Interplay between protein and carbohydrates causes them to act as functional ingredients when paired, it is suggested.
The interplay between carbohydrates and protein can turn the two into functional ingredients, it has been noted.
Nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville explains that protein slows down the release of energy from carbohydrates.
As a result, she said at the recent 10 Years Younger Live show, adding nuts to a bowl of porridge changes the way in which it is digested in the body.
Similarly, adding tuna to a baked potato can affect the length of time before the individual feels the urge to snack.
However, Dr Glenville warned that vegetarians can find it more difficult to achieve the correct combination to suppress their dietary urges.
"They may have pasta with tomato sauce - and then they will come crashing down," she said.
It is not only functional ingredients which are lacking in some diets, however.
A previous study from TNS Global entitled Health of Britain - Perspectives in Nutrition 2008 found that 88 per cent of people do not eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
