Effect of a fat-reduced dish in a meal on 24-h energy and macronutrient intake

A covertly fat-reduced and low-calorie dish was provided at lunchtime once a week to normal-weight human subjects. A normal-calorie version of the dish was served for the first 3 weeks, the low-calorie version for the following 4 weeks and the normal-calorie version again for the last 3 weeks. Participants did not compensate for the 840-kJ (201 kcal) fat reduction of their main dish during the lunchtime meal. This lack of compensation persisted after four successive weekly presentations. When the normal-caloric version was offered again, energy intake at lunch immediately recovered. There was 80% adjustment in 24-h energy intake from the first to the last test day on the low-calorie dish, and a return to the baseline level when the normal energy content of the dish was restored. No compensation specific to fat occurred after the consumption of the low-fat dish and so the proportion of energy intake derived from fat decreased from 39.6% in the period on the normal-caloric dish to 36.1% in the 4 weeks on the low-calorie dish. Thus, fat-reduced dishes seem a good means to improve the composition of the diet.