How to Deal with "Trigger Foods"
Apr 17, 2020So what exactly is a trigger food? That’s a big question with lots of answers. Trigger foods are those foods that once you start eating it you can’t stop. It could be chips, candy, ice cream, french fries or a myriad of other foods that have the enticing combination of salt, sugar, and fat.
They’re the foods that have two unique, yet soul destroying, qualities. They taste amazing – then leave you feeling awful after eating them. Physically or emotionally.
Managing weight is hard. It’s even more difficult trying to do it among an ocean of tempting treats created to make us want them. And lots of them at that.
So what do you do?
- Write down an honest list of the foods that you have a hard time stopping at one serving.
- Break up with your trigger food. Remove them from your home, office, or where ever they calling your name. Don’t worry … this doesn’t have to be a forever-breakup. It’s just for now.
- Do not skip meals. Eating regular meals with adequate protein, vitamins and nutrients is the best defense against craving trigger foods.
- Stay hydrated. It’s easy to confuse cravings and thirst.
- Reintroduce trigger foods back into your life when you have stabilized your daily eating patterns. Keep only small servings on hand, or better yet, enjoy these foods outside of the house.
Watch Ismini Soteropoulos, MS, RD, LDN for more on Trigger Foods in the video library.
