18 April 2019
On average, we make more than 200 decisions about food each day — but are only aware of a small fraction of them.
The rest are unconscious and can lead to mindless eating, which may cause you to overeat and gain weight.
Here are 13 hacks, backed by science, to help you stop mindless eating.
1. Use visual reminders
Behavioral scientists believe one of the main reasons people overeat is because they rely on external rather than internal cues to decide whether they feel hungry or full.
This can lead you to eat more than you need to. Keeping a visual record of what you have eaten in a day is very helpful. For example, keep used packaging out in the kitchen to remind you what you have eaten.
2. Use smaller packet sizes
Another external cue that can cause you to overeat is the size of your food packaging.
Known as the portion size effect, it may contribute to significant weight gain over time.
Favouring smaller packages can help you reduce the number of calories you consume by up to 25% without even noticing. So, for example, choose individually packed crisps rather than the sharing size pack to stop you eating more than you need.
3. Use smaller plates and taller glasses
Studies show that people tend to eat 92% of the food they serve themselves.
Therefore, reducing the amount of food you serve yourself can make a significant difference in the number of calories you consume.
4. Decrease variety
Research shows that having a wider variety of food options can lead you to eat up to 23% more as you don’t get bored of eating and therefore don’t stop.
Reducing the variety of food flavors, colors, and textures you’re exposed to will help prevent you from eating more junk food than your body needs.
5. Keep some foods out of sight
Researchers report that the popular saying, “out of sight, out of mind” applies particularly well to mindless eating.
Seeing a food more often increases the chances you’ll choose to eat it.
Make this work in your favour by hiding tempting treats, while keeping healthy and nutritious food visible.
6. The more work is needed to eat a food, the less likely you are to eat it.
Take the convenience out of eating. Adding extra steps will allow you to turn a mindless eating behavior into a conscious choice, reducing the chance of overindulgence.
7. Eat slowly
Slow eaters tend to eat less, feel fuller, and rate their meals as more pleasant than fast eaters.
Scientists believe that taking at least 20–30 minutes to finish a meal allows more time for your body to release hormones that promote feelings of fullness.
The extra time also allows your brain to realize you’ve eaten enough before you reach for that second serving.
8. Unplug while you eat
Eating while you’re distracted can lead you to eat faster, feel less full, and mindlessly eat more.
Whether this is watching TV, listening to the radio, or playing a computer game, the type of distraction doesn’t seem to matter much.
9 When dining in groups, sit next to people who eat less or at a slower pace than you. This can help prevent overeating.
10. Eat according to your inner clock
Relying on external cues like the time of day to determine your level of hunger may lead you to overeat.
11. Beware of ‘health foods’
Thanks to clever marketing, even foods labeled as healthy can push some people to mindlessly overeat.
“Low-fat” labels are a prime example, as foods low in fat are not necessarily low in calories. For instance, low-fat granola typically only has 10% fewer calories than regular-fat granola. Focus on ingredients rather than health claims.
12. Don’t buy it in the first place
It it’s not in the fridge, you can’t eat it!
13 High-volume foods help you feel full and decrease food intake at the next meal. Eating fibre-rich foods is an easy way to do this.
For the best results, choose just three of these tips and aim to apply them consistently for around 66 days — the average time it takes to create a habit.