More Mindless Eating

Friday, June 20, 2008

Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N

Did you know that we make 250 food decisions every day? All of that decision making requires a lot of self discipline and self control to choose the right foods and to control your portion and push away.

Did you know that we eat an average of 92% of what we serve ourselves? So if you serve yourself oversized portions, is it any surprise that you overeat?

The mindless decisions we make daily about food are what lead to mindless eating. These mindless decisions can easily add up to 250-300 calories every day, leading to unwanted weight gain.

More tips on preventing mindless eating:

1. Remove the candy jar or dish. When the candy jar is within arm's reach on your desk, you are much more likely to reach for it. Keep sweet treats in a cabinet walking distance away.
2. Make your own portion packs. The 100 calorie snack packs are really popular, but they are also expensive and create a lot of landfill waste. You can create your own by dividing a box of cookies or crackers into individual portions and reusing a snack sized baggie.
3. Reduce variety. Studies show that people eat less when there is less variety offered. If you are given a bowl of all blue M&Ms and a bowl of mixed color M&Ms, will you eat the same number? Most people will eat more of the colored than when just one color is offered.

Try the National Mindless Eating Challenge!

Photo courtesy of www.mindlesseating.org

Labels: mindless eating, Tara Gidus

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