Food acceptability in field studies with US army men and women: relationship with food intake and food choice after repeated exposures

Abstract

Laboratory data with single exposures showed that palatability has a positive relationship with food intake. The question addressed in this study is whether this relationship also holds over repeated exposures in non-laboratory contexts in more natural environments. The data were collected in four field studies, lasting 4-11 days with 307 US Army men and 119 Army women, and comprised 5791 main meals and 8831 snacks in total. Acceptability was rated on the nine point hedonic scale, and intake was registered in units of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or 1 or more times of the provided portion size. Correlation coefficients between individual acceptability ratings and intakes varied from 0.22 to 0.62 for the main meals (nZ193-2267), and between 0.13 and 0.56 for the snacks (nZ304-2967). The likelihood of choosing a meal for the second time was positively related to the acceptability rating of the meal when it was consumed for the first time. The results reinforce the importance of liking in food choice and food intake/choice behavior. However, the magnitude of the correlation coefficients between acceptability ratings and food intake suggest that environmental factors also have an important role in determining intake and choice. q

Effects of complexity and intensity on sensory specific satiety and food acceptance after repeated consumption

“…In both studies, the more complex products tended to be more pleasant than the less complex products and the ad libitum intake of these products tended to be higher as well. This is in accordance with previous findings (Bobroff & Kissileff, 1986;De Graaf, De Jong, & Lambers, 1999;De Graaf et al, 2005;Rolls, Van Duijvenvoorde, & Rolls, 1984), and suggests that intake can be used as a reliable predictor for acceptance.…”

Hedonic ratings and consumption of school lunch among preschool children

“…However, waste was present even for well-liked foods, indicating that appetite or other momentary factors also played a role (de Graaf et al, 2005). In any case, the observed magnitude of the correlations between hedonic response and consumption was stronger than reported by other studies.…”

Bitter Taste Perception and Dietary Intake Patterns in Irish Children

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