Functional foods are gaining more and more interest from health scientists. One way to improve the nutritional properties of foods may be to modify the starch component, often included to stabilize the food product. In this study two chemically modified starches-a 1-2% acetylated potato starch and a starch enriched with 2% beta-cyclodextrin-and a native, unmodified potato starch (control) were investigated with regard to 6-h energy expenditure, substrate metabolism, hormone concentrations, and subjective appetite sensations. Subjects were 11 healthy, normal-weight, young men. The starch (50 g) was prepared as a pudding with fruit sauce and whipped cream (3180 kJ, 49% of energy from carbohydrate, and 40% of energy from fat). The meal was given in the morning after a 2-d carbohydrate-rich, weight-maintenance diet. After the modified-starch meals, response patterns for plasma glucose (P < 0.01), insulin (P < 0.05); gastric inhibitory polypeptide (P < 0.05), subjective satiety (P < 0.05), and fullness (P = 0.06) were significantly different from response patterns after the meal with the control starch. Thus, a flattening of the glucose curve, a lower insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide response, and higher fullness ratings were observed after the meal with the beta-cyclodextrin starch. Satiety ratings were higher after both meals with modified starch than after the meal with the control starch. In conclusion, a minor modification insulinemic (1-2%) of native potato starch improved the glycemia, insulinemic, and satiating properties of a meal. This was especially true for the beta-cyclodextrin-enriched starch. Slower gastric-emptying rate or delayed intestinal absorption of the modified starch may explain the observed differences.