Science / Medicine : Fiber Helps Cut Calorie Intake

Eating high-fiber cereal for breakfast can help cut calories for lunch, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In a study of 14 healthy people, Allen S. Levine and his colleagues at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis found that consuming two ounces--about two servings--of high-fiber cereal led study participants to consume fewer calories at both breakfast and lunch. (The fiber in cereals is not digestible, which is why high-fiber cereals contain fewer calories than those with little or no fiber.)

The overall calorie savings from choosing a high-fiber cereal: 100 calories a day, which over a year could translate to a loss of about 10 pounds, Levine said. The higher the fiber content of the cereal eaten at breakfast, the fewer calories consumed at lunch, researchers found. Another benefit: Some subjects who ate the highest-fiber cereals also reported feeling slightly less hungry at lunch than those who ate cereals with little or no fiber.