Why you should never go food shopping when hungry.

Tiny Budget Cooking — why you should never go food shopping when hungry

By Limahl Asmall

Have you ever been food shopping whilst hungry (or hangry - so hungry you're becoming angry) and come back with a bunch of random stuff not on your list?

Perhaps, like me, you've wondered, (after devouring a pack of crisps or snacks on the way home) why you bought the snack in the first place - or perhaps you made it home without snacking, but had to explain to your significant other why you bought 6 packs of McCoys, a chocolate cake, three packs of biscuits and a jumbo sausage roll.

I used to put these 'additional items' down to lack of willpower and my insatiable appetite for all things salty and crunchy, but now fortunately my fellow food friends - science has our backs.

In studies it has been suggested that shopping when hungry leads to a preference for high calorie products which are also more likely to be of low nutritional value, and that we are likely to spend more on our food shop, as well as unrelated non-food items!

So next time you go food shopping, make sure you follow these three steps to avoid spending additional money on high calorie, low nutrition food.

1. Tame your hunger.

Eat a healthy meal before you shop. If you can't have a meal, go for a healthy snack like an apple or a bowl of cereal which is full of fibre and will help keep you feeling full for longer.

2. Take a shopping list.

Be prepared and know what you need to buy - then stick to it. Not only is this the easiest way to shop, it will help you to save money and avoid buying additional items you don't need.

3. Shop online.

There's some brilliant money saving offers for online shopping and the best part is the food is delivered straight to your door! Not only can you search for the lowest-priced ingredient, you won't have the opportunity to snack on the way home, and any snacks you do buy will be delivered at a later time when you're no longer hungry! That's win-win.

Got something to say about shopping when hungry? Let us know in the comments below.

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