Americans have become food obsessed. We swoon over pictures our friends and famous chefs post on Facebook and Instagram, and next thing, our stomachs start growling and we reach for a snack that we weren’t necessarily hungry for in the first place.

Looking at food pictures online can be addicting, and become problematic for the waistline, not only during the holidays when everyone and their mother seems to be posting pictures of cakes, cookies and other delicious treats, but all year round! That’s why it’s important to limit your choices not only at the holiday buffet table, but the pictures of food you view online as well.

Here are a few helpful tips to handle food picture overload:

1. Be choosy about who you follow. Seek out those that will inspire you to live a healthy life, and don’t follow those who don’t! On Instagram, as @observanteater, I follow @wildoatsmarketplace, @naturalgourmetinstitute, and @cookinglight, to name a few.
2. Limit your time on social media. I know, I know, so much easier said than done, especially because it’s an outlet to connect with friends and family. The American Academy of Pediatrics  recommends to limit screen time (television and internet usage) to 2 hours per day for children, however I think it’s good for adults to do this as well. Decide how to use these two hours wisely. Not only will you feel better by limiting screen time, you’ll free up more time to get active in the kitchen and cook a healthy meal in “real” life that you can actually eat with those you love.
3. Put your cell phone on airplane mode during times when you should not be using it, like when you are driving. Take a mini-vacation from World Wide Web information overload! (you shouldn’t be looking your cell at pictures of the next best holiday treat while waiting for the traffic light to change anyway).