The guacamole is delicious!
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University Disastrous Link Difference between dips and calorie intake.
The study found that snackers consumed 77% more calories when eating chips with dip than when eating them alone, and they also ate the chips more quickly.
“The most striking finding from our study is that people ate less chips when dip was available. They ate the same amount of chips and dip,” said John HayesProfessor of Food Science and Director of the Sensory Evaluation Center at Pennsylvania State University
For the study, 46 adults visited the center twice over a two-week period. On the first visit, they were given three bags of Ranch dressing-flavored chips. On the second visit, they were given the same amount of chips and 1/3 cup of Ranch dressing.
Participants were encouraged to eat as much as they wanted, and researchers recorded the number of meals eaten and the time spent eating.
The researchers hypothesized that adding ranch dressing to a snack menu would lead participants to eat fewer chips to offset the addition.
However, contrary to compensation theory, participants ate equal amounts of chips and savory spreads.
“This lack of compensation means that adding a dip can significantly increase overall energy intake without people realising it,” Hayes pointed out.
Volunteers consumed an average of 345 calories per snack of chips and dip, compared with 195 calories when they ate just the chips.
When offered chips and dip, snackers in the study took larger bites and ate their food faster.
The results of this study are: November issue on food quality and preferences.
Hayes, the study’s corresponding author, argues that understanding the motivations and methods of snacking is crucial to tackling the global problems of overeating and obesity.
As of 2022, over 1 billion people worldwide, or 43% of adults, suffer from obesity.
“This work opens new avenues for exploring how the physical properties of food influence our eating behaviour and ultimately our energy intake,” Hayes said.
He added: “If we can slow people down, we can affect their energy expenditure without giving up the pleasure of eating.”
And the evidence shows we’re a nation of overweight people and avid dip lovers: A 2022 survey of 2,000 adults revealed that six in 10 people wouldn’t be embarrassed to eat a spoonful of dip straight from the container.
When forced to choose a container in which to serve the dip, participants chose tortilla chips (40%), vegetables (36%), potato chips (38%), and pita bread (32%).
The same survey found that people love dips so much that 35% of people would happily replace their usual lunch with their favorite spread — in fact, adults typically do this about five times a month.
