Subjective and objective indices of the satiating effect of foods. Can people predict how filling a food will be?

OBJECTIVE

These two studies compared the subjective assessment of how filling a snack type would be, with actual consumption of that type of snack at a snack meal.

DESIGN

Four snack types: savory high-fat, savory high-carbohydrate, sweet high-carbohydrate, each comprising of five food items, were used. Study 1 consisted of tasting followed by perceptual evaluations. Study 2 was a consumption test with a within-subjects design, each subject received each of the snack types in a counterbalanced order. A no snack condition was also included.

SETTING

The studies were carried out in the Human Appetite and Nutrition Research Unit.

SUBJECTS

Twenty-four lean male and female individuals took part in Study 1. Sixteen lean young male University students took part in Study 2.

INTERVENTIONS

In Study 1 subjects tasted 10 of the 20 food items comprising the snack types, and rated the saltiness, sweetness, fillingness and pleasantness of these on 100 mm visual analogue rating scales (VAS). In Study 2, a fixed breakfast and lunch were consumed, subjects were then offered an ad libitum selection of one of the 4 snack types. VAS to record subjective feelings of hunger and fullness were completed periodically.

RESULTS

The results of Study 1 showed the sweet high-fat snack type was rated more filling, but similar in pleasantness, than the other snack types. Study 2 showed the sweet high-fat snack type resulted in a higher energy intake than the other snack types.

CONCLUSIONS

The subjective assessment of snacks suggested sweet high-fat snacks could be filling, however when consumed these snacks resulted in a higher energy intake than the sweet high-carbohydrate and both types of savory snacks.