How many times have you reached for a cookie without even realizing you were doing it? Or maybe you find yourself automatically stopping for fast food on your way home from work?
We often think that our food choices are a conscious decision we make every day. In truth, many of the foods we buy, cook and eat are largely based on habit, developed through weeks, months or years of repetition — habits we may not even be aware of.
What is a habit?
Habits are actions or behaviors performed automatically without conscious thought — things we do without even thinking about it. According to Wendy Wood, author of “Good Habits, Bad Habits,” research shows about 43% of behaviors are driven by habit, which means about 43% of what people do every day is repeated in the same context, usually while they are thinking about something else.
Habits are internalized behaviors learned through experience. They consist of three components: contextual cues, repetition and rewards.
Contextual cues generally relate to a particular time or place — think of walking into your kitchen each morning and making a cup of coffee or pouring a bowl of cereal. They can also be connected to a situation or activity. Cues are like triggers; they form a “mental association” with the activity.
Repetition is another key element, as a behavior must be repeated many times before it becomes automatic.
Finally, there must be a reward, something that will reinforce the activity and make you want to do it again and again. Rewards can be intrinsic or extrinsic.
“When it comes to food, taste is the most immediate reward. Think of a ripe strawberry or a juicy peach,” says Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president/CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation, “Second would be the positive feeling you get from eating healthy. It makes you happy, makes you feel good about yourself and gives you a sense of pride,” says Kapsak.
Developing healthy eating habits doesn’t happen overnight. Initially this will take some time and effort but eventually it will pay off and you will do it effortlessly.
Here are some ways to get you started:
Start simple. Pick one eating behavior you would like to change, then think about how you can incorporate it into your daily or weekly routine. Consider setting a cue to the action (doing it the same time and place), which will remind you to do it, create a reward (this can be praise or something more tangible) then be sure to repeat, repeat, repeat.
For example, if you want to add more fruits and vegetables to your dinner menu, make it a point to buy an extra vegetable or fruit as part of your weekly trip to the grocery store, then plan a veggie or fruit in every dinner. If you have a habit of going to the refrigerator for a snack, put cleaned fruits or vegetables like carrots up front so you can choose them first.
Make it easy and fun. This is one of the most important ways you can create a habit that will stick. The easier it is the more likely you will repeat it.
Immediately wash and chop produce right after you buy it, so it can be easily used for a snack or meal prep. If lunch is an issue, make it the night before, so you can just grab and go. Plan out healthy family meals, once a week or every few days and include the whole family. Cook together and make it fun! If portion size is an issue, use smaller plates.
To save time when it comes to vegetables or fruit, buy prepared or cut-up versions.
Piggyback on other habits. In this way you can use one habit to create or initiate another. For example, if you have a habit of eating a piece of chocolate every night, perhaps you add a piece of fruit with it. If you regularly have Taco Tuesday or Pizza on Friday, think of ways to make healthier versions and add more veggies.
Try a swap. Swaps are another simple way to make eating healthy easy. Choose lean meat or seafood in place of fatty cuts. Try oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast instead of sugary cereals, drink sparkling water in place of sugary beverages. If you like to snack at night, try popcorn or a handful of nuts instead of cookies or cake.
Breaking bad habits
Recognizing bad eating habits is the first step in addressing them. Keep a journal of what and when you eat and pay attention to specific cues. Do you eat when you are bored, alone or at the mall with friends? Then identify the eating habits you want to change.
According to Wendy Wood, those who had most success in conquering bad habits changed or eliminated the habit cue or context. For example, if cookies are your downfall, don’t keep them in the house. If you regularly stop for fast food, think about changing your route home so you don’t pass the restaurant. And, don’t worry if you slip up once in a while — adding new habits takes time.
The bottom line
“People try to change behavior by getting motivated (how healthy and fit I’ll be!) and exerting willpower. But these don’t last very long — they are effortful, require thought, and are not much fun. Controlling desires is also counterproductive,” says Wood.
“Instead, people need to understand that repeated actions are very much dependent on our immediate environments. People would do better to focus on making a behavior easy to repeat — I buy already-chopped veg so that it’s easy to add to meals when I am cooking. It’s now my habit.
“People also repeat actions when they are enjoyable. If you hate broccoli, you won’t form a broccoli eating habit.”
Instead, pick what you like and stick with that, then you can explore more later.
Environmental Nutrition is an independent newsletter written by nutrition experts.
