The Drink That Could Help You Eat Less

If your coffee shop order goes something like, "Grande skim latte, no foam, no whip," you may want to rethink your drink. A new study from the International Journal of Obesity found that consuming a "foam" drink—i.e., one that's frothy and/or whipped on top—could help curb your overall appetite.

For the study, Dutch researchers asked 134 adults on a diet to eat 200 milliliters (about 22 calories' worth) of foam (like the kind on top of your cappuccino) with a spoon. Participants did this either immediately after a meal, immediately after a snack, in between a snack or a meal, or not at all. Then, they had them report how hungry they were directly after eating, as well as at the end of the day.

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What happened? The subjects who'd eaten the foam reported having a smaller appetite after each session. Why? Researchers say there may be two reasons—and both come down to the "entrapped air" effect. First, since foam is basically just whipped air, researchers believe the air may fill up your stomach so you're more likely to feel full after you have it. (That's also why popcorn, which has a lot of air in it, is such a great fill-you-up snack.) The second reason is more mental: Having foam may trick your brain into thinking you ate more than you did. After all, you're technically eating something, even though it's mostly just air.

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To get the effect, try having a little bit of foam as they did in the study: after a meal, after a snack, and/or in between a snack and a meal. Get a specialty latte with foam, or alternatively, you can also buy a milk frother and DIY it at home. But just be sure to pass on the sugar-loaded syrups—those won't curb your appetite and may cause you to gain weight.

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