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  1. Canada.ca
  2. Health
  3. Food and nutrition
  4. Canada's food guide
  5. Healthy eating recommendations
  6. Be mindful of your eating habits
Canada’s food guide

Hunger cues

Noticing when you are hungry and when you are full is part of being mindful of your eating habits.

On this page

  • Benefits of being aware of your hunger cues
  • How to notice when you are hungry and when you are full

Benefits of being aware of your hunger cues

Many things can influence when you feel hungry and when you feel full. This can include:

  • your body’s signals
  • the sight, smell and availability of food
  • your emotional state, mood and feelings, such as:
    • stress
    • fatigue
    • boredom

Eating in response to factors other than your body’s signals may be linked to overeating and excessive energy intake.

Listening to and following your feelings of hunger and fullness can help you decide when and how much to eat.

It is also important for children to recognize hunger cues to help promote healthy eating behaviours early in life.

How to notice when you are hungry and when you are full

Use these ideas to recognize hunger and fullness:

  • be mindful and ask yourself if you are really hungry
  • be aware that emotional eating can influence your food and eating choices
  • pay attention to feelings of fullness to help you know when you have had enough food to eat
    • give your body time to digest and feel full before deciding to have seconds
  • notice your eating environment and remember that you may be eating because food is available, not because you are hungry

Further reading

  • Healthy eating in the community
  • Healthy eating at home
  • Healthy eating at work
  • Healthy eating for adults
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Date modified:
2020-10-14

Section Menu

  • Healthy food choices
  • Eat a variety of healthy foods
    Expand
    • Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
    • Eat whole grain foods
    • Eat protein foods
    • Choose foods with healthy fats
  • Limit highly processed foods
    Expand
    • Prepare foods with healthy ingredients
    • Choose healthier menu options
  • Make water your drink of choice
    Expand
    • Replace sugary drinks
      Expand
      • Sugary drinks and your teen
  • Use food labels
  • Be aware of food marketing
    Expand
    • Limit kids’ exposure to food marketing
  • Healthy eating habits
  • Be mindful of your eating habits
    Expand
    • Take time to eat
    • Notice your hunger cues
  • Cook more often
    Expand
    • Plan what you eat
    • Involve others
  • Enjoy your food
    Expand
    • Include culture and food traditions
  • Eat meals with others

For recipes and more food guide resources visit:

Canada.ca/FoodGuide

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