How to avoid stress eating

September 10, 2020 by
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A few days ago I made a batch of my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Naturally I had to have one warm from the oven, but I did not stop there. By the time the evening ended I had downed six cookies. That is not a healthy way to eat, but these days I seem to lack the willpower to quit after just one or two cookies. This is why I immediately clicked on a post from Good Food (Aus) that came across my news feed: tips on how to step away from the cookie jar and avoid stress eating. This is excellent advice any time, but especially during a stressful time such as this when many of us are stress eating and/or stress baking.

Out of sight, out of mind is probably the best strategy for me. I need to keep the cookies in a less-accessible location. When they are sitting in a glass jar within easy reach, the temptation is much greater than if I have to go downstairs into the storage room to grab them. Another thing I will consider is the advice to find other ways to reward myself. While baking is one way I can relax, I need to focus more on other enjoyable activities. For me, one of these is bird watching, so I am dusting off my binoculars and heading to the local nature center to get some exercise and see a few gorgeous birds, all while being safely socially distant.

One of the article’s tips just won’t work for me: limiting the amount of food on hand. If I do not have back stock in my pantry my stress levels will go through the roof. However, I can shift my buying away from low-nutritional value items like potato chips (crisps) to healthy staples with long storage lives like dried beans and tinned tomatoes. Although I will do my best to avoid stress eating, I will not berate myself if I make the occasional mistake of grabbing one too many cookies, because sometimes chocolate really does help.

Photo of Toll House chocolate chip cookies from The New York Times by Ruth Wakefield

Category: Antipasto

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7 Comments

  • Lnbrittain  on  September 10, 2020

    I hear this! If I kept chocolate chips, crackers, and chips in the house I would, for sure, snack. As it is, I’m stuck with toast, nuts, and fruit. I can’t hurt myself with that.

  • adrienneyoung  on  September 10, 2020

    Oh, oh, me, me! And sadly, I have discovered baking as a very reliable way to reduce stress. Which means that the house could easily be PACKED with cake, cookies, bread… Thank goodness for friends, family and neighbors! ?

  • lean1  on  September 11, 2020

    I keep lots of cut up fruit nearby. And try to drink lots of water.

  • bookpoet  on  September 11, 2020

    Which recipe is your favorite for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies? They were a childhood favorite for me!

    • Darcie  on  September 11, 2020

      I like the Neiman Marcus cookies, although I do employ a couple of tweaks. I don’t grate in a Hershey bar, I use chocolate chunks, and I don’t grind the oats into a powder – I leave some whole to create more chew.

  • Rinshin  on  September 11, 2020

    About 15 years ago, I decided to treat myself with only one cookie after dinner and only that if cookies are available at home. Now I have to do the same with wine, only one 5 oz glass of wine with dinner. The price of getting older.

  • MarciK  on  September 13, 2020

    Since I live alone, baking is always a stress about how am I going to finish all this without ballooning. When I make cookies, a wrap them in plastic wrap just how many I want to eat at a time, and freeze them together in a larger container. When I want a treat, I’ll pull just one out of the freezer, usually in the afternoon to eat after dinner. If I ate those and wanted more, I’m unlikely going to take the time to unthaw more.

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