Curbing Cravings with MealEnders @ FNCE

By Monica Inman

A few weekends ago, I attended the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE), the largest meeting for nutrition professionals in Philadelphia, PA. Over 10,000 registered dietitian nutritionists, nutrition science researchers, policy makers, health-care providers and industry leaders attend the annual meeting. Various events, educational sessions, and over 300 exhibits are available to attend during the conference. Not going to lie, I spent the majority of my time at the expo hall where the exhibits were displayed because who doesn’t like free samples!

One exhibitor that sparked my attention was MealEnders. MealEnders provide signaling lozenges that control appetite, curb cravings, and stop overeating at the end of meals. They are the perfect option for those who need a “pill or quick fix” to avoid overeating. The MealEnder looks like small, hard candy to trick your mind into thinking you actually had your dessert. The outer coating of the lozenge gives a sweet, creamy flavor to finish off a meal and satisfy cravings. The outer layer melts in your mouth and you are then left with a hard center. The second layer creates a cooling, tingling sensation on your tongue to clear the palate and triggers the feeling of being full to avoid eating until your plate is empty or loading up on cake after a meal. This effect supposedly keeps your mind and mouth occupied during times of temptation which are the 20-minute gap in the brain’s recognition of fullness and snacks cravings that compel you to eat when not hungry. MealEnders are also thought to use behavioral psychology and sensory science. Over time, it is suspected to break the behavioral cycle of overeating and snacking, and teach sustainable behavior habits.

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In a clinical trial conducted by Stanford, participants using the MealEnders reported a decrease in their caloric intake by 231 calories, on average. The participants also did not experience any increase in hunger with the lower calorie intake. The decrease in calories consumed continued even after the participants were no longer using the MealEnders, suggesting dietary behavior changes took place. From the study, 88.2% of participants were more mindful about their eating along with 61.8% experiencing an increase in their overall mindfulness after using MealEnders based on questionnaires. Cognitive strength was increased in 79.4% of users between the pre- and post-intervention stages.

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As seen on Shark Tank, the MealEnders lozenges currently come in four flavors: Citrus, Chocolate Mint, Mocha, and Cinnamon. I personally sampled one of these MealEnder lozenges. The tingling and cooling sensation did cleanse my palate, which I found very refreshing. After sampling all sorts of different food and drink during the day making my taste buds go crazy, the MealEnder was very refreshing to have before eating dinner. Although I was not hungry before sampling the lozenge, I did not want to eat anything immediately after due to the refreshing feeling left in my mouth. However, that did not stop my craving for ice cream.

To read more on MealEnders and get your own opinion on these signaling lozenges visit https://www.mealenders.com/