For a food to be considered a real source of protein and beneficial for appetite control and cognition, it must contain at least 10 grams of protein per serving.

noli's read

The idea that breakfast protein promotes satiety and cognitive function is supported by several studies, notably the work of Dr. Heather Leidy (often cited in observational research and RCTs on appetite). These studies indeed indicate that sufficient protein intake in the morning can reduce cravings later in the day. However, arbitrarily setting a '10-gram' threshold as a benchmark for biological validity is a marketing simplification. Research on muscle protein synthesis suggests thresholds based on leucine (often around 20-30g for an adult) to optimize the metabolic response, rather than a fixed number universally validated for all foods. Stating that a food contains no protein below 10g is technically inaccurate, although it is a useful rule of thumb for avoiding 'processed products' containing insignificant traces. It is therefore a useful pragmatic recommendation, but scientifically imprecise regarding the minimum threshold.

the sources

1. 1Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. 2018
2. 2Leidy HJ, Clifton PM, Astrup A, et al. 2015
3. 3Sievert K et al. 2019