Stop unnecessary snacking with these tips
If feeling down leads you to the kitchen, it’s time to check in with your emotional eating habits. “Depression and anxiety are correlated traits and both can lead to people eating certain kinds of foods or binge eating,” says Paul Breslin, PhD, experimental psychologist and professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University.
And it’s not only on our down days. You may mindlessly overindulge when you’re in a happy state or when surrounded by friends. Before your next emotional eating episode, use these tips to take control.
- Find a New Comfort Food
You don’t have to omit post-breakup chocolate cake or bad-day-at-work mac and cheese entirely. “This is where the term ‘comfort food’ comes from,” Breslin says. Don’t completely cut out your go-to foods, just reach for a lighter version.
- Don’t Let Scent Fool You
“A large part of what comprises food flavor is odor,” Breslin says. Think of that burgers fresh off-the-grill scent that coaxes you every time. “We are predisposed to associate odors and flavors with metabolic consequences (both nutritious and poisonous),” he says.
So, although our eyes and emotions can draw us to certain foods, consider that your nose may be making your taste buds dance. High-fat or high-calorie foods tend to lure us through their scent, not their flavors, he says. Especially grilled meats and any fatty, savory foods.
- Eat Something Similar
Crunchy, creamy, juicy, or melty—you often have cravings for texture alone. The next time you want to douse your woes in, say, mint-chocolate chip ice cream, play on textures that mimic your craving of the moment. “When we crave sweet fatty foods, evidence suggests any fatty food will suffice,” Breslin says.
Instead, have probiotic yogurt with chopped walnuts and fresh fruit, he suggests. Or, stir cacao nibs and some peppermint oil into plain Greek yogurt. “It will be sweet, creamy, and fatty and should hit the spot, but is better for you than doughnuts, ice cream, cake, or chocolates.”
- Do Some Fact-Checking
“Eating” tends to become “scarfing” during a mood swing. “Negative effects combined with emotions can impair our ability to distinguish low-fat and high-fat foods,” Breslin says. Learn the serving sizes of your foods before you reach for them like a grab bag.
The suggested portion for any processed food is probably much smaller than you think. Feel a bout of the blues and subsequent binge eating fest coming on? Set aside one serving size of your vice of choice, and stash away the rest where they won’t be so visible.
And don’t use the takeout box as an excuse to overindulge. When you can’t flip over for nutrition facts, there’s certainly an app that can.
