Beware vanishing caloric density it can trick you into gaining weight

Imagine a snack that not only physically melts in your mouth with every bite, but whose calories seem to disappear just as quickly.Magic, right?Your brain thinks so, thanks to a phenomenon known as “vanishing caloric density.”But this mental magic trick could actually lead you to eat more calories — and pack on unwanted pounds.Many people reach for ultra-processed foods when they want a quick bite, with more than half of 5,000 US adults admitting they’ve eaten an entire bag of chips in a single sitting.This may be because of “vanishing caloric density,” which, while not a formal nutrition term, describes airy snacks that dissolve on the tongue, tricking the brain into thinking the calories disappear just as fast.In reality, the brain doesn’t fully register how much has been consumed, making it easier to overeat.This bypasses the body’s typical process for recognizing when you’re eating — and when you’re full — according to Angela Graham, a Phoenix-based nutrition expert.“The brain already takes 20 minutes to catch up to your stomach with any meal, which is why you sometimes feel uncomfortably full a while after eating,” Graham told The Post.

“So with vanishing caloric density, this effect is really amplified since these foods are so easy to eat.”The perfect example? Cheese puffs.They’re light, airy and dissolve instantly.Other examples include chips, popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, rice cakes, wafer cookies, dried fruits, queso dip and cookie butter.“These foods tend to be highly processed, aerated and formulated with fat and sugar combinations that dissolve fast on the tongue,” Mackenzie Mitchel, a registered dietitian, told The Post.While occasionally indulging in these types of snacks isn’t likely to have a major impact on your health, eating them regularly can crowd out more nutrient-dense foods.“An example would be how much easier it is to eat 500 calories of potato chips versus roasted potatoes, which have m...