How satisfied you feel by your breakfast smoothie or your 4 o’clock snack may have more to do with what’s in your mind than what’s in your mouth.

The experience of eating and drinking is influenced by a host of surprising factors, from the weight of your fork to the music on your playlist to the shape, size, and color of your plate. This is a concept Oxford psychology professor Charles Spence, PhD, calls gastrophysics—and it can play a powerful role in what and how much we eat.

Spence’s latest book, Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating ($27, amazon.com), is packed with fascinating facts about how our surroundings drive our eating habits. His next-level, research-backed tips can change the way you taste your food—so you make healthier choices and ultimately eat less. Here are a few of those gems that you can start using today.

RELATED: 25 Surprising Ways to Lose Weight