New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS): If you are looking to limit your calorie intake, skipping the dip with salty snacks may help, suggests a study.

The latest study conducted at the Penn State Sensory Evaluation Center in the US investigated how eating behaviour changes when consumers are served a dip with a salty snack.

The findings showed that people who ate chips and dip together had a 77 per cent greater caloric intake, and a faster total eating rate compared to those who just had chips.

However, there was no difference in chip intake, revealed the study, forthcoming in the journal Food Quality and Preference.

John Hayes, professor of food science and director of the Center said that "people didn't eat fewer chips when dip was available -- they ate the same amount of chips, plus the dip".

This means that "adding dip to chips can substantially increase overall energy intake without people realising it", he noted.

The study assessed 46 adult participants who were served 70 grams of ranch-flavoured chips, or about 2.5 servings, with or without about a third of a cup of ranch dip.

The team found that people ate as many chips as they would without the dip, leading to much greater energy intake when the dip was available.

On average, the people consumed 345 calories of chips and dip per eating session as compared to 195 calories of chips alone.