The Benefits of Consuming Hummus as an Afternoon Snack

The investigators propose a randomized snack study in normal to overweight adults that will test whether the consumption of different afternoon snacks will have different effects on appetite, mood, blood sugar control, and food intake.

Aim 1: To examine whether the addition of hummus as part of an afternoon snack will improve diet quality, particularly through assessments of daily:

* Vegetable consumption
* Snacking behavior
* Energy intake
* Food choices

Aim 2: To examine whether the addition of hummus as part of an afternoon snack will improve appetite control and satiety including assessments of:

* Appetite Control (hunger, desire to eat, prospective food consumption)
* Cravings (sweet, salty, savory)
* Satiety (fullness)
* Eating initiation

Aim 3: To examine whether the addition of hummus as part of an afternoon snack will improve free-living glycemic control.

Aim 4: To explore whether the addition of hummus as part of an afternoon snack will improve mood/energy states

Experimental Design: For 6 consecutive days/treatment, the participants will consume either hummus and pretzels, granola bars, or no snack between 2-4 pm and refrain from eating anything else during this time. On day 7, the participants will consume a standard breakfast, at home, and will come in to the investigator's facility 1 h prior to their habitual lunch time. The participants will be placed in a comfortable room, void of all time cues and a standardized lunch will be consumed. At 3 h after lunch, the participants will complete baseline appetite, satiety, and mood questionnaires. The respective snack will be given to the participants, and they will have 20 minutes to eat the snack. Snack palatability will also be assessed. The participants will continue to complete the previous questionnaires until they voluntarily choose to eat (again). At 3 h after snack, they will be presented with ad libitum dinner and evening snacks. They will be permitted to eat as much or as little as they would like to eat over the remainder of the day. In addition, from day 3 to day 8 of the testing week, continuous glucose monitoring will be completed to assess glucose control.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* normal to overweight (BMI: 18-32 kg/m2)
* no metabolic, psychological, or neurological diseases/conditions not currently or previously on a weight loss or other special diet (in the past 6 months)
* non-smoking
* not been clinically diagnosed with an eating disorder
* habitually eat an afternoon snack between 2:00-4:00 pm
* no food allergies related to the study snacks
* rates the overall liking of hummus higher than "Neither Like nor Dislike" on the screening palatability questionnaire.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Clinically diagnosed with an eating disorder
* Metabolic, hormonal, and/or neural conditions/diseases that influence metabolism or appetite
* Currently or previously on a weight loss or other special diet (in the past 6 months)
* Gained/lost \>10 lb. over the past 6 months
* Taking medication that would directly influence appetite (weight-loss drugs or antidepressant, steroid, or thyroid medication, unless dosage has been stable for at least 6 months)
* Not willing or able to complete all study testing procedures