It is not uncommon to use food as a mechanism for comfort when you are upset or to turn to food for a moment of stress relief. You may have learned at an early age that food can help you relax or that it can make you feel better. You may even feel that you deserve to eat whatever you want when you are stressed or upset.
Stress often comes when we have constraints on our time. We rationalize unhealthy eating by thinking we don’t have the time to eat healthy or that we are too tired to eat anything but easy-access, unhealthy food. When we are feeling emotionally upset, we often try to make ourselves feel better by “rewarding” ourselves with our favorite unhealthy foods. Typically, we turn to crunchy, meaty, salty or savory foods when we are stressed (think chips, fast food, crackers, or cookies). We tend to turn to creamy, smooth or rich foods when we are upset (think ice cream, mashed potatoes, pasta, milkshakes or soup). In both instances, soda and sugar are frequent go to foods.
Eating when stressed or upset is not necessarily something you need to stop doing. However, there is a healthy way to use food as medicine to destress and comfort. Having a healthy plan in place to use when you are stressed or upset will help you to deal with the feelings you are having and not pile guilt on top of your stress and emotions.
Strategy:
- Make a list of the foods you eat when you are stressed and when you are emotional.
- Look at the characteristics of those foods. Are they crunchy? Are they sweet? Is it always the same thing? Is it healthy food?
- Now, choose more healthy alternatives to the foods you go to for comfort.
- Get the unhealthy food out of your environment. Replace it with the healthy options. Have those options ready to eat. For example: If you are replacing your chips with carrots, have the carrots washed, peeled and cut up ready to eat. If you are replacing ice cream with yogurt, make sure you have a variety in your fridge. If you are replacing your go to macaroni and cheese, make sure you have a healthy alternative recipe and all the ingredients on hand. If you turn to fast food, find healthy items or a healthy fast place to eat and choose healthy items that will satisfy your comfort need.
- When you feel the need to eat for comfort or from stress, get your new, healthier food option ready (watch the serving size) and then use your eating time productively: sit down, eat slowly, tell yourself you are in control, and then think about what your next step is. Don’t worry about figuring out why you are upset or stressed, just think about what you are going to do when you are finished eating that is going to move you in a positive, forward direction.
When you have a plan to deal with stress and emotional eating, you will feel more in control during these moments. You will walk away without feelings of guilt and with a next step action plan.