When Roli gets back from a walk, he expects a snack or a treat. When we go downstairs at night, he expects a biscuit. He is clearly a creature of habit. Is he really hungry or just used to getting food at these times?

During a recent trip, I noticed a few things about humans in transit. Get on the bus…people start opening snacks. Get on the plane… same thing. I noticed myself thinking, “maybe I should get a snack” when I arrived at the gate and had time to kill. Since it wasn’t mealtime in any of these cases, it made me wonder… are we all eating because we are actually hungry, bored, stressed or is it just out of habit?

I’m all for being prepared with healthy snacks, as needed, when traveling. It can definitely help keep one from making poor, impulsive choices. That said, I sometimes wonder… are we eating because we are listening to our hunger cues or for some other reason?

What triggers you to eat, even when you’re not hungry?