Why You Eat What You Eat

Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship with Food by Rachel Herz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a book about neurogastronomy, which is a field of study that looks at how our brain and its processing of sensory information affects our experience with food.

It's filled with a lot of interesting tidbits like Coke is rated as tasting better when the can is labeled Coke as opposed to having a generic label, even professional wine tasters can be duped into rating the same exact white wine differently by the addition of red food coloring, and the shape, color, and size of your plate can affect how your food tastes and how much you eat.

Many of my clients/patients have an unhealthy or adversarial relationship with food. So for me, exploring the food experience from a neurogastronomy perspective is helpful. Additionally, being a brain science junkie, I found the information to be fascinating, even if not all the material was completely new. In fact, the author references Brain Wansink's research frequently, and having already read his book Mindless Eating, some of the material I've seen before. Still there was enough new stuff to keep me engaged.

Definitely a fun read for any foodie.