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Background: Changes in preparation, preference, and consumption of traditional staple foods between rural and urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa may be associated with the nutrition transition. Objective: Millet porridge thickness and postprandial hunger were investigated in Mali with the aim of understanding consumer preference and satiety properties. Methods: Rural and urban residents from 3 regions (N = 60) were surveyed regarding their porridge consumption frequency and thickness preference. Influence of millet porridge thickness on satiety was investigated. Ten participants consumed 4 porridges of different thicknesses (3 of millet and 1 thin porridge of rice) and rated their subjective hunger on 4 different days. Results: Thicker porridges were consumed more frequently in rural areas than in urban ( P < .05). For the satiety study, thicker porridges induced higher satiety than thinner ones at 2 and 4 hours postconsumption ( P < .05; Visual Analog Scale rating). A greater amount of flour, but not volume, was consumed for the thicker porridges ( P < .05). Conclusions: Urban participants preferred and consumed porridges that are less satiating, potentially contributing to higher food consumption related to the nutrition transition in Africa.

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Changes in lifestyle factors have influenced the dietary habits and food preferences of the Malian populace. The objective of this study was to identify food preparation differences and preferences of millet porridges between urban and rural populations, and food preparation influence on satiety. Semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires were utilized to collect data at six different locations (n=20) (3 urban and 3 rural, paired to regions). Porridge frequency consumption, awareness of porridge thicknesses, thickness preference, ability to prepare porridge, cereal usage type and preference for preparation, and reasons for this preference were evaluated. Further, a human feeding trial using a crossover design (n=10) was conducted to determine the effect of millet porridge thickness and energy density (kcal/g) on satiety, using rice as a control. Hunger rating was monitored at 2 and 4 h after porridge consumption. Thicker porridges were consumed more frequently in rural than in urban areas (P< 0.05). Thicker porridges were more satiating than thinner ones at 2 and 4 h after consumption (P< 0.05). High energy density and highly viscous porridges, and not volume, were correlated to longer satiety. Our study shows that Malian rural subjects prefer thicker porridges and that porridge thickness creates a more satiating product. Moreover, since urban subjects tend to prefer porridges that are less satiating, such food preferences might contribute to higher food consumption and the growing prevalence of obesity in African urban centers.

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