Slow Food: Sustained Impact of Harder Foods on the Reduction in Energy Intake over the Course of the Day

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious research has shown that oral processing characteristics like bite size and oral residence duration are related to the satiating efficiency of foods. Oral processing characteristics are influenced by food texture. Very little research has been done on the effect of food texture within solid foods on energy intake.ObjectivesThe first objective was to investigate the effect of hardness of food on energy intake at lunch, and to link this effect to differences in food oral processing characteristics. The second objective was to investigate whether the reduction in energy intake at lunch will be compensated for in the subsequent dinner.DesignFifty subjects (11 male, BMI: 21±2 kg/m2, age: 24±2 y) participated in a cross-over study in which they consumed ad libitum from a lunch with soft foods or hard foods on two separate days. Oral processing characteristics at lunch were assessed by coding video records. Later on the same days, subjects consumed dinner ad libitum.ResultsHard foods led to a ∼13% lower energy intake at lunch compared to soft foods (P<0.001). Hard foods were consumed with smaller bites, longer oral duration per gram food, and more chewing per gram food compared to the soft foods (P<0.05). Energy intake at dinner did not differ after both lunches (P = 0.16).ConclusionsHard foods led to reduced energy intake compared to soft foods, and this reduction in energy intake was sustained over the next meal. We argue that the differences in oral processing characteristics produced by the hardness of the foods explain the effect on intake. The sustained reduction in energy intake suggests that changes in food texture can be a helpful tool in reducing the overall daily energy intake.

Assessment of eating rate and food intake in spoon versus fork users in a laboratory setting

“…However, the results are in line with several cross-over and mostly laboratory studies have consistently shown that reducing bite sizes or eating rate within individuals decrease food intake (Andrade, Greene, & Melanson, 2008;Bolhuis, Forde, et al, 2014;Bolhuis et al, 2011;Bolhuis, Lakemond, de Wijk, Luning, & de Graaf, 2013Robinson et al, 2014;Weijzen, Smeets, & de Graaf, 2009). The underlying mechanism is considered to be less oral sensory exposure to taste when eating fast, the latter has been shown to play a major role in regulation of acute food intake (Spetter, Mars, Viergever, de Graaf, & Smeets, 2014).…”

Empty calories and phantom fullness: a randomized trial studying the relative effects of energy density and viscosity on gastric emptying determined by MRI and satiety

“…The importance of effort and mouth feel has been shown in multiple studies (30). Hunger is suppressed more or for a longer period (31,32), intake is reduced (3,12), and, through longer mastication, satiety is increased (33,34). We propose that taste and mouth feel are perhaps contributing factors to subjective feelings of fullness.…”

A description of an ‘obesogenic’ eating style that promotes higher energy intake and is associated with greater adiposity in 4.5 year-old children: Results from the GUSTO cohort

“…A behavioural coding scheme was developed to record the frequencies of four 'point' events (frequency counts of bites, chews, swallows and sips) and duration of a single 'continuous' event (total oral exposure time in minutes). A number of eating parameters were derived from these coded parameters based on a previously published approach [11,12,18,43]. Total oral exposure time (minutes) was calculated as the cumulative time food spent in mouth between the bite and the swallow throughout the meal.…”

“…Adults who take fewer chews before swallowing have shorter oral exposure times per bite, eat at faster rates and consume more energy [11][12][13]. By contrast, more thorough chewing of each bite increases oral exposure, reduces eating rate, reduces food intake and promotes a stronger satiety response for the same calories consumed [14][15][16].…”