Food Noise Explained: Why It Happens and How to Find Peace with It

It is common to think about food: what you have to pick up at the grocery store, your weekend dinner out with friends, or even if you want a pastry to go with your coffee.

But when your mind is running a constant dialogue focused on your next meal or snack, how much and when you’ll eat, chances are you’re experiencing food noise. You might have come across this term online, so today we’re breaking down why you can’t stop thinking about food and what to do about it.

What is food noise?

We can define it as a preoccupation with food before, during, and after you eat—so all the time! This can come in the form of questions or criticisms. Do any of these sound familiar?

• “I just ate but I’m still hungry. I shouldn’t eat any more, but I kind of want more potatoes, they were so creamy, probably full of butter…”
• “I have ice cream in the freezer. I shouldn’t eat it. I want it. I’m going to eat it. That was so good, what more can I have? I’ve already had the ice cream, I’ve blown it, I’ll just keep eating. What’s in the pantry?”
• “I’m hungry, should I eat? Is it time to eat? Maybe just a snack… Oh that wasn’t filling enough. I should have had lunch. But it’s not noon yet. Can I make it another hour?”

These thoughts are often intrusive and are usually one long run-on sentence, piling on top of each other. This can leave you feeling exhausted as you have this narration constantly running in your mind.

What causes food noise?

It won’t come as a surprise to you that food noise gets worse when you don’t have other coping mechanisms, other than food, to manage your emotions. This means any time a feeling or thought comes up, like stress at work or irritation at your kids, you reach for food to shut it down.

Food noise also increases anytime you try and restrict food or place strict rules around what you can and can’t eat. If you tell yourself you can’t have a doughnut, chances are you are constantly going to be thinking about a doughnut—that’s food noise. Also, if you’re never eating what you’re truly craving (no matter if it is a juicy peach or a frosted cupcake) you will never feel satisfied, again turning up the volume on your dissatisfaction with the food you did eat and a continual focus on what you’re craving. Rules can also look like all-or-nothing thinking where you believe yourself “good” for eating salad and chicken, but “bad” if you have French fries and a burger. This is when food noise can create a negative spiral and pump up the volume on your inner critic, tearing yourself down for what you ate.

How can you quiet food noise?

Given what causes food noise, here are a few ways to support yourself to make it less of a mental load. First, make sure you’re eating what satisfies you. This means both what you’re craving and how much. Restriction is going to keep you much more focused on what you can’t have and how hungry you feel. By giving yourself satisfaction you can eat, enjoy, and move on (need some more support? Read how you can give yourself unconditional permission to eat).

Next, support your emotional wellbeing in ways other than always relying on food. Try this: name the feeling and what you need. For example, “I am feeling very drained because my kids took so long to go to bed.” You can even experiment with saying this out loud—it can be very validating to hear the words spoken. Once you’ve identified what you’re feeling and why (it might be more than one thing!), consider how you can comfort yourself. In the example of someone who is drained, they might want to reach for sugar for an energy boost. They could also try a quick walk to breath from fresh air, splashing some cold water on their face, or even watching a comfort show alone. Find some more coping strategies for any emotion!

Learning to manage food noise isn’t about willpower, it’s about meeting your specific needs.

💛 Your peace awaits.