Managing The Hyperpalatable Foods That Ruin Diets

In a recent post, I discussed how no food is inherently good or bad and instead we need to consider its suitability in the context of energy intake, goals and what the rest of the diet looks like. I also mentioned that there are some high-energy foods that require careful management of their intake and some people find it easier to avoid them at different stages of a diet.

Hyperpalatable foods are those that you find extremely tasty and often struggle to control their intake of, which can lead to greater consumption than what you planned. These foods are often energy-dense due to high sugar and/or fat content, which can quickly lead to significant energy intake.

These are essentially the foods that you should have in small amounts due to the energy content, but because they taste so good are pleasurable to consume, it is easy to blow the energy budget in no time at all.

Common examples include chips, lollies, ice cream and chocolate, with some people finding all of these foods hyperpalatable where others might only have one or two. If you are struggling to identify your hyperpalatable foods, think of what foods you plan to have a small amount of but consistently finish the packet.

Hyperpalatable foods can stall weight loss due to the high energy content mitigating any energy deficit…