Snacking on raisins controls kids' hunger

Eating raisins as an after-school snack prevents excessive calorie intake and increases fullness in children compared to other snacks, Canadian researchers say. The study, funded by the California Raisin Marketing Board, was conducted among 26 normal-weight boys and girls ages 8-11 over three months. Lead researcher G. Harvey Anderson of the University of Toronto, Nick Bellissimo of Ryerson University and Bohdan Luhovyy and Mount Saint Vincent University said study participants were randomly assigned to eat raisins or other snacks, including grapes, potato chips or chocolate chip cookies, until they were comfortably full. Each child received the same standardized breakfast, morning snack and lunch on test days. Subjective appetite was measured before and immediately after snack consumption at 15-minute intervals. Food intake following raisin consumption was lower and satiation greater compared to the other snacks, the study found. The findings were presented at the Canadian Nutrition Society annual meeting in Vancouver.