Research finds pretzel size affects intake by governing how quickly a person eats and how big their bites are

The dimensions of a person snack piece not solely influences how briskly an individual eats it, but additionally how a lot of it they eat, based on a brand new examine led by researchers at Penn State. With practically 1 / 4 of every day calorie consumption in the USA coming from snacks, these findings might have implications for serving to individuals higher perceive how consuming conduct impacts calorie and sodium consumption.

The crew of meals scientists investigated how the dimensions of pretzels influences consuming conduct—general consumption, consuming fee, chunk measurement and snacking period—and located that individuals eat bigger pretzels faster with bigger bites. Additionally they discovered that whereas individuals ate smaller pretzels slower and with smaller bites, and ate much less general, they nonetheless had increased consumption of sodium. Their outcomes can be found on-line now and will probably be published within the June challenge of Urge for food.

Seventy-five adults participated within the examine, consuming snacks three completely different instances within the Sensory Analysis Middle. The outsized snack was about 2.5 servings of considered one of three sizes of pretzel—small, medium or massive. To calculate consuming fee and chunk measurement, the researchers video recorded every snacking session, noting what number of minutes every participant spent snacking and the variety of bites. Additionally they measured how a lot every participant ate in each weight and energy.

When individuals got the identical quantity of meals, how a lot they ate—in each snack weight and energy—trusted unit measurement, with examine individuals consuming 31% and 22% extra of the massive pretzels in comparison with the small and medium sized pretzels, respectively. Measurement of the pretzel additionally influenced consuming fee and chunk measurement, with the most important pretzel measurement yielding the quickest consuming fee and largest imply chunk measurement.

The researchers additionally reported that, after accounting for consuming conduct, the pretzel measurement alone didn’t considerably have an effect on how a lot an individual ate, suggesting the consuming conduct the completely different pretzel sizes prompted was driving whole consumption. Their outcomes recommend bigger pretzel measurement induces an individual to eat extra rapidly and take larger bites.

Collectively, these findings point out that unit measurement influences consumption by affecting consuming conduct they usually present that meals traits reminiscent of unit measurement will be leveraged to reasonable snack consumption, defined corresponding writer John Hayes, professor of meals science and director of the Penn State Sensory Analysis Middle.

“The examine means that meals construction—texture, measurement and form—can be utilized to modulate consuming conduct and meals consumption,” he mentioned. “Meals geometry, particularly unit measurement, is of explicit utility for snack meals. We’re involved in how the fabric properties of meals will be harnessed to assist individuals eat much less with out impacting their enjoyment.”

The connection between pretzel measurement and sodium consumption was apparent however beforehand ignored, famous Madeline Harper, a graduate scholar in meals science and lead writer on the examine. She defined that consuming extra smaller pretzels seemingly ends in increased sodium consumption. The smaller measurement has extra floor space for a similar weight, so the researchers hypothesize that extra whole salt on the floor signifies that a snacker would devour extra sodium consuming them.

“So, we’re suggesting that for those who’re attempting to look at your calorie consumption or try to cut back the quantity that you just’re consuming in a snack, then perhaps a smaller pretzel would meet your wants higher, due to the inherent approach the dimensions of the pretzel impacts your consuming fee,” she mentioned.

“However for those who’re extra apprehensive about hypertension or the quantity of sodium you are consuming, the bigger pretzel could be higher for you, since you’ll devour much less sodium in that therapy, regardless that you may devour extra grams of pretzel.”