Did you know you could consume 100 fewer calories every day without even thinking about it? According to Dr. Brian Wansink and other scientists at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, the setup of your kitchen greatly impacts what and how much you eat.
In his book, “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,” Wansink showed that simply making small changes in your kitchen can lead you and your family to “mindlessly” or effortlessly eating less and better food.
Here are a few tips for a kitchen that keeps you healthy:
Eat less
It’s easy to keep reaching into that bag of pretzels, but splitting snacks into small portions before you put them away can help you avoid overeating. Try tricking yourself into eating smaller portions by using smaller plates and tall thin glasses.
Eat better
On second thought, why not ditch those pretzels? Put fruits and vegetables in plain sight to increase your chances of making the healthy choice. Try placing store produce at eye level in your fridge and in bowls on your countertop.
Eat mindfully
It’s tempting to eat dinner in front of your favorite show, but try turning off the TV. Better yet, remove it from your kitchen entirely. Distractions like TV and mobile devices prevent us from paying attention to what we’re cooking and eating.
Check out how your kitchen stacks up with the Blue Zones Kitchen Checklist, provided at bluezones.com. This tool will help you determine the impact your kitchen has on the quality and quantity of your food consumption. The answers will help you see where you can make small simple changes to facilitate healthy conscious eating.
Want to learn more about healthy habits and Blue Zones Project events such as cooking demonstrations? Contact me at CarolR.Ignacio@healthways.com or call me at 202-4958 and get started with the Blue Zones Project individual pledge.
For more information, visit Hawaii.bluezonesproject.com.
Blue Zones Project — North Hawaii involves dozens of community volunteers from Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kohala, Kawaihae, Puako and Hamakua who are dedicated to helping us all “Live Longer, Better.” To join, go to hawaii.bluezonesproject.com to learn more. North Hawaii is one of only eight communities in the state selected as a Blue Zones Project demonstration site. Blue Zones Project by Healthways is brought to Hawaii by HMSA.