Hey there. I grew up in a time when there were maybe four kinds of potato chips on the shelf. Now it feels like there are forty flavors from just one brand. And it’s not just chips. It’s crackers, cookies, frozen meals, even protein bars. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of packaged food options, but there’s something more going on here than just variety.
These foods are designed to keep you eating. The flavors are engineered to hit every note in your brain that makes you crave more. And for a long time, I thought that meant there was something wrong with me. Like I just didn’t have the willpower. But the truth is, it’s not about willpower at all. It’s about understanding how these foods are built and deciding how you want to handle them.
I’m not here to say you should never eat processed foods. I’m also not saying you should live on them. But you should know what’s going on. These companies are marketing experts. They want to hook you as early as possible and keep you as a customer for life. The good news is that you have more control than you think.
For me, I’ve figured out the kinds of foods that I just can’t keep in the house. Golden Oreos are one. If they’re in the pantry, I’m probably going to eat the whole sleeve. So I don’t keep them at home. But if I’m on a road trip and I see a snack-sized pack, I might pick it up and enjoy it without guilt. That’s the difference. I’m making a choice, not just reacting.
Portioning is key. Knowing that something is engineered to keep me eating lets me go into it with a plan. I try to portion things out ahead of time and put the rest away. And I also pay attention to those “healthy” packaged foods that still fall into the same trap. Just because something is labeled keto, high protein, or paleo doesn’t mean it’s automatically a better choice. It’s still processed. It’s still being marketed with a specific angle.
All of this ties into the bigger picture of your relationship with food. If you can understand what’s going on behind the scenes, it becomes easier to make decisions you feel good about. And when you do eat the things you enjoy, you don’t have to beat yourself up afterward.
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