Weaning-food viscosity and energy density: their effects on ad libitum consumption and energy intakes in Jamaican children.

The effects of weaning-food viscosity and energy density on consumption and energy intake were determined in 15 non-breast-fed Jamaican children aged 7-15 mo under standardized conditions. We tested whether feeding thick, energy-dense porridge four times daily resulted in increased energy intakes and whether amylase treatment to reduce viscosity offered any advantage. When a traditional liquid, low-density porridge (2.15 kJ/g) was fed, the mean (+/- SD) daily consumption was 139 +/- 25 g/kg and the mean daily energy intake was 296 +/- 54 kJ/kg. When a semisolid high-density porridge (4.09 kJ/g) was fed, consumption was significantly lower (98 +/- 21 g/kg) but the daily energy intake was significantly higher--402 +/- 85 kJ/kg (P < 0.001). Amylase treatment of the thick energy-dense porridge did not increase intakes further. Meal duration for the thick porridge (12.9 +/- 4.0 min) was significantly longer than that for the low-density (7.4 +/- 2.6 min) or amylase-treated (6.4 +/- 1.8 min) porridges.