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Food structure impacts eating rate and consumption

The structure of the foods we consume may be more important than meets the eye when it comes to eating rate and overall food and caloric intake, impacting issues like weight gain and overconsumption.

How fast and how much we eat is significantly influenced by the structure of the foods we consume. Softer foods tend to lead to faster eating and higher caloric intake, while harder foods and smaller unit sizes generally increase chewing and slow consumption.

Dieuwerke Bolhuis, sensory scientist and expertise leader of food consumer behaviour at Wageningen Food and Biobased Research, explained that while the evidence linking eating rate to overconsumption is mounting, there is a missed opportunity, specifically “working with food structures to make foods that are still very palatable, but that moderate food intake”.

Bolhuis, presenting at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) First 2025 in Chicago, said that focusing on both energy density and eating rate has the potential to influence overall energy intake and promote healthier eating patterns.

Hard vs soft food’s impact on eating rate

The structure of the food we eat profoundly influences how quickly and how much we eat. Softer foods require less chewing or “oral processing” than harder foods, and consistently lead to faster consumption, which in turn increases food intake.

Bolhuis pointed to her 2014 research, which compared the eating rates of hard and soft foods. Bolhuis and colleagues found that participants given a soft version of lunch – including a hamburger on a soft bun, risotto, and boiled vegetables – ate at a faster rate and consumed more calories, compared to participants given a hard version – a hard hamburger bun, a rice salad with raw vegetables. This effect was sustained, as participants “did not compensate for the differences in energy intake” at subsequent meals.

Structural and dimensional properties and condiments affect eating rate

Both textural and dimensional properties of food can significantly determine eating rate. Bolhuis explained that textural attributes, such as the “adhesiveness of the crumb” can speed up eating rate because it “sticks together” easily. On the other hand, when the crust or crumb of food is harder, the eating rate is slowed.

Dimensional properties such as the thickness of a slice of bread also impact eating rate, with thick slices leading to larger bite sizes. Counter-intuitively, smaller unit sizes can slow consumption. Bolhuis pointed to julienned carrots as one such example, which led to “more chewing and more saliva needed” before they can be swallowed.

In addition, condiments like cream cheese on carrier foods such as crackers generally accelerate the eating rate, as they offer lubrication to the carrier food, reducing the need for chewing and saliva to swallow.

The surface area of the carrier food is another important factor in how much condiment people use. Bolhuis pointed to another study on oral processing, explaining that differently shaped crackers can impact how much cream cheese people subconsciously add. With a square-shaped cracker compared to one shaped like a finger, Bolhuis said, people were more likely to add more cream cheese, despite feeling equally full afterwards.

Strategic food design for slower consumption, without impacting satisfaction

One of the biggest opportunities for food design within this context, according to Bolhuis, is creating foods that are consumed more slowly, yet maintain consumer liking. The key to this is to “design structures that are consumed more slowly but with equal pleasantness”, so that consumers feel fuller sooner and are satisfied with smaller portion sizes.

Bolhuis recommends altering properties to “reduce bite size and increase the chewing”. She added that “quick wins” could come in the form of size and shape, and ultimately, help people “enjoy more food from each calorie”.