"Mindless eating" is a phrase used to describe the idle snacking that many people do throughout the day. It is also the title of a book by Cornell professor Brian Wansink that explains the psychological cues behind mindless eating and offers suggestions for combating those cues.

"Hide the cookies; uncover the carrots. You eat what you see. If you have to look at soda every time you open your refrigerator, you will spend more time thinking about soda and, ultimately, will drink more of it. So keep the sweets tucked away, and move your carrots and celery from the vegetable crisper to the top shelf of the fridge, where they will be at eye level."

Other suggestions include making healthy snacks easier to eat by, for example, washing and cutting carrots and celery. The stomach isn't sensitive enough to register in "real time" what's been eaten, so using the other senses is important. Put food on smaller plates so that it looks like you're eating more. And put sweets or other unhealthy snack food in places where they can't be easily seen.

Labels: grazing, healthy_eating, snacks