In order to understand contemporary eating habits, it is essential to comprehend snacking behaviour and its causes. Self-reports and controlled laboratory research, for example, have problems in accurately reflecting eating and drinking behaviour in natural situations. With the least amount of user effort and researcher interaction, the SnackBox developed at OnePlanet Research Centre is a unique tool that aims to objectively measure snacking habits.

To validate the SnackBox, we performed a study in which forty-eight people used the SnackBox at their workplace and home over a two-week period, recording their snack consumption. The study showed that the SnackBox is a valid and low-burden tool for assessing snacking and drinking behaviour in real-life settings. Its objective data collection surpasses self-reports, offering insights into snacking quantities. This has the potential to advance our understanding and interventions for healthier dietary habits.

The paper describing the study is published in Food Quality and Preference and is available here.