The Effect of Meal Texture on Intake

Rationale: Food texture modifies eating rate and through that the energy intake of foods. It is shown that harder, chunkier, more viscous, and more voluminous foods decrease eating rate of foods and thus decrease energy intake. However, most research is done in model foods or single foods. So far, little research on food texture and intake has been performed for meals. It is not known what the effect of food texture and eating rate is on intake in a wide variety of meals. Knowledge on the effect of food texture on intake could be used for strategies to drive or limit energy intake.

Objective: The objective is to determine how a wide range of different food textures influence energy intake, food intake, and eating behaviour.

Study design: All participants receive all twelve different meals (within subject design). The meals are either served during breakfast or lunch. The meals have a wide range of different food textures. Participants consume the meals ad libitum twice per week for six weeks long with at least two days in between.

Study population: Healthy Dutch speaking adults (n=30) between 18-55 years old with a BMI between 18.5-30 kg/m2.

Intervention: Participants will join twelve test sessions. For the test sessions they will visit the eating behaviour lab where they receive ad libitum meals during breakfast or lunch. During meal consumption participants are video recorded to determine eating behaviour. The participants will receive in total twelve meals. The order in which participants will receive the meals will be block randomized (block n = 5).

Inclusion criteria

• Generally healthy
• Good appetite
• Between 18 and 55 years old
• Speak and understand English without difficulty
• BMI between 18.5-30 kg/m2.
• Non-smoker
• Commonly (5 out of 7 week days) eat three meals a day every day around the

Exclusion criteria

• Have difficulties with swallowing, chewing, and/or eating in general;
• Are suffering from an endocrine or eating disorder, gastrointestinal illness or illness of the thyroid gland, respiratory disease, or diabetes
• Have taste or smell disorders
• Have braces or oral piercing (dental wire behind teeth is allowed)
• are smoking
• Consume on average more than 21 glasses of alcohol per week
• Are not willing to stop using drugs during the study period (from inclusion till last test session)
• Use medication that may influence study outcomes
• Have allergies or intolerance to any ingredient of the test meals
• Are not willing to eat the test food because of eating habits, believes, or religion
• Follow a vegetarian or vegan diet
• Are lactose intolerant
• Have facial hair such as a beard
• Follow an energy restricted diet during the last 2 months
• Gained or lost 5 kg of body weight over the last half year
• Are an employee, thesis student or intern at the chair group of Sensory Science and Eating Behaviour Human Nutrition (WUR).
• Do intensive exercising more than 8 hours per week
• Low score (<1) for liking the individual test meals on a nine point Likert scale based on pictures of the meals
• Familiar with at least 75% of the test meals (self-report)