You must not eat a single chip even if you follow a healthy lifestyle. Snacks high in salt, fat, and sugar make them irresistible and we often get a bag of it to soothe our taste buds.
According to a study published in the journal Appetite, people tend to eat more chips when they come with a label “crunchy.” Researchers found that the study participants ate a lot of chips and candies while watching a movie when their bags of snacks were labeled crunchy.
The researchers have also discovered that people consumed more chips from their crunchy-labeled bags when they were not distracted by wearing headphones and able to hear the sound of their crunchy snacks.
Study co-author Nailya Ordabayeva said, “Essentially telling you that something is crunchy makes you pay attention to the sounds of your food, which increases enjoyment. But why do we even care about the crunch factor?”
She added, “People often associate the crunchiness of foods with positive food characteristics such as food freshness. This greater enjoyment of food resulting from the salience of the food’s sound leads to greater consumption.”
“Of course, this study isn’t perfect,” noted a few authors. The study used chips and candy, which people already enjoy eating. The findings could have been different if the study included foods such as carrots and celery, which are likely less tempting. However, there is no harm in using this crunchy trick with vegetables. If the potential health benefits of broccoli are not appealing on their own, one can try thinking about its crisp, fresh, and crunchy appeal the next time you are snacking from the vegetable tray.
