Premium
Reshaping breakfast: the smaller the cereal flake, the greater the intake
Author(s) -
Rolls Barbara J.,
Roe Liane S.,
Meengs Jennifer S.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.237.3
Subject(s) - flake , portion size , breakfast cereal , meal , food science , crossover study , serving size , zoology , feeding behavior , food intake , whole grains , volume (thermodynamics) , medicine , chemistry , biology , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics , anatomy , placebo
Cues related to food volume could influence both the portion taken and the amount eaten. This was tested by reducing the flake size of a breakfast cereal, so that as the flakes packed more closely together, a greater amount was needed to fill the bowl. In a crossover design, 40 adults ate breakfast in the laboratory once a week for four weeks. Across the meals, a standard cereal (Wheaties) was crushed to reduce the flake size and volume to 80%, 60%, or 40% of the standard. A constant weight of cereal was presented in an opaque container; subjects poured the amount they wanted into a bowl, added fat‐free milk and non‐caloric sweetener as desired, and consumed the meal ad libitum. Results showed that subjects poured a greater weight of cereal as the flake size decreased (p < 0.0001); the portion of the 40%‐size cereal averaged 1.5 times the weight of the standard cereal. Subjects ate about 97% of the cereal they took, thus total energy intake at the meal also increased as flake size decreased, from 289 ± 18 to 358 ± 20 kcal (p < 0.0001), a mean increase of 32 ± 7%. Despite this increase in intake, ratings of hunger and fullness did not vary across the meals. These findings show that perceptual cues related to food shape and volume can affect decisions about the portion of food taken, which in turn significantly influences energy intake. Supported by NIH grant R01DK059853.