Picture a night on the couch streaming your favorite TV show. This cozy scene probably includes a bowl of popcorn, a glass of wine, and maybe a full spread of snacks. It’s no secret that watching TV pairs well with eating and drinking. But, just as you might be able to plow through a few seasons without noticing, you might also find that you’re prone to snacking your way through countless bowls of popcorn without noticing.
Is there something about watching TV that makes us mindlessly eat or drink more? And, if so, does the type of show we’re watching have anything to do with it? Well, in the same way that all of our bodies and eating habits are different, the answer to these questions are more complex than “yes” or “no.”
To get to the bottom of this, I chatted with Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist and author Jaclyn London to discuss how TV shows impact our eating and drinking habits. And, more importantly, how we can use this information to make more empowered choices on the couch.
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How Does Television Impact Our Eating Habits?
Yes, there’s a proven link between streaming and snacking. London says there is research showing that watching television directly impacts our food intake and even our sensitivity to hunger and satiety cues. According to London, the factors that cause this link are: force of habit, decreased mindfulness, coping with emotions, food associations, and environment.
Some of these, like habit, decreased mindfulness, and environment, might feel pretty obvious. Who isn’t conditioned to grab a snack before sitting down on the couch? And hardly anyone is a stranger to mindlessly eating while watching TV (or scrolling on their phone). “When we’re not paying attention to our body’s own hunger and satiety cues while we eat, it’s that much easier to eat more than we would otherwise,” London says.
As for emotional coping through snacking and drinking, London reminds us that it's normal to experience a surge of feelings—negative or positive—while watching TV. “Trying to sideline or push down those feelings instead of actually letting ourselves feel them can often lead us to other behaviors that feel comforting to us,” London says. “Namely, eating and drinking.”
Sure, maybe you’ve never lived through a fungal zombie apocalypse, but the sheer stress of The Last of Us—or even being in the corporate environment of Succession—can cause us to stress out and gulp down more wine.
Likewise, London says that many of us can develop an association between watching TV and eating or drinking. “Remember the good ole days (circa 2019) when we would go to the movies and there was a long line for popcorn and soda?” London jokes. “Food associations and food memories can also factor into similar situations at home while watching TV, which can contribute in a somewhat cyclical effect to habits.”
No matter how your TV streaming affects your consumption habits, though, London reminds us that this link is totally human. “Occasionally eating for reasons that aren’t directly related to hunger is totally normal,” she says.
How Do Different Shows Impact Our Snacking and Sipping?
Yes, the genre of the show we’re watching might impact our consumption habits. But London is quick to clarify that this has much more to do with your personal eating and drinking preferences and how full you are when you start your Netflix marathon.
However, there are a few proven links between the type of show we’re watching and how much we consume. London points to a 2014 small trial study published in the journal Appetite. London says that the study found that “food intake increased when the show was familiar to the viewers, which certainly makes sense as it relates to real-life application: The combo of comfort show with comfort food can feel really soothing while you’re doing it!” So, if you’re planning to rewatch familiar favorites like Friends or The Office, you might feel more prone to snack since you’re not as enveloped in the plot.
However, the genre still might have some impact depending on how much it emotionally impacts you. For instance, a new episode of a cozy show like Ted Lasso still might make you feel more relaxed than a new episode of a tense show like Yellowstone.
Likewise, London says that our streaming experience can impact our consumption. For instance, your snacking or drinking approach will be much different “if the type of TV you’re choosing to watch is something you’re actively choosing to have on as ‘background noise’ (say, a new episode of a Real Housewives), or if you’re sitting down to pay attention to every detail (e.g., the latest season of You).” The latter might keep you more engrossed in the show, and thus less focused on consumption. That is, of course, unless your nail-biting over Joe’s latest scheme turns to mindless popcorn munching.
How To Optimize Your Snacking While Streaming
There are definitely proven links between our streaming habits and our consumption habits. But what do we do with all this information? Well, first and foremost, there’s no need to swear off snacking while streaming. In fact, the best approach seems to be just leaning in and letting yourself enjoy the show. As London reminds us, “The only thing to restrict is restriction.”
“As a dietitian and fellow TV-lover, I feel pretty strongly that with a little mindfulness, preparation, and selection of foods we choose for our TV-watching experience, any of us can plan ahead to eat in a way that stays aligned with our body’s own hunger and satiety cues and makes the overall experience more enjoyable on the whole,” says London.
Some ways that you can fully relish in your TV snacking and drinking are conscious mindlessness (“higher volume snacks that are poppable when you’re less hungry but still engrossed in whatever you’re watching”), satisfying meal and snack combos, and “enjoying a variety of foods and flavors that build in mindfulness by nature of their flavor profile.”
But, best of all, London suggests incorporating a theme into your streaming spread. She says that setting a theme for your food and drinks according to your show helps us make decisions that will feel more satisfying. "For example, I made the Ted Lasso biscuits for my family when the premiere of Season 2 dropped on Apple TV,” London says. “If you’re watching Emily in Paris and going all in on the French cuisine, more power to you.”
Maybe eating a mushroom pizza might feel too on the nose for rewatching The Last of Us, but buying a cheap bottle of Beaujolais could make your night significantly more indulgent and rewarding.
