Sixty people asked to chew gum as they prepared a meal had fewer hunger pangs and in fact ate less, reducing their sweet snack intake by 46.5 calories, than those who cooked without chewing on any gum, researchers said.

Several studies have found that chewing food also makes you feel fuller.

A chopped up apple provides a better snack than apple juice or apple puree, which fail to completely satisfy rumbling tummies. "Consuming a whole apple, sliced before lunch, reduced total meal energy intake by 15 per cent," said Julie Flood, of the study carried out by University Park in Pennsylvania.

Although apple juice or puree contain the same number of calories as an apple, around 152, people offered a meal after consuming a sliced apple ate less than those who drank the juice or spooned up the puree.