5 Easy Ways to Eat Healthier (No Calorie Counting)
Engaging all five of your senses at mealtime may be the secret to creating healthier eating habits.
By Jessica Girdwain
Photo: Thinkstock
Hearing
Use It to: Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
We've been told not to eat in front of the TV because binge watching can lead to binge eating, but a new study finds that mindless eating can be a good thing: Participants consumed about 25 percent more apple slices and carrot sticks when a movie's volume was turned up loud. "The subjects may have subconsciously matched the intensity with which they ate to the intensity of the sound," explains study coauthor Gregory J. Privitera, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at St. Bonaventure University in New York.
We've been told not to eat in front of the TV because binge watching can lead to binge eating, but a new study finds that mindless eating can be a good thing: Participants consumed about 25 percent more apple slices and carrot sticks when a movie's volume was turned up loud. "The subjects may have subconsciously matched the intensity with which they ate to the intensity of the sound," explains study coauthor Gregory J. Privitera, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at St. Bonaventure University in New York.
Photo: Thinkstock
Sight
Use It to: Kill Cravings
We know that scrolling past a mouth-watering picture of a friend's latest culinary creation on Instagram can make us hungrier, but you can use the images to your advantage if you don't stop at just one photo. A 2013 study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests that exposing people to repeated images of the same type of food (like salty or sweet dishes) makes them grow mentally tired of the taste, so it's less enjoyable when they finally have a chance to eat. Before dining, look at images of food you intend to eat—the sensory stimuli may be enough to stop you from overindulging.
We know that scrolling past a mouth-watering picture of a friend's latest culinary creation on Instagram can make us hungrier, but you can use the images to your advantage if you don't stop at just one photo. A 2013 study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests that exposing people to repeated images of the same type of food (like salty or sweet dishes) makes them grow mentally tired of the taste, so it's less enjoyable when they finally have a chance to eat. Before dining, look at images of food you intend to eat—the sensory stimuli may be enough to stop you from overindulging.
Photo: Thinkstock
Touch
Use It to: Feel Full on Less
How you incorporate touch during a meal—like with a hefty wineglass or spoon—can influence how food tastes, according to a 2013 report in the journal Flavour. In one experiment, people rated yogurt as denser and more enjoyable when it was served in a heavy bowl than a lighter one. The tactile experience may lead us to focus more intently on what we're eating, which can thereby help us be aware of when we're truly full, says study coauthor Charles Spence, PhD, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford.
How you incorporate touch during a meal—like with a hefty wineglass or spoon—can influence how food tastes, according to a 2013 report in the journal Flavour. In one experiment, people rated yogurt as denser and more enjoyable when it was served in a heavy bowl than a lighter one. The tactile experience may lead us to focus more intently on what we're eating, which can thereby help us be aware of when we're truly full, says study coauthor Charles Spence, PhD, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford.
Photo: Thinkstock
Smell
Use It to: Tame Your Sweet Tooth
Go on, take a whiff of something really sweet. In a small 2012 study, participants ate vanilla custard in a lab while researchers released a cream aroma at different levels of intensity. When the strongest aroma was present, the subjects took smaller bites and consumed as much as 10 percent less of the treat. "We tend to regulate intensely pungent sensations by reducing our intake," says study coauthor René de Wijk, PhD. "As a result, we can eat less but still feel satisfied." You may get similar results when eating foods that have stronger aromas and flavors, like lemon pie or pineapple upside-down cake.
Go on, take a whiff of something really sweet. In a small 2012 study, participants ate vanilla custard in a lab while researchers released a cream aroma at different levels of intensity. When the strongest aroma was present, the subjects took smaller bites and consumed as much as 10 percent less of the treat. "We tend to regulate intensely pungent sensations by reducing our intake," says study coauthor René de Wijk, PhD. "As a result, we can eat less but still feel satisfied." You may get similar results when eating foods that have stronger aromas and flavors, like lemon pie or pineapple upside-down cake.
Photo: Thinkstock
Taste
Use It to: Cut Back on Fat and Sodium
To get the most deliciousness from your food, chefs often recommend adding umami, considered the fifth taste after salty, bitter, sweet and sour. (Umami owes its savory or meaty flavor primarily to the amino acid glutamate.) A review in Nutrition and Health concludes that adding umami-rich foods (including Parmesan, shiitake mushrooms and tomatoes) to your dishes in place of high-fat extras and salt can help reduce fat content by up to 30 percent and sodium by as much as 40 percent—without compromising taste.
To get the most deliciousness from your food, chefs often recommend adding umami, considered the fifth taste after salty, bitter, sweet and sour. (Umami owes its savory or meaty flavor primarily to the amino acid glutamate.) A review in Nutrition and Health concludes that adding umami-rich foods (including Parmesan, shiitake mushrooms and tomatoes) to your dishes in place of high-fat extras and salt can help reduce fat content by up to 30 percent and sodium by as much as 40 percent—without compromising taste.
From the July 2014 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine