If anyone gives you grief for photographing your food, just say you’re doing it for your health.
Pausing to take a photo of a culinary creation can help build anticipation in a mindful moment. Professors Sean Coary of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and Morgan Poor at the University of San Diego report in the Journal of Consumer Marketing that taking food selfies helps boost the satisfaction of a meal.
That’s good news for foodies, because snapping a food photo before diving into dinner could help prevent overeating. Taking the time to appreciate an eating experience is the focus of National Nutrition Month’s theme, “Savor the flavor of healthy eating.”
“Eat one bite at a time, and focus on the different flavors and textures,” said registered dietitian-nutritionist Kristen Gradney of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Eating slowly not only allows you to enjoy your food, it can also help you eat less by giving your stomach time to tell your brain that you are full.”
Choosing a more photogenic setting is helpful, too. Rather than eating at a messy desk, clear a space and set your lunch on a pretty place mat. “Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to find a nice place to mindfully eat instead of multitasking through your meals,” Gradney suggested.
Think positive
The academy’s “savor the flavor” campaign includes advice on cooking with herbs and spices to create tasty dishes when trimming salt and sugar.
This appeals to registered dietitian Janet Helm, who blogs at Nutrition Unplugged. “I would much rather focus on what to eat rather than what to avoid,” she said. “Why not inspire positive behaviors instead of warning about the negative?”
Helm advises deleting one thing, though — catchy news headlines that contain negative superlatives, such as “never,” “worst,” “don’t” and “avoid.”
Research supports this catch-more-flies-with-honey philosophy. Cornell University researcher Brian Wansink’s analysis of nutrition messages found that positive advice works best.
“Evoking fear may seem like a good way to get your message across, but telling the public that a behavior will help them be healthier and happier is actually more effective” Wansink said.
Social media photo-sharing of good-for-you foods can help spread positive nutrition messages, too. “When eating healthy, there’s a desire to signal to others that we are part of the ‘fit’ club,” Saint Joseph’s Coary said.
About the Author
