New research suggests that an individual's cereal choice at breakfast might have an impact on how much they eat for lunch.

Researchers found that a bowl of instant oatmeal helped curb food intake at lunch better than a leading oat-based, cold cereal -- even when each bowl provided the same number of calories.

"The satiety benefits of instant oatmeal alone were important findings," Candida Rebello, lead author of the study, said in a statement. "When we took it a step further and evaluated the intake four hours post-breakfast, we found that after consuming instant oatmeal, the participants chose to eat significantly less at lunch compared to those who ate the oat-based, cold cereal."

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from nearly 50 people. They found that a 250-calorie instant oatmeal serving (with an additional 113 calories of skim milk) enhanced satiety and feelings of fullness, reduced the desire to eat and may even lead to a lower caloric intake at lunch, compared to a 250-calorie serving of cold, oat-based cereal, also served with an additional 113 calories of skim milk.

Researchers suspect that the higher molecular viscosity of the beta-glucan in the instant oatmeal contributed to its satiating effect over the oat-based, cold cereal.

They then presented the participants with a lunch meal of their choice -- turkey, ham, roast beef or vegetable patty sandwiches and a calorie-free or calorie-containing beverage, alongside potato crisps and cookies. The lunches offered ranged from 2,600 to 2,800 calories and participants were told to "eat to satisfaction."

The total calorie intake was significantly lower following consumption of instant oatmeal compared to the cold cereal, as were fat and protein intake.

Grams of carbohydrate and total weight of the foods were not significantly different.

The findings are detailed in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.