New York, April 16 (IANS): Health-conscious people who wish to keep a tab on their calorie intake seem to prefer food that are either hard or have rough texture as they perceive such food to have low-calorie content, research shows.

"We studied the link between how a food feels in your mouth and the amount we eat, the types of food we choose, and how many calories we think we are consuming," said the team of researchers from University of South Florida, University of Michigan and Columbia University in the US.

The team had two Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad alumni - Aradhna Krishna (University of Michigan) and Dipayan Biswas (University of South Florida).

In five studies, the researchers asked participants to sample foods that were hard, soft, rough, or smooth and then measured calorie estimations for the food.

When the participants were not made to focus on the calorie content, they consumed a higher volume of brownies when they were soft (vs. hard).

In contrast, when made to focus on the calorie content, the participants consumed a higher volume of brownies when they were hard (vs soft).

Brands interested in promoting the health benefits of their products can emphasise texture, as well as drawing attention to low-calorie foods, said the researchers.

“Understanding how the texture of food can influence calorie perceptions, food choice, and consumption amount can help nudge consumers towards making healthier choices,” the authors said.

The study appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research.