Adolescents perceive a low added sugar adequate fiber diet to be more satiating and equally palatable compared to a high added sugar low fiber diet in a randomized-crossover design controlled feeding pilot trial.

Background: High added sugar (AS) intake is associated with obesity and poor diet quality. Guidelines recommended limiting AS to 5-10% of total energy intake, but palatability and feasibility of this AS intake level is uncertain.

Objective: To compare adolescents' perceptions of hunger, fullness, and palatability in response to a low AS adequate fiber (LASAF; 5% total energy from AS and 13.5 g fiber/1000 kcal) and a high AS low fiber (HASLF; 25% total energy form AS and 8.2 g/1000 kcal) diet.

Design: Adolescents (n = 32, age: 15.3 ± 1.6 yrs., BMI percentile: 47 ± 4, 15 male) completed a randomized, crossover, controlled feeding study. Participants consumed calorie-matched LASAF and HASLF diets for 7 days, separated by a 4 week washout. Body weight was monitored daily on each diet. Hunger, fullness, and palatability were assessed via 100 mm visual analogue scales at the end of each feeding period. Differences were assessed with paired sample t-tests. Data are expressed as mean ± SD.

Results: Participants remained weight stable, and no difference in weight change between diet conditions was detected (LASAF: -0.06 ± 0.7 vs. HASLF: -0.02 ± 0.6 kg, p = 0.751). Less hunger (LASAF: 24.1 ± 14.6 vs. HASLF: 32.1 ± 17.6 mm, p = 0.024) and greater fullness (LASAF: 70.2 ± 12.3 vs. HASLF: 61.3 ± 18.1 mm, p = 0.006) were reported on the LASAF compared to the HASLF. Participants reported the diets to be equally palatable (LASAF: 39.6 ± 12.9 vs. HASLF: 37.2 ± 17.8 mm, p = 0.440).

Conclusions: Adolescents perceive a LASAF diet to be as palatable as a HASLF diet, but more satiating. LASAF diets should be investigated as a strategy for weight control in adolescents.