professionals.
Preserving water quality and quantity.
Cleaner air for healthier living.
Firewood & bioenergy resources.
Managing a complex forest ecosystem.
Read about nature across Arkansas and the U.S.
Learn to manage wildlife on your land.
Soil quality and its use here in Arkansas.
Learn to ID unwanted plant and animal visitors.
Timely updates from our specialists.
Eating right and staying healthy.
Ensuring safe meals.
Take charge of your well-being.
Cooking with Arkansas foods.
Making the most of your money.
Making sound choices for families and ourselves.
Nurturing our future.
Get tips for food, fitness, finance, and more!
Understanding aging and its effects.
Giving back to the community.
Managing safely when disaster strikes.
Listen to our latest episode!
By Dave EdmarkThe Cooperative Extension ServiceU of A System Division of AgricultureFast facts:* Study shows overweight kids burn more calories from protein breakfast than from carbohydrate breakfast* Kids were less hungry and had a lower desire to eat after protein breakfast
(737 words)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – People are told repeatedly to eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day. But to make a difference against child obesity, not just any breakfast will do. A protein-based meal makes it more likely that kids – especially overweight ones – will burn more calories than those who eat a carbohydrate-based breakfast.
“Consuming breakfast is linked with health. Breakfast skipping is associated with unhealthy eating habits because data show that those who skip breakfast in the morning tend to make unhealthier food choices and consume more calories later in the day,” said Jamie Baum, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture food science department.
A study that Baum conducted with support of the American Egg Board showed that both normal weight and overweight children who consumed a protein-based breakfast felt less hunger after breakfast than children who had a carbohydrate-based breakfast. Those who ate the protein-based meal also expended more energy, which means they burned more calories, in the hours after breakfast.
Jamie Baum of the Division of Agriculture food science faculty operates the metabolic cart that’s hooked up to a graduate student. The machine measures the amount of oxygen that someone is consuming versus the amount of carbon dioxide being breathed out. Baum used it to measure how many calories children burned after consuming either a protein-based or carbohydrate-based breakfast. (Photo by Dave Edmark.) Credit mandatory.
Baum’s study examined 29 children ages 8 to 12. Sixteen of them were normal weight and 13 were overweight. They visited a facility early one morning and were assigned one of two breakfasts to eat: one was a protein-based meal of one egg, two egg whites, orange juice, two slices of white break and butter; the other was a carbohydrate-based meal of one frozen waffle, butter, maple syrup and orange juice.
“Then we did a series of tests over four hours looking at their blood glucose as well as their energy metabolism and appetite response – how hungry did they feel after this breakfast,” Baum explained.
Their energy metabolism was measured on a machine while the kids lay flat on tables under a clear dome-shaped hood as they watched television programs or movies – no action movies or shows were allowed because they might excite the kids enough to throw off the results.
“The machine, called a metabolic cart, measures gas exchange: the amount of oxygen that they’re consuming versus the amount of carbon dioxide that they’re breathing out,” Baum said. “The machine does some calculations and can tell you how many calories your body is using as well as how many grams of fat or carbohydrates your body is breaking down.”
The data were collected from each child six times during the four hours. Then the kids were treated to a lunch buffet with 20 items available, some classified as healthy and some unhealthy, as the staff recorded how much and what they ate. That ended their experiment for the day. One week later, they repeated the process but were served an opposite breakfast than what they had during the first visit.
The overweight kids who ate the protein-based breakfast burned more calories and broke down more fat and carbohydrates than overweight kids who had the carbohydrate-based breakfast. But there wasn’t much difference in the breakdown among the normal weight kids regardless of the type of breakfast they consumed. Baum noted that the normal weight kids may have a healthier metabolism and can easily break down either type of meal.
“We also found that regardless of body weight, kids consuming the higher protein breakfast stayed full longer, had less hunger and less desire to eat or consume a snack,” she said.
The results showed that the increased energy expenditure demonstrated by the kids who had the protein-based breakfast could contribute to increased energy expenditure and reducing obesity in overweight children. A longer-term study is planned for a project funded by the Arkansas Biosciences Institute that will examine the same groups of children by giving them a beverage to measure their energy metabolism over a longer time period, Baum said.
The breakfast centered on egg and egg whites in this study was just one example of a protein-based meal that is beneficial. Baum offered other examples of ways to put some variety into the mix.
“You can add a piece of ham or turkey bacon to increase protein levels,” she said. “With kids you can put ham on toast with an egg to make a breakfast sandwich. Or you can add a piece of low-fat cheese, a good source of protein. Greek yogurt and low-fat yogurt are also good sources of protein. If you’re thinking outside the box and you’re making a breakfast sandwich you can always add chicken or turkey and low-fat cheese to your egg and toast.”
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
###
Media Contact: Mary HightowerDir. of Communication ServicesU of A Division of AgricultureCooperative Extension Service(501) 671-2126mhightower@uada.edu
Related Links