In economics, the law of diminishing returns states that if you invest your money and certain variables remain status quo, your investment will reach a point at which it cannot grow, thus decreasing the reward. Outside of economics, famed chef Thomas Keller says the law of diminishing returns also applies to food.

Famed for his Napa restaurant, The French Laundry, Keller explains that while the first and second bites just start to stimulate your palate, during “the third or fourth bites you get the maximum appreciation […] and you keep eating because of that memory of it being really extraordinary. But was it as good [at the end] as it was at that second, third, or fourth bite? No."

According to Keller, "The most compelling portion of a dish is in the first three or four bites," and his theory seems to be backed up by research. A Stanford study found that after eating a given number of crackers, those who ate 15 crackers did not enjoy the experience as much as those who ate only three, suggesting that smaller portions actually leave customers happier.