Savor Small Bites & Eat Less
September 1, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
Savoring your food and thereby eating less is advice that’s been around for a bit. Yet, it’s nice to know that research backs up this idea of taking time to enjoy your food.
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (August 2009) found that eating small bites that stay in the mouth longer significantly lowers food intake.
What food was used in this study?
Get ready. It was chocolate custard! Not only that, but it was delivered to the mouths of participants via a silicon tube. Each lucky (?) study participant went through seven different eating scenarios, such as keeping the custard in their mouths for three or nine seconds before swallowing.
The combo of smaller bite size and holding food in the mouth longer led to lower food intake. Keeping food in your mouth longer could help your senses feel satisfied, leading you to eat less.
Of course, in order to eat less, you must put less food on your plate. Have you tried the small bite in your mouth longer method to reduce your food intake?
(Image via stock.xchng)
Thanks for the link love. I hate custard. I would have eaten super slow!
Taking the time to enjoy and actually taste the flavours in your food is important. I know that overeating is such a concern for many. Smaller servings and taking the time to chew and enjoy the flavours and tastes of your meals is essential, always remembering that you can go for seconds. Teach yourself to identify the difference between feeling content after a meal to just plain “stuffed”.