We've all know a friend who's a picky eater, a binge eater, or a serial dieter, but the truth is everyone has their own eating quirks.
Some people can polish off a whole pizza by themselves, while others will only nibble on snacks throughout the day. According to Dr. Mike Dow, a psychotherapist who specializes in eating habits, your unique tastes are connected to your eating personality.
There are 3 different kinds of eaters: passionate, emotional, and habitual. If you learn which category fits you best, you can train yourself to eat healthier without even realizing it.
Take this 3-question quiz to find out which personality type you are:
1. What is your main motivation for eating?
A. The way food tastes. B. The way food makes me feel. C. Because I'm hungry.
2. In which of these situations are you most likely to eat?
A. There's something delicious in front of me. B. I'm upset or stressed out. C. It's been a few hours since my last meal.
3. What best describes your approach to pizza?
A. I always try new toppings. B. I like it cheap, and always have it delivered. C. I enjoy a slice, usually from the same place.
So what do your answers say about you?
If you answer mostly A, you're a passionate eater. B means you're an emotional eater, while C means you're a habitual eater.
Now: if you answered with a little bit of everything, just pick the following category that fits you best. None of these categories are better or worse than the others, but you should keep these things in mind about your personality:
Passionate eaters are the ideal dinner guests: they like to try new foods, share with friends and discover new restaurants or food styles. But they also have a hard time resisting temptation, so make sure you don't stand near the snack table.
If you want to change your routine, Dr. Dow recommends the Mediterranean diet, which offers a wide variety of healthy foods to experiment with.
Emotional eaters aren't just emotional about food, they're also open and sensitive people. When they're feeling good they make healthy choices, but will also reach for comfort food during a bad mood.
To stay on track, try eating as many as 6 smaller meals throughout the day, to remind yourself to feed your body, not your emotions. Plus, when your stomach is satisfied your mood will stay happier for longer.
Habitual eaters seem to have everything figured out. They mostly eat the same food every day, but that also means it's harder to break unhealthy habits.
Even if you're eating regularly, you may not be nourishing your body, so try to add a mix of colorful foods to every meal, like peas in a casserole or veggies on a sandwich.
Which eating personality are you? Share this quiz and compare results with a friend!
[H/T: Dr. Oz]