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Sweet or Salty? Studies show what you prefer may say a lot about you…

We choose meals with generally sweet sides to combat the urge for more sweet foods. 

Food Tests

The Macronutrient and Taste Preference Ranking test was created to measure food taste and how it correlates with food preferences.

There are 4 macronutrient categories in the food test, including high-carbohydrate, high-fat, high-protein, and low-energy. The test is made up of 3 parts: practicing, liking, and ranking. 

Food Signals 

Sweet tastes signal carbohydrates.

Salty/savory tastes signal protein and electrolytes.

Energy can change in different people, based on changed food preferences for specific foods. 

Hungry or Full?

Our basic taste buds send signals from the brain to our body. Based on this information, a study was done to measure these salty/savory signals sent within the brain.

Research found that regardless of taste, eating a meal decreased hunger, future food consumption, and decreased appetite for sweet and/or savory foods.

Eating a meal increased fullness. 

Results

Overall, findings show that the hunger state and taste of a meal showed a decrease in appetite for something sweet, after eating sweets within the meal.

If people were served a savory meal, their appetite for sweets would increase.

Regardless of the meal provided, our bodies are naturally compelled to crave sweets. Only after we are served sweet foods, does the urge to consume more sweets generally subside. 

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Is It Really Possible to Shrink the Stomach? Actually, YES!

Gastric bypass surgery is a surgery where the stomach is “shrunk” or made smaller to help obese patients keep off weight.

Obese patients are more at risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. Because of this, surgery can be life-saving.

Taste Changes After Surgery 

A study was done to find out if taste preferences were affected after gastric bypass surgery.

After surgery, the number of daily calories from sugary drinks, foods full of sugar, and desserts that patients consumed previously, decreased. Patients ate between 50-80% fewer calories per day than they did before the surgery.

Results

After surgery, most patients go back to eating a relatively “normal” diet.

Patients said that the taste for sweetened/sugary food/drink went away shortly after surgery. Patients no longer craved sweet foods/drinks. 71% of patients that received the surgery claimed an “intolerance to sweets.”

Having gastric bypass surgery makes sweetened foods taste less satisfying after surgery.

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Research Shows Where You Live Can Dramatically Affect What You Eat

You are what you eat… or where you live!

A final study was done where researchers aimed to learn more about what foods people had access to (location) and what foods they choose to consume.

Lower-income people had a higher taste preference for “heavy, fat, and coarse” foods.

Those with higher incomes preferred “freedom” foods including light, delicate foods. Both income groups chose foods that were the most filling depending on their situation.

Taste Preferences

Based on this study, four taste preferences were identified. Abundance, corporate brands, familiar ethnic foods, and healthy foods.

Overall, research shows that taste preferences can change based on wage and income.

Groups of people will choose foods that are ethnically familiar to them, foods that come from well-known brands, foods in abundance, and foods based on health for their family.

“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food”

Paul Prudhomme

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