As many know, eating mindfully–taking care with which categories and portions of foods you put into your body–is key to maintaining a healthy weight. But with mindless consumption it can become quite easy to forget just how much is going in without even realising. According to new studies multitasking on screens makes people less aware of how much they are actually consuming!

Researchers from Endicott School and Michigan State University conducted a joint research project to compare how much individuals snacked while viewing screens to how much they reported eating; it was generally underestimated; individuals became even less aware of their consumption the more engaging the activity was; those engaging with TV, texting or online shopping reported even lower estimates than those engaging with reading (See: 100 Unhealthiest Foods on Earth.). (Source).

If weight reduction is your goal, and screen-time snacking has been hindering progress, the solution lies within decreasing overall food intake by making better eating decisions and eating with intention. Conversely, research studies showed that individuals tend to under-report how many nutrient-rich snacks they had eaten; it would even seem likely they’d underreport healthier snacks more than unhealthy ones! To encourage better choices by simply distracting yourself into making smarter food decisions.

“Doctors and nutritionists have long held that it is inadvisable to watch television or check cell phone messages while snacking on unhealthy food,” according to study co-author Anna McAlister, Ph.D. of The Beet’s study. But what if similar snacking habits could be encouraged with nutritional foods as alternatives instead? Perhaps then we might tip the balance towards more healthful diets.”

For guidance on how to snack with intention and effectively lose weight, the expert-recommended method “Snack and Lose Weight.”