Smaller Cereal Flakes Increase Total Weight Of Cereal Serving – And Caloric Intake

U.S. researchers who tested the influence of food volume on calorie intake – they used a rolling pin to gradually reduce the size of cereal flakes and the volume by weight – found that smaller flake size led to increased caloric consumption. Even though people poured a smaller volume of the crushed cereal into their bowls, they ended up eating more cereal by weight – and more calories. As the volumes decreased, people thought they were eating less cereal and the same or fewer calories, “but instead they ended up significantly overeating”. The researchers recommended that, when eating cereals with small pieces, people should reduce the recommended serving size to account for the low volume.