Sometimes when you struggle with something, it’s easier to just avoid that thing.
People who struggle with food and food addiction will sometimes say things like “you can avoid alcohol, but you can’t avoid food!” To some extent that is true because as humans we have to eat. However, you can avoid the foods that trigger your problems. You might find that not keeping certain foods at home can help you eat better overall.
I actually don’t keep certain foods at home because it’s easier for me to avoid those foods. I have given myself permission to eat any food, but that doesn’t mean I need to stock my pantry with my personal trigger foods. They don’t offer enough benefits to my health and overall well-being to take up precious pantry space!
Foods I Don’t Keep At Home
Cereal!!- Cookies
- Chocolate/Candy
- Cakes/Cupcakes
- Nutella
- Cheez-Its
These are the main foods I don’t keep in my kitchen on purpose. I will find myself eating them at all times of day and leading to eating too much.
A box of cereal in my house will last about 2-3 days because I’ll eat it for every meal. For a while I only bought healthy cereals but decided it’s just too much trouble when I could eat eggs and veggies or something else for breakfast.
I know I have trouble with these foods, so I just don’t keep them in my home.
Why I Don’t Keep Certain Foods At Home
I don’t keep these particular foods at home because they are triggers for me. They are foods that are hard for me to avoid. I’ve struggled with compulsive eating and food addiction so I know there are certain kinds and types of foods that it’s easier to just not have around me in my home environment.
Not keeping certain foods at your house doesn’t mean you’ll never eat them again. I will eat Nutella on pancakes when I visit an awesome brunch spot or indulge in a cupcake when I attend a birthday party. I can eat these items while I’m at another location and enjoy them and then leave them there.
I’ve found it’s not worth the time spent to keep certain foods in my house. I’d rather enjoy these foods elsewhere and not worry about overindulging at home when I could instead focus on making delicious and healthy meals. It’s just easier and keeps my focus in the place it should be!
What foods will you not keep at home?
I’ve found a lot of people don’t keep certain foods at home even if they’ve got great self-control. There are even whole threads online about foods that foodies can’t keep at home.
Are there certain foods you can’t keep at home? What foods are banned from your home?
Dill pickle chips. CANNOT KEEP THEM. I buy them when I’m going somewhere and want to have a treat, if not, THEY GONE, as soon as I get through the door.
Thanks for sharing!!!
I would have no problem with those since I hate pickles! ;)
I cannot make chocolate chip cookies without wanting to eat them all day long. I also can’t keep Nutella in the house!
Oreos, Nutella, anything chocolate including chocolate chips, cookies and cakes, chips and flavored crackers, potato salad (weird, I know). I guess basically anything that’s a simple carb I have problems with.
‘Cause carbs are delicious! My best friend’s nephew was saying at a BBQ that if anyone wanted potato salad to get it before he ate it all. Apparently some people really love and eat a lot of potato salad!
Hi! I just started reading your blog today–and so far I like what I’ve read :) It seems like we have similar struggles with food. My #1 trigger foods that I can’t keep in the house are the bags of Lindor truffles or Ghiradelli chocolate squares. I will seriously eat the entire bag of chocolate in a day. I also just don’t keep a lot of junk food in the house because, like you, I’d rather just enjoy it when I go out somewhere. This reminds me of something my Weight Watchers leader always says; if you just don’t buy it, you only have to say “no” once, but if you buy it, then you have say “no” over & over (usually unsuccessfully).
I look forward to reading more of your blog!
Good for you for admitting there are certain foods that you can’t be around. In reality can anyone resist cinnamon toast crunch? That is some extremely great discipline.
A lot of people (even those who have it) don’t understand that “food addiction” doesn’t mean one is physically addicted to food; duh, any living creature is dependent on food. It’s the use of food as a DRUG that characterizes food addiction: turning to food to dull the pain of emotions, using it as a distraction from problems, losing control of the amount of food consumed, the constant longing for MOAR even when one is bursting at the seams. And you are right – it is pretty much limited to easily-obtained, easily-consumed not-very-healthy junk foods. No one loses control with a bowl of blackberries. No one gets stressed out about work and decides to broil some chicken breasts to take the edge off. No one sits in her car alone in a parking lot wolfing down spinach straight from the bag.
You’re completely right!
I loved this post. It’s almost as if I dictated it! Cheetos and Ding Dongs are the worst trigger foods for me! I just can’t stop at one serving. For the most part, I avoid keeping most sweets (cookies, cakes, candy) at home because I get mental cravings at night and although I love choosing fruit as a snack in the evening, fruit doesn’t appease the cravings if there is any other kind of sweet at home.
I don’t keep cookies at home. I occasionally eat them when out and about. I made some during the last Christmas holidays when I had house guests who would eat them that day. But, when I have them in the pantry I eat too many of them.
I can have dark chocolate (72% cacao) at home and I eat it very slowly – 4 or 5 days to eat a single bar. But, give me funsize Butterfingers or Snickers, and they’ll be gone.