Cutting food into smaller pieces could help us reduce the number of calories we consume.
- One study found that the way food is cut affects the perception of overall portion size.
- Cutting your food into smaller pieces would help limit portion sizes.
- This tip is easy to implement and helps reduce the number of calories consumed.
To reduce the amount of food they consume, some people decide to serve their meals in smaller containers or eat with cutlery that does not allow them to swallow large mouthfuls. Researchers from Shaanxi University (United States) have revealed another tip for eating less. After reviewing previous research, they realized that food portion size affects food intake.
Evaluate the quantity of chocolate based on how it is cut
“A meta-analysis showed that when food portion sizes were twice as large, consumption increased by 35%. When portion sizes changed, consumption changed unconsciously, even if people were free to choose foods. (…) People will perceive the portion size of food before eating it,” noted the American scientists.
As part of their study, published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, they wanted to know if cutting food into smaller pieces could reduce the number of calories consumed daily. For their work, they recruited 34 people aged around 20 years old. Participants viewed 60 images of chocolate. In each photo, the candies, weighing between 60 and 200 grams, were arranged differently and cut into varying numbers. Volunteers had to rate the amount of chocolate in each photo.
The number of pieces influences the perception of portion size
According to the results, the number of pieces of chocolate affected the perception of portion size. “Estimating the size of the single portion requires more cognitive resources than estimating the size of the overall portion. This study indicates that we can adjust the perception of portion size by changing the arrangement or number of pieces of the foods, which would encourage people to make more rational decisions about portion sizes. is specified in the research conclusions.
