Remember that (now empty) bag of potato chips? How about the third helping of green bean casserole? Let’s face it: Sometimes, we’re guilty of eating when we’re not actually hungry [1]. And since hunger is typically harder to decipher than thirst, we may start munching for the wrong reasons [2].

Artificial Appetite? — The Need-to-Know

When glucose levels are low, the liver sends signals to the hypothalamus, triggering that “I need a sandwich NOW” feeling [3]. And while we usually dash to the fridge at the first sign of a tummy grumble (which is simply a stomach contraction), we’re not always listening carefully enough. In one study, participants consumed more calories when food was presented on ceramic plates with folded napkins (signaling “meal time”) than when eaten from paper plates and plastic cups typically associated with smaller snacks [4]. Researchers are also finding that the larger the plate, the more we may chow down, regardless of appetite [5].

(Also Check Out: Will Eating at Night Make Me Gain Weight?)

What’s all the confusion? Aside from situational factors, the hippocampus, an area of the brain connected to learning and memory, also helps out with feeling hungry [6]. But too many second-helpings can interfere with hippocampal function, making true hunger even harder to decipher. (Since when did eating become one big detective game?!) [7].

The Hunger Games — Your Action Plan

Eating when not actually hungry isn’t all that and a bag of chips. In fact, those extra calories can seriously hurt our health and could even lead to obesity [1]. Whether we’re being tricked by false hunger cues or are simply craving a bag of M&M’s, here are some simple tips to steer clear of false hunger: 

• Drink water first. A good hunger test is to drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes before cruising down the drive-through. If the hunger pangs are still knocking, go ahead and eat.
• An apple a day…can keep hunger at bay? Picture chomping down on a Red Delicious. If not hungry enough to eat an apple, then it’s probably not really dinnertime.
• Catch enough zzz’s. Lack of sleep increases appetite, hunger, and food intake [9]. Grab those seven to nine hours of sleep to avoid overeating.
• De-stress. Stress may lead to reaching for the cookie jar when we’re not actually hungry, so look for other ways to calm the mind to prevent using food for comfort.
• Slow down. It takes time to actually feel full after a meal, so before reaching for dessert directly after supper, allow up to twenty minutes to see if the stomach can really fit more food.

Time to confess: what’s the go-to food you like to munch on, even when you’re not hungry? Do you do anything to help fight these cravings?

Photo by Justin Singh