13 Science-Backed Tips to Stop Mindless Eating

On average, you make more than 200 decisions about food each day — yet you’re only conscious of a small portion of them (1).

The remainder are handled by your unconscious mind and can result in mindless eating, which often contributes to overeating and weight gain.

Below are 13 evidence-based tactics to help you prevent mindless eating.

1. Use visual reminders

Behavioral scientists suggest one of the main drivers of overeating is relying on external signs rather than internal signals to judge hunger and fullness.

This tendency naturally makes it easier to consume more than you need.

To illustrate, researchers supplied participants with unlimited chicken wings while they watched a lengthy televised sporting event.

On some tables, bones were cleared away continuously, while on others the bones were allowed to build up. People with bones on their tables ate 34% less — about 2 fewer wings — than those whose tables were cleaned (2).

Another study used bottomless bowls that slowly refilled participants’ soup as they ate (3).

Those consuming soup from the hidden-refill bowls ate 73% more — roughly an extra 113 calories — versus people using regular bowls (3).

Yet the people who ate more soup didn’t report feeling any more satisfied. Most still estimated they’d consumed about the same number of calories as those with normal bowls (3).

Both studies show that people often use visual cues — like chicken bones or how much soup remains — to gauge fullness.

To use this tendency to your advantage, keep visible traces of what you’ve eaten. Examples include the empty bottles from a barbecue or the plates from earlier courses at an all-you-can-eat setting.

SUMMARY Use visual reminders of what you’ve consumed to help you remain aware of how much you’ve already eaten.

2. Favor smaller packages

Package size is another external cue that can lead to overeating.

Known as the portion-size effect, it can contribute to meaningful weight gain over time (4).

Packaging that includes built-in pause points may reduce this effect by giving you moments to decide whether to continue snacking.

For example, people eating Pringles from cans where every 7th or 14th chip was dyed red consumed 43–65% fewer chips than those eating from cans without dyed chips (5).

Likewise, participants given a large 200-M&M bag ate 31 more candies — about 112 extra calories — than those given 10 small 20-piece bags (6).

SUMMARY Choosing smaller packages can lower calorie intake by up to about 25% without you noticing.

3. Use smaller plates and taller glasses

Evidence shows people usually eat around 92% of what they serve themselves.

So cutting down the amount you put on your plate can substantially reduce the calories you consume (7).

An easy trick for reducing portions without feeling deprived is to use smaller plates and taller glasses.

Large plates make portions appear smaller, prompting you to serve more food.

Switching from 12.5-inch (32-cm) plates to 9.5-inch (24-cm) plates can lead to eating up to 27% less food (7).

Additionally, using tall, slim glasses instead of short, wide ones can reduce the amount of liquid you pour by as much as 57% (8).

So choose wide, short glasses when you want to drink more water, and tall, thin glasses to limit alcohol and other calorie-rich drinks.

SUMMARY Swapping large plates for smaller ones and short, wide glasses for tall, narrow ones is an easy way to reduce portion sizes and curb mindless eating.

4. Decrease variety

Studies indicate that a greater variety of foods can cause you to eat up to 23% more (9).

Experts call this “sensory-specific satiety.” Essentially, your senses become less responsive after repeated exposure to the same stimulus — for example, the same flavor (10).

A broad mix of flavors during a meal can delay that sensory decline, encouraging you to eat more.

Even the perception of more variety can affect intake. In one experiment, bowls with 10 colors of M&Ms led participants to eat 43 more candies than bowls with 7 colors, despite identical taste (11).

To employ sensory-specific satiety to your benefit, limit choices. For instance, pick only two appetizers at a party and stick with the same drink throughout the evening.

Note this mainly applies to sweets and junk food. Eating a diverse range of wholesome foods — fruits, vegetables, and nuts — is beneficial.

SUMMARY Cutting down the variety of flavors, colors, and textures you’re exposed to helps prevent overeating of junk food.

5. Keep some foods out of sight

The old saying “out of sight, out of mind” holds up well for mindless eating.

To demonstrate, one study placed Hershey’s Kisses in bowls that were either clear (visible) or opaque (hidden).

Those with clear bowls opened them 71% more often, consuming an extra 77 calories per day on average (12).

Researchers think seeing food triggers a decision to eat; the more frequently you see it, the more likely you’ll choose to eat it.

Use this to your advantage by hiding tempting treats and keeping healthy options front and center.

SUMMARY Conceal tempting snacks to avoid eating them automatically. Keep nutritious foods visible for when hunger strikes.

6. Increase the inconvenience of eating

The more effort required to access food, the less likely you are to eat it.

In one study, clear bowls of candy were placed either on the desk, in a desk drawer, or 6 feet (1.8 meters) away.

Participants consumed about 9 candies per day when the bowl was on the desk, 6 when it was in the drawer, and 4 when they had to walk to it (13).

When asked, people said the extra distance gave them pause to reconsider if they really wanted the treat.

Make this strategy useful by choosing snacks that require more effort to prepare or by storing less healthy snacks out of arm’s reach.

Even better, serve foods on plates and eat only while seated at the dining table. That small inconvenience can help curb bored or distracted snacking.

SUMMARY Make snacking less convenient. Adding simple steps can turn an automatic habit into a deliberate choice, reducing overindulgence.

7. Eat slowly

Slower eaters typically eat less, feel more satisfied, and report enjoying their meals more than fast eaters (14).

