When dieting, people often only consider the calorie content of food. However, eating hard or firm foods can also help reduce calorie intake. If you want to lose weight, it is better to eat firm foods rather than soft foods.

 

◇Hard texture, reduce calorie intake

 

The firm texture of food helps reduce calorie intake. In fact, a research team from Wageningen University in the Netherlands conducted a study comparing food texture and intake among 50 participants. The team divided the 50 participants into four groups and provided them with lunch consisting of ▲hard-textured ultra-processed foods ▲soft-textured ultra-processed foods ▲hard-textured minimally processed foods ▲soft-textured minimally processed foods. All were composed of the same calories and were rated as having similar taste.

 

As a result, the group that ate foods with a firm texture consumed 26% fewer calories than the group that ate foods with a soft texture, regardless of the degree of processing. When comparing how much dinner was eaten, the intake was similar across all groups. However, the group that ate firm foods had a 50% slower eating pace compared to the group that ate soft foods.

Chew longer than soft foods

 

Hard foods can be bitten into smaller pieces than soft foods, and they need to be chewed longer. Naturally, this causes the eating pace to slow down. When eating speed is slow, a greater sense of fullness is felt, which can lead to consuming less food.

 

The types of solid foods presented by the research team are

Rice instead of mashed potatoes

A salad with crunchy ingredients instead of cabbage salad

Chewy chicken breast instead of fish meat

▲Instead of soft mango, a firm apple

▲Instead of tartar sauce, chunky tomato salsa sauce, etc.

 

It doesn't have to be the specific types of food suggested by the research team. Applying the same principle, when you usually eat bread, choose a hard baguette rather than soft castella, and if you're craving meat, it's better to opt for pork or beef cuts with lower fat content rather than ham.

 

Eating a handful of crunchy nuts

 

Meanwhile, nuts such as almonds and pistachios are healthy snacks that aid in dieting. They are rich in fiber, which helps maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time, and they also have a firm texture. The protein content in nuts is about 20%, similar to that of meat. Eating nuts in the morning can help with weight control because their satiety reduces calorie intake for the day.

 

A research team from the University of South Australia divided 140 adults aged 25 to 65 into two groups: one that ate almond snacks and another that ate carbohydrate snacks. The results showed that the calories consumed in the meal after snacking were 75 calories less in the almond snack group compared to the carbohydrate snack group.