Tough bikkies: food texture impacts calorie perception

The texture of food plays a significant role in how calorie-dense consumers perceive it to be, with hard or rough foods perceived to have fewer calories, new research published in the Journal of Consumer Research has shown.

“We studied the link between how a food feels in your mouth and the amount we eat, the types of food we choose, and how many calories we think we are consuming,” wrote authors Dipayan Biswas, Courtney Szocs (both University of South Florida), Aradhna Krishna (University of Michigan) and Donald R Lehmann (Columbia University).

In a series of laboratory studies, participants sampled foods that were hard, soft, rough or smooth and then estimated the calorie content of each food type.

In one study, participants were asked to evaluate a series of television ads while eating bite-sized brownie pieces. Half of the participants were asked to estimate the brownies’ calorie content; the other half were not asked anything about the brownies. Within these two groups, half of the participants received brownies that were soft, while the other received hard brownies.

When the participants were not made to focus on the calorie content, they consumed a higher volume of the soft brownies than the hard. In contrast, when asked to focus solely on the calorie content, the participants consumed a higher volume of brownies when they were hard, rather than soft.

The researchers say this information shows that manufacturers hoping to promote their products’ health benefits can emphasise texture, as well as highlighting the products’ calorie content.

“Understanding how the texture of food can influence calorie perceptions, food choice and consumption amount can help nudge consumers towards making healthier choices,” the authors concluded.

To view the study, click here