4 Ways to Re-Think Your Fridge

Aug. 20, 2011— -- Shelve Strategically

Fill your eye-level shelf (or top shelf) with fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious snacks. You're 2.7 times more likely to eat healthy food if it's in your line of sight, a Cornell University study says. "That's also why manufacturers pay a premium to have their products at eye level in stores," says Kit Yarrow, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and marketing at Golden Gate University.

Pack Smart

A variety of small leftover containers tempt you to eat more than you planned, says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Instead, combine leftover entrees and sides so that each container has one meal's worth. And since we're on the subject, watch those sides—some of them have more calories than the main meal. Click here for the 10 Worst Side Dishes in America.

Shop More, Buy Less

Instead of laying in supplies for the week, hit the supermarket more often and buy only for the next few meals. An overload of choices at home may deplete your willpower, a 2008 Journal of Consumer Psychology study found. "And people tend to reduce consumption when resources are scarce," Yarrow says.

Hide the Junk

All stocked up on snacks? Now make sure you eat the good ones. In a 2009 Danish study, one in four participants who chose a healthy snack over an unhealthy one later reached for the junk anyway. So place the healthy stuff front and center, and stash small guilty pleasures out of sight.

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