Smaller the better when it comes to snacking Washington: Smaller
snack portions are capable of providing similar feelings of
satisfaction as larger ones, according to a Cornell University
study. Using chocolate chips, apple pie, and potato chips,
researchers Ellen van Kleef, Mitsuru Shimizu, and Brian Wansink
designed a study to determine if people who were given smaller
portions of snack foods would feel hungrier or satisfied fifteen
minutes after eating. Two groups with different portion sizes
were tested. The larger portion size group was given 100g of
chocolate, 200g of apple pie, and 80g of potato chips, all
slightly larger than the recommended portion sizes. This
equalled 1370 calories in snack foods. The other group was given
10g, 40g, and 10g of these same foods respectively, for a total
of 195 calories. The two groups were given as much time to eat
as needed, and were asked to fill out surveys to rate the
liking, familiarity, and boredom with the food. They were also
asked to rate their hunger and cr