The 'Bliss Point': Foods Are Engineered to Make You Crave More
Sugar + Fat + Salt = Addiction
Have you ever finished a whole 1-pound bag of chips all by yourself in the same day?
(can you even get a 1-pound bag, these days, with shrinkflation?)
It’s been a while, but I can honestly say that I have.
And boy-oh-boy did I feel sick afterwards.
I just couldn’t stop eating them!
Maybe you’ve done the same with other foods that you know are addictive, but you keep buying them anyways.
Cookies. Crackers. Jerky. Sugary snacks. Salty snacks. Drinks. Sodas. Candy.
They call out your name from the pantry, fridge, or cabinet.
Yoohoo! I’m over here! You know you want more…
When I was overweight and struggling, I found that it was easy to “be good” most of the day but gave in at night and told myself that I would be better tomorrow.
I was not actually starving, but I was craving.
And those cravings would not stop no matter what I ate to satisfy my hunger.
As it turns out, this incessant craving is by design.
Commercial food producers have figured out the perfect combination of ingredients to add to processed and packaged foods to keep us satisfied with the flavor of the foods we eat, but insatiable with the volume of those foods.
We always want more.
This is great for business because an insatiable customer is a constant source of revenue. But it’s terrible for our health, waistlines, energy levels, and budgets because we are compelled to buy more and more and more…
So, how is this even possible?
The ‘Bliss Point’
The Bliss Point is a concept in food science that refers to the perfect balance of sugar, fat, and salt that maximizes pleasure and makes food irresistible.
It was coined by Howard Moskowitz, a food industry consultant and psychologist, who discovered that slight variations in sweetness, saltiness, or fat content dramatically impact how much people crave a product.
At the bliss point, food is literally engineered to be just sweet enough to be highly enjoyable, but not too sweet that it becomes unpleasant.
This makes some foods hyper-palatable.
In other words, people want to keep eating more.
It’s not you.
Foods are engineered to be addictive.
How the Bliss Point Works
Let me parse this out into the three components: Sugar, Fat, and Salt.
Sugar Bliss Point
There's a point where food is just sweet enough to maximize pleasure, but not too sweet that it’s overwhelming. If the sweetness is below this level, it’s not as appealing; if it's above, it becomes less enjoyable.
Soft drinks are calibrated to the perfect sweetness. Too little sugar, and they taste bland. Too much sugar, and they become nauseating.
Fat Bliss Point
Fat creates a creamy texture and mouthfeel, enhancing flavors while delivering energy-dense calories. If the fat content is below this level, the food lacks richness and satisfaction; if it's above, it becomes too greasy and unappetizing.
Ice cream, potato chips, and fast-food burgers are designed to maximize satisfaction with the perfect fat content.
Salt Bliss Point
Salt intensifies flavors and reduces bitterness, making foods more palatable. If the salt level is too low, the food tastes bland and boring; if it's too high, it becomes overwhelmingly salty and unpleasant.
Many processed foods (like soups, chips, and cheese) have just enough salt to make them crave-worthy.
Why Food Companies Engineer the Bliss Point
Having read this far, you already know how it feels to experience the bliss point with certain food products.
But, here are the reasons why and how the bliss point works:
Encourages Overeating & Repeat Purchases
Foods engineered to hit the bliss point become hard to stop eating.
This leads to more frequent purchases and bigger profits for manufacturers.
Hijacks Your Brain’s Reward System
Sugar, salt, and fat trigger dopamine release, the same brain chemical involved in addiction.
Over time, this can lead to food cravings, dependency, and overeating.
Overrides Natural Fullness Cues
Whole foods contain fiber, water, and nutrients that signal satiety (fullness).
Foods engineered to meet the bliss point lack these natural regulators, making it easy - and sometimes even enjoyable - to overeat.
Creates "Hyper-Palatable" Foods
Foods that balance sugar, fat, and salt perfectly become so pleasurable that natural foods seem bland in comparison, making processed foods the default choice.
How to Avoid the Bliss Point Trap
The only way guaranteed method for conquering those cravings for food that have been engineered with the bliss point is to stop eating them - cold turkey.
As long as you give in and allow yourself to buy and eat these foods, you can’t win.
Here are some additional tips to help you regain control:
(1) Eat Whole, Unprocessed Foods.
Stick to single-ingredient foods with no sugar, salt, or fat manipulation.
(2) Make Your Own Dressings, Sauces, & Snacks.
There are so many wonderful recipes on the internet for every possible food under the sun. Look for recipes that combine simple, natural ingredients.
(3) Read Labels Carefully.
Look for added sugar, artificial sweeteners, sodium (and sodium alternatives), and unhealthy oils in food products that shouldn’t need these ingredients.
Check out The Goo Index for a more thorough list of ingredients to avoid.
(4) Retrain Your Taste Buds.
Over time, reducing processed foods restores your ability to appreciate the truly natural food flavors.
At first, foods that are healthy and simple (i.e.: not processed) may taste bland. But once you ween off of the engineered foods, you will find that natural foods taste better and engineered foods taste like they have been manipulated.
If you find yourself craving something to eat, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is, you are probably the victim of a food product that has been engineered to meet the bliss point.
So, take a closer look at the ingredients in foods that you ate in the past day or so to determine whether addictive ingredient combinations are present - and then stop buying them!
If you’re not sure about a specific ingredient and want to learn more about whether it qualifies as Goo, leave a comment or reach out and ask me!
And if you enjoyed reading this story, but aren’t ready to subscribe, you can:
(a Goo-Free coffee, of course!)
The good news is that once the cycle is broken, it does get much easier. I can't even truly binge anymore without feeling gross. BUT I also will not make homemade cookies - my downfall.