Bet you didn't know this!

You may think that the main reason that people eat bigger portions is because they are really enjoying what they are eating. They are savouring the flavour and textures and so continue to eat. Whilst there is some truth in this, there is another reason that people eat more and it will surprise you.

You don't eat just to stop yourself from feeling hungry. That may be one of the reasons that you start to eat but it isn't the only reason that you eat. You also eat to satisfy your senses. If you only ate to stop yourself from feeling hungry you would be quite content to only eat food that was nutritionally good for you, and to stop as soon as you stopped feeling hungry.

You may believe that the foods classed as 'comfort foods' fulfil all the needs of your senses but they fall short. Your senses need wonderful flavours, aromas and textures, and they need to experience new ones as well as ones you know they like.

When you eat 'comfort' foods these are usually foods that are high in fat, salt and/or sugar but lack a real depth and variety of flavours. Before you start to jump up and down about all the varieties of pizza toppings and ice-cream flavours, let me assure you that unless these are fresh, burst-in-the-mouth flavours your brain will not be fully satisfied. These flavours do not come in packaged food (although there are some very rare exceptions that usually cost an appropriately large amount of money to purchase).

When you eat the same foods and 'stodgy' foods you will end up being tempted to eat more because your brain and senses are waiting to be satisfied and it takes more of this type of food for you to feel satisfied.

To satisfy your senses your food should be cooked fresh using fresh ingredients, meals packed with flavours and textures. Experiment with new flavours, try new foods, new aromas and new textures. This way you are more likely to eat less and to eat mindfully and have fun creating a whole new range of dishes to add to your repertoire.

warm regards

Sarah