Healthy Snacking Made Simple

If you’re feeling a little lazy when to comes to eating healthy foods to help you lose weight, laziness may work in your favor.

Researchers have figured out that people are more likely to snack on foods that are closest to them – whether they’re nutritious or not.

They discovered this when they put apple slices in a bowl within reaching distance from a group of hungry volunteers. Another bowl, with buttery popcorn, was placed about six feet away – requiring people to get up and walk over to the bowl if they wanted some.

Although people often ate both snacks, they ate more of the snacks that were closest to them.

When popcorn was near, more popcorn was consumed, according to the study published in the journal Appetite. But when apple slices were near, more apples were consumed.

“Although participants rated the popcorn more liked than apples, the food that was placed closer to the participant was consumed most in the two experimental groups, regardless of preference,” the authors wrote.

So how can people apply this at home as part of their weight loss efforts?

The trick is to keep healthy snacks within arm’s reach. When you walk through your kitchen, make it easy to reach for a banana – not a bag of potato chips.

Source: Appetite

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