Don’t go grocery-shopping hungry. Everyone knows it. Everyone, on occasion, will still end up having to do it. It happens! Last Sunday we ended up grabbing sandwiches prior to a grocery store run, simply so we wouldn’t shop hungry. It (mostly) worked to alleviate the issue of grabbing junk food. Apparently, when hungry, the body gravitates toward the highest-calorie stuff it can find, even when the mind knows that stuff isn’t the best.
It also applies to shopping in general. If you go shopping while hungry, you could end up spending more money on stuff you might not actually need than you would if you went shopping without being hungry.
I’d suggest it also applies to shopping while bored, whether for food, books, clothes, or whatever. :) “Oh, this will be interesting and get me out of the boredom.” “This looks tasty and will satisfy my raging hunger.” “This looks like a fun gadget that will make me forget I’m hungry.”
Naaaaaaaaah…not really!
My strategies (and they mostly work) for not grabbing too many groceries I don’t need are to not go shopping hungry, to have a menu plan that I worked on in advance, and to have a grocery list that supports the menu plan.
I will, on occasion, write something on the list that wouldn’t be considered health food. :) I like having a supply of dark chocolate in the house. So on the list it goes, and that’s all I’ll get. If I didn’t put “one bag Dove dark chocolate” on the list, I might grab two or three bags of chocolates instead of just one, or I might grab a king-sized 3 Musketeers bar, which is definitely not in the category of good-for-me dark chocolate. Or, in this really hot weather, I’ll put chocolate ice cream on the list. (Definitely check the ingredients on your ice cream; I like the ones that have only five or six ingredients, such as Häagen Dazs!)
I like some of the tips I read in one of the articles linked below. Grab a bottle of water and take a sip when you’re thinking of picking up something unhealthy. Only focus on that night’s meal, if you’re shopping last minute for dinner. Only carry a basket instead of pushing a shopping cart. All good ideas!
What are your strategies to avoid over-shopping when hungry, whether it’s grocery shopping or other shopping? (Go ahead! Say it! “Don’t go shopping hungry!”) :)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!