Skipping your brekkie to lose weight? Think twice because it's going to backfire: People who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight because they tend to be hungry for snacks and make poor food choices for the rest of the day.

A better strategy to watch your waistline is to eat your breakfast. And make that a protein-rich one.

A University of Missouri research has found that eating a healthy breakfast, especially one high in protein, increases satiety and reduces hunger throughout the day. Subjects who ate breakfast had increased fullness and reduced hunger compared to those who skipped it. But a protein-rich meal gave even more satiety compared to a normal-protein breakfast.

"Incorporating a healthy breakfast containing protein-rich foods can be a simple strategy for people to stay satisfied longer, and therefore, be less prone to snacking," says researcher Heather Leidy.

We reach for convenient snack foods when we're hungry between meals, but the problem is that these snacks are almost always high in sugar, fat and calories. By eating a healthy, protein-rich breakfast we curb our mid-day cravings and avoid overeating.

Here are some protein-rich ideas to start your day:

Protein-rich options

• Whole-wheat toast with turkey slice and cheese
• Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon slices
• Oats with low-fat milk and nuts
• Yogurt topped with nuts and cut fruits
• Smoothie with protein powder, non-fat yogurt, milk and fresh fruit