For instance, one might plan to have dinner with friends, but their boss asks them to work overtime, changing their plans. Or, they might plan to eat at restaurant A, but find a coupon for restaurant B and decide to eat there instead. These are examples of passive choices, Chen says.

Similarly, when ordering food, one might want a particular dish, but if the restaurant offers a discount on a set meal, they might choose that instead.

Another example many people complain about is that tomatoes taste bland compared with those from their childhood memories, because most tomatoes available are hard-skinned varieties "more fitting for long-distance transportation, which results in the loss of the flavor we are familiar with," she says.

"These scenarios illustrate how modern people gradually lose control over their food choices," she says.