Why ‘Once you pop you can’t stop!’
Do you ever find your hand at the bottom of a family pack of crisps and wonder “Who ate all of these?!”
It’s really not your fault. With ultra-processed foods, the odds are piled high against us all.
It’s you versus dozens of taste-testing focus groups, clever marketing, and an ambrosia of flavours, chemicals, and textures designed to send your brain into bliss.
From a food manufacturer’s perspective, this makes sense: the more you eat, the more you buy. They’re even transparent about the objective … remember the original strapline for a certain crisp? ... ’Once you pop, you can’t stop!’
Ultra-processed foods aren’t evil. And you’re not broken if you can’t control yourself around some of them.
But if these foods are making you feel unwell, out of control, or they’re getting in the way of you and your goals, here is a strategy that will help.
Limit your options. And keep them out of sight.
Studies show people will eat more when they have a variety of flavours and textures to choose from. And when they can see them all on display.
Experts call this the ‘buffet effect’: You go from the salty to the sweet, to the crunchy to the chewy, and back to the salty again.
With so many delicious options, it’s hard to stop.
Let's make healthy simple
Without judgment, see how many ‘snack foods’ you have in your home
Buy a smaller variety to minimise the ‘buffet effect’ and overeating
Move what's left out of eyeline, so you're not constantly tempted by it
Put the healthier options you'd rather reach for front and centre - make them the easy choice
P.S. Want more speedy, healthy snack ideas? Grab my free guide below:
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