Drinking whey protein as a between meal snack is a smart way to enhance not only muscle growth but also fat loss. U.K. researchers found that when subjects consumed a whey protein shake 90 minutes before eating a buffet-style meal, they ate significantly less food than when they consumed a casein protein shake beforehand. Scientists reported that this was due to whey’s ability to boost levels of the hunger blunting hormones cholecystokinin and glucagonlike peptide-1.