Are you familiar with the saying, “out of sight, out of mind”? For some, this may be a guiding notion that if I cannot see it, I will not crave it. But if you are a visual and mindless eater, like me, it is easy to understand the temptation to snack, because the object of desire is within your line of sight. I can often go days and even weeks without ever craving certain foods or snacks, like crackers or candy. But the minute a package comes into the house and takes up residence in the pantry or fridge where I keep all my healthy choices like granola, seeds, or yogurt, all bets are off! In my quest to better understand these visual attraction when it comes to food, I decided to do a little digging for some of the root causes of these triggers.
According to Behavioral Scientists, the average person relies on external (instead of internal) cues to decide when they are hungry or full. An external cue, like a package of unopened cookies laying on the kitchen counter can many times override the internal cue of “I’m not hungry right now”. Research has also shown that having access to a wide variety of foods and flavors, for some individuals, can lead to eating up to 23% more food than you would if the options were less. (Healthline.com)
Some scientists agree that mindless eating can be easily curbed by adopting the practice of “out of sight, out of mind”. This means placing the food you would prefer to consume less of or not at all, on its own shelf in the pantry and not directly in your line of sight. Another great option is to place those undesirables in a separate cupboard or cabinet or in a bin toward the back of your fridge.
If you are looking to gain even greater outcomes from improving your eating habits, one popular trend is to turn off and tune in! Removing distractions from meal times, like cell phones and television, can help you focus on how much you are consuming and even lessen the amount of food you actually eat!
At the end of the day you have to go with what works for you, my food-loving friends. In my house of foodies, we use these hacks regularly, from leaving our devices in another room, to storing our go-to-goodies in a designated location for our Saturday night splurges; leaving the healthy options well within our regular reach and sight! So it’s your turn! Share and comment what works for you and your space!