FREE

75 mins

The Science behind Snacking

Behaviour and Habit Change, Gut Signalling and Sweet Taste Science

Eva Marija Čad, Jane Ogden, Sophie Medlin

Wednesday 21st October2026 19:00 – 20:15 GMT

Register for Free

#MNWSnackScience #MyNutriWeb
@MyNutriWeb

The Science behind Snacking

Behaviour and Habit Change, Gut Signalling and Sweet Taste Science

Eva Marija Čad, Jane Ogden, Sophie Medlin

Wednesday 21st October2026 19:00 – 20:15 GMT

Register for Free

Free

75 mins

#MNWSnackScience #MyNutriWeb
@MyNutriWeb

CONTENT AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Healthcare professionals routinely support patients and clients to change their eating habits, but lasting behaviour change is rarely as simple as knowing what to eat. Sweet snacking can be shaped by habit, hunger, reward, convenience, social situations and the wider food environment, so understanding what is happening in those real life moments is key to supporting meaningful change.
 
Emerging evidence across behaviour change, sweet taste science and gut signalling is helping us better understand why snacking habits persist and what may help people respond differently. Research suggests that reducing exposure to sweetness does not necessarily change how sweet foods taste or how much people want them, while behaviour change studies point to a range of strategies that may help disrupt established patterns.
 
The webinar will also explore the role of fibre rich whole foods within this wider behaviour change picture. Drawing on evidence around fibre, satiety, appetite and gut brain signalling, it will consider how what someone eats may influence not only the immediate food choice, but also hunger, fullness and the desire to snack again.
 
Bringing these strands together, the session will explore five common situations associated with sweet snacking: reward, social occasions, convenience, automaticity and hunger. It will consider how these behaviours are shaped by both individual drivers and the wider food environment, and how healthcare professionals can support people in those moments with practical, person centred behaviour change strategies.
We’ll cover:
  • The latest evidence on sweet taste and sweetness exposure
  • Evidence based approaches to behaviour and habit change 
  • How healthcare professionals can tailor support to different real life snacking situations
  • The role of fibre-rich foods in relation to satiety, appetite and gut brain signalling
  • The evidence for substitution as a behaviour change strategy
  • How to translate the evidence into practical, person centred support

Watch this webinar to:

Gain understanding of
  • Current evidence on dietary sweetness exposure and sweet preferences
  • Evidence based approaches to behaviour and habit change
  • The role of fibre, satiety and gut signalling in supporting practical food choices
  • How evidence from sweet taste science, behaviour change and gut signalling can inform substitution advice in practice
  • How naturally sweet, fibre-containing whole foods can fit into conversations about satisfying a desire for something sweet
  • How evidence from sweet taste science, behaviour change and gut signalling can inform practical food-choice advice in practice
Be aware of
  • Why reducing sweetness exposure may not change sweet taste preferences or desire for sweet foods
  • The importance of having a structured behaviour change strategy and putting it into practice early
  • Why substitution can be used as one approach to changing unhealthy snacking habits
  • The wider evidence around fibre, satiety and gut signalling, and how fibre-rich whole foods can fit into practical advice
  • How reward, social occasions, convenience, automaticity and hunger may call for different approaches when supporting someone who wants something sweet
Be able to
  • Translate current evidence on sweet taste, behaviour change and gut signalling into practical advice for real-world situations in which patients and clients want something sweet
  • Support patients and clients to choose and implement an appropriate behaviour change strategy
  • Apply evidence on fibre and satiety when considering practical food choices
  • Use the evidence to support practical, patient facing food choice guidance

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Melissa Mogor

Chair

Tanya Haffner
CEO RD MyNutriWeb, Chair of the BDA Sustainable Diets Group

@mynutriweb CIC

Tanya is a registered dietitian, CEO, and founder of MyNutriWeb CIC educational hub and Nutrilicious consultancy and marketing. With 30+ years of experience working across healthcare, food, education, marketing and media, she helps to empower professionals and organisations to lead on nutrition and sustainability for the benefit of health planet and the economy. She is current Chair of the British Dietetic Association’s Sustainable Diets Group, supporting members to embed sustainability across nutrition and dietetic practice.

Catherine Nash

Expert speakers


Eva Marija Čad, PhD
Sensory and Eating Behaviour Scientist

@eva-marija-cad

Eva Marija Čad, is a researcher in sensory and consumer science at the Department of Food Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. Her research focuses on sensory perception of food, eating behaviour, and factors influencing food choice. She has a particular interest in sweet taste perception and preferences, an area in which she completed her PhD at Wageningen University & Research with the thesis Sweet Tooth: Nature or Nurture?

Catherine Nash

Jane Ogden
Professor in Health Psychology

@jane-ogden

Jane Ogden is a Professor in Heath Psychology (Emeritus) at the university of Surrey. She taught psychology, nutrition, dietician, medical and vet students to think more psychologically about health for nearly 40 years and ran courses on critical thinking and health psychology. She has published 9 books mostly on eating behaviour including most recently ‘how to eat well at every age’ (2026) and over 280 research papers. She is also a regular contributor to the media with a regular slot on BBC Radio Surrey and articles in inews.

south asian food

Sophie Medlin
Sophie Medlin, Specialist Dietitian, CityDietitians

@sophiedietitian

Bio: Sophie has worked accross the NHS and academia and now runs CityDietitians, specialising in colorectal diseases and disorders. Sophie is also known for her work in the supplement industry, formulating supplements and supporting brands with evidence based messaging. Sophie has published research in high output stomas, the management of colorectal disorders, probiotics and other topics.
* Sophie has been supporting Driscoll’s with research into berries and their benefits.

Register for Free

This webinar is kindly supported by Driscoll’s

 

About Driscoll’s​

Driscoll’s is the global market leader in fresh berries, working with independent growers to develop and supply great tasting strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. As a company focused on delighting consumers, Driscoll’s is committed to making nutritious, naturally sweet fruit an enjoyable part of everyday eating.

 

Please note, approval of each sponsor and activity is carefully assessed for suitability on a case by case basis. Sponsorship does not imply any endorsement of the brand by MyNutriWeb, its organisers, its moderators or any participating healthcare professional, or their association. Sponsorship funds are reinvested into the creation and promotion of professional development opportunities on MyNutriWeb.

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