Eating Crunchier Foods Can Aid Weight Loss

Have you ever thought to yourself that crunchier or solid foods seem to make you feel fuller and more satisfied than softer foods? Since it has become evident that weight and the current, life-threatening coronavirus are linked many have decided to try and reduce their weight. Some will be seeking quite drastic weight loss options, such as extreme calorie or food restriction diets. These make it easy to lose weight in the short term but harder to stick to the plans and keep the weight off.

What if there was a healthier alternative to weight loss and it was as simple as changing the texture of the food choices you make? Knowing this simple food texture trick is an easy-to-implement new way of tweaking what you already eat and enjoy. There is a lot of research on this subject dating back over 20 years yet it’s not something you tend to see or hear discussed in the mainstream media. The research indicates that solid and more viscous foods do a better job of increasing satiety and lowering overall [daily] calorie consumption than liquid foods.

Let us review the evidence:

• This study investigated the effects of liquid and solid meal replacement products on overall food intake later in the day. Each subject was given either a meal replacement drink or solid bar. Two hours after their meal replacement, subjects ate porridge to a comfortable level of fullness. On average, the group on the liquid meal replacement ate 13.4% more porridge than those who had the solid meal replacement https://jandonline.org/article/S0002-8223(08)00506-3/fulltext
• Another study looked into the effects of liquid and solid carbohydrate intake on body weight. Subjects were given 450 calories of either fizzy drink or jellybeans on a daily basis for four weeks. Researchers concluded subjects had a lower overall energy intake during periods of solid intake (jellybeans) when compared to liquid intake (fizzy drink) https://www.nature.com/articles/0801229
• In this animal-based study the animals offered pureed and softer foods ate more and gained more weight than those offered solid foods over a 6 week period. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11171658/
• In this study adults attended breakfast sessions where they were offered either  thin porridge or a thicker porridge. Porridge intake was measured alongside changes in appetite. Those served a thick porridge consumed less calories than those served a thin porridge. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/147/6/1208/4584846

So if you’d like to lose some weight or are worried about consuming too much over this strange and uncertain period then next time you are considering your meal options try and include more crunchier and solid foods to increase satisfaction and reduce calorie intake.