Researchers think taking at least 20–30 minutes to finish a meal gives your body time to release hormones that signal fullness (15).

The extra time also helps your brain register that you’ve eaten enough before you reach for seconds (15).

Simple methods to slow your pace include eating with your non-dominant hand, using chopsticks instead of a fork, or chewing more thoroughly.

SUMMARY Eating at a slower pace is an easy method to reduce calories and savor your meal more.

8. Choose your dining companions wisely

Dining with a single companion can increase how much you eat by up to 35% versus eating alone. Sharing a meal with seven or more people can boost intake by 96% (16, 17).

Researchers believe this happens partly because eating with friends or family stretches out mealtime, compared with eating solo.

More time at the table can lead to unconscious nibbling or finishing leftovers as others continue eating. It may also encourage you to have dessert you might otherwise skip (18).

Sitting next to slower eaters or people who eat less than you can influence you to slow down or eat less (19).

Other tactics include deciding ahead of time how much you’ll eat or asking the server to remove your plate once you’re finished.

SUMMARY When eating with others, sit beside people who eat slowly or less than you to help avoid overeating.

9. Eat according to your inner clock

Using external cues like the clock to decide when to eat can lead to overeating.

In one study, participants were isolated in a windowless room where only a clock signaled time; that clock was then sped up.

Those who relied on the clock to decide when to eat consumed food more frequently than participants who tuned into internal hunger cues (20).

Interestingly, people of normal weight were less likely to depend on the clock to decide mealtimes (16, 21).

If you struggle to tell physical from mental hunger, ask yourself whether you’d eat an apple right now.

True hunger doesn’t care about specific foods. Cravings for a particular item — like a BLT — usually signal mental hunger rather than physiological need.

SUMMARY Tune into internal hunger signals instead of external cues to reduce the chance of eating beyond your needs.

10. Beware of ‘health foods’

Because of marketing, foods labeled as healthy can encourage some people to overeat without noticing.

“Low-fat” labels are a clear example: low-fat versions aren’t always much lower in calories. For instance, low-fat granola often has only about 10% fewer calories than the regular version.

In one study, participants who thought they were eating “low-fat” granola consumed 49% more than those given granola with a normal label (22).

Another comparison between Subway and McDonald’s found Subway diners underestimated how many calories they consumed by 34%, while McDonald’s diners underestimated by 25% (23).

Subway customers were also more likely to reward themselves for choosing a perceived healthier option by adding chips or cookies (23).

This unconscious tendency to overeat foods seen as healthier, or to compensate with a less healthy side, is known as the “health halo” (24).

Avoid falling for the health halo by choosing foods based on ingredients and nutrition rather than labels. Also, be mindful of the sides you add.

SUMMARY Not everything labeled “healthy” is a good choice. Focus on ingredients over health claims, and avoid unhealthy accompaniments to seemingly healthy meals.

11. Don’t stockpile

Buying in bulk and hoarding food can prompt you to eat more.

One study supplied college students with four weeks’ worth of snacks: some received a normal quantity, others double.

Those given twice as much ate 81% more snack calories per week than those with the normal supply (25).

To avoid this pitfall, purchase only what you need and resist buying snacks “for later” or for unexpected guests.

If you must stock up, store extras well out of sight.

SUMMARY Stockpiling food increases the chance you’ll overeat. Try buying only what you need for the week.

12. Maximize food volume

Eating larger volumes of low-calorie food fools your brain into thinking you’ve consumed more, lowering the risk of overeating.

Researchers served participants two smoothies with identical calories, but one had air whipped into it. People who drank the higher-volume smoothie felt fuller and ate 12% less at their next meal (26).

An easy approach to increase volume without adding calories is to choose high-fiber, low-calorie-density foods like vegetables.

Extra fiber and water increase volume, stretching the stomach and promoting fullness (27).

Fiber also slows stomach emptying and can trigger hormones that enhance satiety (27, 28, 29, 30).

A practical tip: aim to fill at least half your plate with vegetables at each meal.

SUMMARY High-volume foods help you feel fuller and reduce intake at the next meal. Eating fiber-rich foods is an easy way to achieve this.

13. Unplug while you eat

Eating while distracted tends to speed up consumption, reduce feelings of fullness, and increase mindless eating.

Whether you’re watching TV, listening to music, or playing a video game, distractions have a similar effect (31, 32, 33, 34).

For example, people watching TV during meals consumed 36% more pizza and 71% more macaroni and cheese (35).

Also, the longer the show, the more you’re likely to eat: participants watching a 60-minute program ate 28% more popcorn than those watching a 30-minute show (36).

This effect applies to healthy foods too — viewers of the longer program also ate 11% more carrots (36).

Extended distractions lengthen mealtime and make overeating more likely. They may also cause people to forget how much they’ve eaten, leading to extra snacking later.

In one study, participants who played a computer game while eating lunch felt less full and ate nearly twice as many biscuits 30 minutes later compared to undistracted participants (37).

Put away phones, switch off screens, and concentrate on the tastes and textures of your food to stop eating automatically and enjoy a more mindful meal.

SUMMARY Eating without electronic distractions may lower the amount of food needed for you to feel full and satisfied.

The bottom line

To shift from mindless to mindful eating, try applying some of the simple strategies above.

Doing so can improve your health and help you lose weight in a manageable, sustainable way.

For best results, pick three tactics and practice them consistently for about 66 days — the average time needed to form a habit (38).