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Posted on Feb 20, 2013, 6 a.m.
Indulging in a small food treat yields as much psychological satisfaction as a larger portion.
Smaller snack portions can be as effective in decreasing cravings or feelings of hunger as larger portions. Ellen van Kleef, from Wageningen University (the Netherlands) enrolled 104 subjects in a study in which each received either a small portion, or a substantially larger portion of, common snack foods such as chocolate, apple pie, and potato chips. The team found that smaller portions suitably satisfied self-rated feelings of hunger and cravings, as compared to larger portions. Whereas larger portions can increase calorie intake by as much as 77%, the study authors urge that: "smaller portions satisfy hunger and cravings similar to larger portions."
Ellen van Kleef, Mitsuru Shimizu, Brian Wansink. “Just a bite: Considerably smaller snack portions satisfy delayed hunger and craving.” Food Quality and Preference, Volume 27, Issue 1, January 2013, Pages 96-100.
