Why do some foods make it easier to eat less?

A two-week trial found that people consumed around 14% less energy when their meals took longer to chew. Nobody had been told to slow down.

“Slow down, you’ll eat less.”

It sounds simple, until lunch is squeezed between meetings or dinner comes at the end of a long day. Remembering to slow down becomes one more thing to think about.

At TMRW, we’re interested in changes that make looking after your health easier to put into practice. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests the food itself could do some of the slowing down.

What the study found

Researchers in the Netherlands recruited 41 healthy adults, with an average age of 27. Each person followed two diets for two weeks each, in a randomised order, with a two-week break between them.

One featured softer foods that were quick to eat. The other required more chewing. Both were almost entirely ultra-processed, and were matched for portions and energy served, food energy density and enjoyment.

Participants could eat until comfortably full. Nobody was instructed to slow down.

Every participant ate more slowly on the diet designed to take longer to eat. The researchers reported a 43% difference in eating speed between the diets.

On the slower diet, people consumed around 1,540 fewer kilojoules a day, or 14% less energy than on the faster diet. They reported similar hunger, fullness and enjoyment, and the difference in intake continued across the two weeks.

How texture changes the pace of a meal

Firmer, chewier foods tend to mean smaller bites and more chewing. Each mouthful spends longer in the mouth before it is swallowed.

Researchers suggest this extra sensory exposure may help people reach comfortable fullness after eating less. The texture changes how you eat without requiring you to count chews or watch the clock.

A practical place to start is a firmer or coarser version of a familiar food you enjoy. Consider one meal you eat regularly and whether a change in texture would suit it. Keeping enjoyment in the picture matters too.

Why the whole meal still matters

Texture is only part of the picture. In a smaller 11-day trial involving 20 people, slower textures reduced the amount of food eaten without significantly reducing energy intake.

Participants selected slightly more energy-dense foods, which may have offset the difference. Eating less food does not automatically mean consuming fewer kilojoules.

The larger trial also has limits. It involved a small group of young, healthy adults, with each diet tested for only two weeks. No significant change in body weight was detected, although measured body fat fell slightly on the slower diet. We cannot assume the same results would apply to everyone or continue over months and years.

Putting it into practice with TMRW

Your TMRW clinical team can help you consider what findings like these could mean for your own meals. Your health story, blood results and goals help shape your Brighter TMRW Plan, including guidance around how you eat, live and recharge.

That conversation can start with what a typical day of eating looks like, which meals feel rushed, and which changes you could comfortably keep up. Food texture may be one useful detail to explore alongside your broader nutritional needs.

Ask your TMRW clinician which small changes to your meals could support your goals.

Sources

Forde et al. (2026), American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

van Bruinessen et al. (2026), British Journal of Nutrition.

The larger trial was funded through a Dutch public-private partnership. Several authors disclosed food-industry relationships.