Eating a big breakfast and a smaller dinner could aid weight loss by making you feel less hungry, say researchers.
Scientists precisely controlled people’s meals to compare the impact of a large breakfast or a large dinner.
The University of Aberdeen team found people burned the same calories whenever they had their biggest meal of the day.
But appetite was noticeably smaller after big breakfasts, which could make it easier to stick to a diet.
The researchers were investigating the world of “chrono-nutrition” and how the food we eat is affected by the rhythms of our body’s internal clock. One idea is the evening is a bad time to eat, because the body clock shifts our metabolism towards sleep.
Prof Alexandra Johnstone said that was likely to be crucial in the real world when the amount of food available was not being controlled.
She told me: “The studies suggest, for appetite control, the big breakfast was a winner.
“If you can start your day with a healthy big breakfast, you are more likely to maintain physical activity levels and maintain that control over appetite for the remainder of the day.”
The breakfasts in the study included smoothies, yoghurts, eggs, sausages and mushrooms, and all contained plenty of protein which helps people feel full.
