I believe we all have them – we just may not be aware of them: Trigger foods. These are foods that lead us to eat mindlessly, to binge or simply overeat, to eat without ever feeling satiated (or satisfied), or to restrict eating. I became aware of a trigger food for myself last week: Starburst Jelly Beans.
Danger!
I have known that I LOVE Starburst Jelly Beans. They are the only jelly beans I like and they have become my favorite springtime treat. When I saw the Fave Reds in the store – I just had to pick some up. The problem? I am not able to eat them in moderation. The jelly beans – I know now – are a trigger food for me. (I should know that red means danger!)
Emotional eating triggers
Not the topic of this post but worth mentioning are situational triggers. These are the triggers we are most familiar with and most often encouraged to identify. Examples of these triggers include:
- A bad day at the office or at home
- An argument with a loved one or friend
- Tiredness/exhaustion
- Not feeling physically well
Identifying trigger foods
It is not always as easy as it may seem to identify trigger foods. Sure, some of us know it is chocolate, or chips. But what about dairy? Or how about coffee – do you always need something sweet in addition to your hot coffee? This might be a trigger.
In order to manage your triggers (food or situational), you first have to know what type of eater you have become. There are several types of eaters: Mindful eaters, mindless dieters, mindless over-eaters, mindless under-eaters, and chaotic eaters. This is a commonly used checklist to help you identify what type of eater you are.
Check all that apply:
| Mindful Eater | |
| All foods in some moderation. Flexible about eating | |
| Student of nutrition. Aware of nutritional needs. Able to meet body’s needs | |
| In touch with physical body and body’s needs—hunger, fullness | |
| Eats when hungry and stops when full | |
| Nonjudgmental of self, redirects thoughts to positive thoughts, accepting of body | |
| Understands the impact of food on health and well-being | |
| Enjoys food but not obsessed | |
| Only eats mindlessly on occasion | |
| Recovers quickly when mindless eating does occur | |
| Mindless Dieter | |
| Has tried multiple yo-yo type diets. Fad follower | |
| Spends money on different diets | |
| Feels really guilty when eating poorly | |
| Ignores that taste of diet food—it is eating that matters | |
| Has a ”hard to obtain” body image and feels bad about not having it | |
| Studies food labels and tries to follow “food rules” (not nearly 100%) | |
| Mindless Overeater | |
| Yo-Yo Club Star Member | |
| Ups and downs in weight | |
| Eats until miserable. | |
| Aware of being full but keeps eating anyway | |
| Picks at foods without true enjoyment | |
| Feels out of control and unable to stop | |
| Has intense food cravings – gotta have it! | |
| Tries to eat alone—feels embarrassed | |
| Uses food to comfort self | |
| Uses food to maintain pleasant feelings | |
| Specific food cravings | |
| Often eats alone | |
| Mindless Undereater | |
| Skimps on nutritional needs | |
| Obsessed about calories, fat grams, and other single components of food | |
| Worries a lot about weight | |
| Has high self-image when hungry | |
| Isolates self instead of eating with others—has an excuse not to go to lunch | |
| Fears loss of control | |
| Desires perfection—always trying to obtains | |
| Eliminates certain food groups to save on calories | |
| Mindless Chaotic Eater | |
| May purge to compensate for overeating | |
| Has major swings in weight | |
| Will make large purchases of food and will restrain from eating—perceived binge | |
| Make over exercise to make up for overeating | |
| Thinks critically about self | |
| Uses food to cope with negative self-image | |
| Uses food to “tune out” or “numb out” | |
| Feels empty or lonely a majority of the time | |
| Eats while multi-tasking | |
| Seldom feels full | |
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is critical to identifying triggers. Are you prone to bingeing only on chips? Chips may be a trigger food. This could be ANYTHING for anyone. Trigger foods are usually sweet or salty – as these most significantly effect the rewards center of your brain.
Need help with mindful eating? I recommend tracking your food and I especially love the Recovery Record.
The bottomline
Yes, undesirable eating behaviors – undereating or overeating – are often preceded by emotional situations or triggers. But sometimes, the foods themselves can be a trigger to start eating and not stop. It is also important to note that these are not always unhealthy foods. For example, peanut butter is a trigger food for me and I must be incredibly mindful when I consume it.
Do you have trigger foods?
StrongBraveHonest 