Healthy alternatives to stress eating
Stress.
Just the thought of that word can be stressful and it’s so easily brought on. Morning traffic, a messy home, tasks piling on your to-do list. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and even easier to reach for that bag of m&m’s in your pantry when the stress itch hits.
Eating is a sort of remedy to anxiety, stress or nervousness, but sadly it’s also the reason for unwanted weight gain. “Continual stress brings depression, which our mind and body signals as a time to eat,” says Trisha Moua an RN at the University of California Irvine Medical Center.
So, let’s stress eat in a healthy way.
According to Bobbie Saccone, a registered dietician and nutrition counselor at Indiana University’s Health and Wellness center, it can be done.
“Ask yourself what you really want,” says Saccone, “If you think you want something sweet or crunchy, find out, or else you might end up eating chips and chocolate.”
Mind over body is the key. Be conscious of what your hand reaches for. Fill your pantry with healthier alternatives. Here are some health conscious choices.
Apples. Apples are superfoods (foods high in nutrients) with antioxidants, especially in the peels, and contain a fiber called Pectin that’s been linked to lower cholesterol.
Popcorn. “Choose a healthy alternative,” says Saccone. One ounce of popcorn is 110 calories whereas an ounce of potato chips is 155 calories.
½ Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Ignore that voice saying, “carbs are bad for you.” You need whole grains. Women, ages 19-30, need a 16 ounce equivalent per day; one slice of bread is one ounce.
Dark Chocolate. If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, opt towards a piece of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate fights ab flab and contains potassium, copper, magnesium and iron.Apples are superfoods (foods high in nutrients) with antioxidants, especially in the peels, and contain a fiber called Pectin that’s been linked to lower cholesterol.
Healthy stress eating is not a long term solution. Eventually, the root of the problem will have to be addressed. Stress is a natural reaction to coping with our daily lives, but here are some ways to approach it differently.
Sharon Melnick, Ph. D., the author of Success Under Stress, writes, “Exercise, or even a few quick calisthenics, stretches, or easy yoga poses in your work area. Sit on a bench outside or even in your car to do breathing exercises. If there’s a park or body of water nearby, go for a walk or just sit down there. Walk to lunch. Put on headphones and listen to music. Meditate. Draw or sketch.”
Distract your mind. Take 30 minutes to do something you find relaxing and focus on that. Do some yoga, read a book, play guitar, or practice calming breathing exercises.
Eat foods that lower stress. Make yourself a smoothie with high antioxidant fruits or have a warm cup of herbal tea. According to Healthline, “Peppermint oil helps soothe anxiety.” The warmth and smell of Peppermint tea or Chamomile tea has a calming effect. Be careful, peppermint tea can help wake you up, but chamomile tea helps you fall asleep. Choose according to your time of day.
Listen to a calming song. Sometimes a song to get your emotions out works too.
Talk with someone about it. You are not alone. Don’t let the point of stress boil over until you’ve said something you regret, done something you can’t take back. Talk to a friend, family member or an over the phone therapist. Some sources are Remedy Live or Better Help.
Read more about how to manage your stress with our curated book selection.
“Be intentional about creating times when you are ‘on’: and times when you are ‘off.’ During periods of recovery, choose between activities that are relaxing (breathing for example, or meditation and) and activities that are energizing (such as exercise.) It's optimal to alternate them.” –Success Under Stress by Sharon Melnick, Ph.D.
“Just because you’ve dealt with the stressor, doesn’t mean you’ve dealt with the stress itself.” –The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, Ph.D. and Amelia Nagoski, DMA
“We all live in a highly strung, overstimulated, highly cerebral world. Overthinking puts our ordinary cognitive instincts in overdrive. Excessive thinking occurs when our thought processes are out of control, causing us to stress. Endless analysis of life and of self is usually unwanted, unstoppable, and self-defeating. Ordinarily, our brains help us solve problems and understand things more clearly–but overthinking does the opposite. [...] Our brain is an extraordinarily helpful tool, but when we overthink, we only undermine its power.” – Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relive Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present by Nick Trenton
*Our book selection is independently selected by our Scarlett Rey editor. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.