What to Do If Nothing You Have To Eat Sounds Good

You know that feeling. You're kinda hungry and it's been a while since you last ate a meal, but nothing you have on hand sounds good. I know I'm not alone in experiencing this. It's such a bummer. And it's just not practical all the time to run to the store for the exact craving you're having. Sometimes it's worth it, but sometimes you just have to eat what you have, right?One of the most popular posts here on the blog is the one where I talked about what to eat when you don't know what to eat. I was looking and a lot of people have googled that exact phrase. So along those lines, I thought I'd speak to this similar question I hear...what do I do if nothing I have to eat sounds good?If you've been around for a while or know a little about intuitive eating, you know that it's so important to eat satisfying foods. Eating foods that actually sound good, rather than eating something just because it fits your diet or is low calorie or something else, helps you feel more calm around food. It helps you get that fullness that goes beyond being physically full and takes you to being really truly satisfied. I like to explain it like that feeling you get when you've finished eating and can easily slide your chair out from under the table and go do other things on your calendar without thinking about food. A lot of times, when working with clients in my 1:1 coaching program, I notice that the main reason people binge at night or feel out of control around mealtimes like they can't stop eating is that they're either not eating enough throughout the day or they're not eating satisfying foods. Eating satisfying food and honoring your cravings is so important, not only for the joy and pleasure it brings but also for us eating a comfortable amount.But what happens, then, when nothing you have at home sounds good? Do you always just run out and go get what you're craving?You definitely could and maybe in the beginning stages of giving yourself full permission with food that's something you need to do for healing...but that doesn't always work, does it. The likelihood is you have a lot going on in your life and it's simply not practical to always be running to the store or to take-out or whatnot.But, even in this case where there's nothing at home that sounds that great, it's still important to find a way to make your meal satisfying.Here's what I do and what I recommend to clients when they're in this situation.Add that "cherry on top".What do I mean by that? Well, just like in an ice cream sunday the cherry just makes it and ties everything together (at least that's how I feel), you want to try and finish your meal with something that IS satisfying. What can you add that will help make your meal complete?My personal favorite and fail-proof way to do this is by ending my meal with something chocolate. But that's what it is for me. Maybe for you it's chips and salsa, fruit, your favorite candy, a soda or seltzer, ice cream. The important factor is that it's something that makes you feel like your meal is complete. This "complete-ness" is what will help you stop thinking about food all the time and feel like you can focus on life instead of thinking all the time about what your next meal will be.Think about a time where you weren't super satisfied by a meal you ate. What would have made that meal better and more complete? If you're not sure, I wrote a post with 4 questions to ask yourself to help you eat for satisfaction. Sometimes, too, just adding in a different texture like something crunchy or smooth or saucy can make all the difference in a meal! If feeling calm and confident around food has been something you've tried to work through on your own but don't feel like what you've been trying has worked, that's what my membership community, The Nourish Lab, is all about! You don't have to go about this all alone. What I love about intuitive eating is the perspective that there is never failure, but always learning from yourself and your experiences around food. Just pause for a second and take that in... where else is this ever part of eating? No diet I know of has a principle like this one. Anyways, what I like to do after I've noticed that my meal isn't satisfying and have done what I can to make it satisfying and feel complete is I think about how this information and what I am craving could influence what I put on my grocery shopping list the next week. Is there something that I'd maybe enjoy more for lunches? Was this salad missing a really delicious dressing? Do I really enjoy some chips along with my sandwich?It can be tough to retrain your mind to think about how to make meals satisfying when you've only paid attention and allowed yourself to have the "low calorie" option for so long. But starting to ask these kinds of questions like "what sounds good?", "what am I craving?", and "what would make this meal more satisfying?" is a great place to start!What's your go-to when nothing really sounds good to eat?