5 Things You're Doing Wrong at the Grocery Store
Our best and worst eating habits start in a grocery store, says consumer behavior expert Brian Wansink. But his tiny tweaks can change the way you eat (and have nothing to do with buying low-fat).
By Corrie Pikul
Photo: Image Source/Getty Images
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How To Eat 7 Percent Less Junk Food
What he found: You've heard that you shouldn't go shopping when you're hungry because you'll buy more food. Wansink has found that, in fact, when we are hungry, we buy the same amount of food but more cellophane-wrapped nibbles that can be opened with one hand and devoured in five seconds flat. Because most people can't help but shop when they're hungry, Wansink decided to come up with a way to interrupt those urgent cravings. When he gave shoppers gum to chew at the start of their shopping trip, they bought 7 percent less junk food than those who weren't chewing gum and also rated themselves as less ravenous and less tempted by food.
What you should do: Make sure the gum is sugarless, because sugary gum (as well as hard candy) had the opposite effect and amped up the craving for sweets.
Published 09/16/2014
