Dinner Playlist: The Best Music To Listen To While You Eat

Whether you're enjoying a casual weeknight meal with your family or trying to make a special occasion dinner at home feel like a romantic restaurant, ambiance matters. A surprising number of things can affect your mood for food, including the shape of your plate, the lighting around you and the people you're eating with. But even more important may be the music you listen to.

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It turns out music can literally make or break a meal. It plays a critical role in achieving a certain mood or atmosphere.

Studies indicate that while upbeat, pulsating music is great for doing exercises for weight loss or workouts at home, it's not ideal for dinner as it can encourage you to eat and drink faster than you might otherwise.

Loud music also isn't good for eating, according to research published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, which found that people in noisy environments ended up choosing unhealthier foods than those in quieter ones.

So, what should you play while chowing down?

Ultimately, mellow music is the best choice for meals. It's been shown to increase satisfaction in what you're eating and is even associated with consuming less food.

According to a study by the Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, soft, classical music is the best bet overall. In addition to making you feel more satisfied, it creates a mood and is one of the ways to make dinner in feel like a dinner out.