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Forks over Spoons: The Impact of Cutlery on Calorie Estimates

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  • Courtney Szocs
  • Dipayan Biswas

Abstract

Forks and spoons are present at nearly every meal in Western societies, and many foods can be appropriately consumed with either type of cutlery. We focus on foods that can be appropriately consumed with either a fork or a spoon and examine how eating with one piece of cutlery (vs. the other) influences consumers' calorie estimates and consumption decisions. Holding bite size constant, we find that eating with a spoon (vs. a fork) leads consumers to estimate the number of calories in the food as being lower and also desire a greater volume of the food. The effect of cutlery on calories is attenuated when consumers focus on the oral sensations they experience while eating, as well as when foods do not adhere to the cutlery surface. Overall, our findings suggest that eating with a fork might be one way to encourage healthful consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Courtney Szocs & Dipayan Biswas, 2016. "Forks over Spoons: The Impact of Cutlery on Calorie Estimates," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 161-174.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jacres:doi:10.1086/684284
    DOI: 10.1086/684284
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brennan Davis & Collin R. Payne & My Bui, 2016. "Making Small Food Units Seem Regular: How Larger Table Size Reduces Calories to Be Consumed," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 115-124.
    2. Madzharov, Adriana V., 2019. "Self-Control and Touch: When Does Direct Versus Indirect Touch Increase Hedonic Evaluations and Consumption of Food," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(4), pages 170-185.
    3. Jacob Suher & Raj Raghunathan & Wayne D. Hoyer, 2016. "Eating Healthy or Feeling Empty? How the "Healthy = Less Filling" Intuition Influences Satiety," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 26-40.
    4. Koert van Ittersum & Brian Wansink, 2016. "The Behavioral Science of Eating: Encouraging Boundary Research That Has Impact," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 5-14.
    5. Sara Williamson & Lauren G. Block & Punam A. Keller, 2016. "Of Waste and Waists: The Effect of Plate Material on Food Consumption and Waste," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 147-160.
    6. Stephen S. Holden & Natalina Zlatevska & Chris Dubelaar, 2016. "Whether Smaller Plates Reduce Consumption Depends on Who's Serving and Who's Looking: A Meta-Analysis," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 134-146.

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