A Few Really Good Reasons To Avoid "Hyper-Palatable" Foods + What To Swap Them With

This study from researchers at the University of Kentucky analyzed existing nutritional data and tried to draw connections between dietary factors and overeating. They found that three factors were clearly linked to overeating: how quickly the meal was eaten, how energy-dense the foods were (in other words, how many calories per gram), and how much of these hyper-palatable foods were eaten. 

Unfortunately, hyper-palatable foods are everywhere, meaning they're both hard to stop eating and hard to avoid eating in the first place. In fact, that Obesity study found that 62% of foods sold in the United States met the hyper-palatable qualifications. Breaking it down, most of the commonly sold hyper-palatable foods (70%!) were high in fat and salt, 25% were high in fat and sugar, and 16% were high in salt and carbohydrates. 

Many people are unaware that so many foods meet the qualifications for being hyper-palatable and may be falling victim to the addictive properties of these foods without even knowing it.

According to University of Kansas scientist and lead researcher Tera Fazzino, a big part of this study is simply increasing public awareness.

The good news is that while there are many hyper-palatable foods, there are also hyper-satiating foods.

One study created a satiety index2 and found that out of 38 common foods, a handful was able to promote satiety more than others.

Fiber is not only key to digestive regularity, blood sugar balance, and a healthy gut but also satiety.

Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious high-fiber foods you can incorporate into your day, as well as fiber supplements to make sure you're getting enough of the complex carb.

One thing we learned from this study is that scarfing down food can also lead to overeating.

This is a great reminder to slow down, minimize distractions, and try to enjoy your food at a pace that allows you to really appreciate and experience its flavors, smells, and textures.

A study just linked hyper-palatable foods—those that are high in salt, fat, carbs, and sugar—to overeating.