Influence of Spices on Mixed Vegetable Intake Including Brassica

This study is to determine the liking of vegetables, intentions to consume vegetables and differences in responses in consumption of three individual vegetables including: broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, baby spinach with and without spices added by measuring: (1) the actual intake of blanched dishes of vegetables using a modified Universal Eating Monitor when dishes are eaten plain or with added spices in random order; and (2) level of eating by baseline eating restraint using the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ).

This study will be conducted in healthy overweight subjects (30-60 years, Body Mass Index >25 and <30). A total of 20 subjects will be recruited (10 men and 10 women). Subjects will be further stratified by whether their level of restrained eating (10 high and 10 low restraint in each group). All participants will complete a general recruitment questionnaire which incorporates the TFEQ (Stunkard & Messick, 1985, Cappelleri 2009) along with measures of food and drink preferences and allergies. To ensure large differences in restraint between groups, subjects will be pre-selected depending on their score on the TFEQ cognitive restraint scale, with scores greater than two defined as high restraint (HR), and two or less than two as low restraint (LR). An equal number of high restraint and low restraint eaters will be tested.

Three different vegetables with or without spices given a total of 6 dishes will be tested in 6 visits per subject. The order in which each participant will be presented with the spiced or plain vegetables is randomized. Participants will be presented with a tray containing one of the three different vegetables served as a buffet in containers. As each subject ingests the dish with or without spices the rate of eating and amount eaten will be measured using a computer-based system modified from the Universal Eating Monitor.

Broccoli will be seasoned with pre-prepared spice mix containing garlic powder (0.7g), onion powder (0.7g), black pepper (0.25g) and basil leaves (0.12g); cauliflower (300g) with garlic (0.1g), dill weed (0.12g), onion (0.05g) and black pepper (0.05g); and spinach (300g) with dried chervil (0.07g), dried chives (0.13g), garlic (0.4g) and onion (0.4g).