Addicting foods I can’t stop eating once I start

I would like to think that in most cases, I have pretty good self-restraint in stuffing myself crazy or at least just eating until I am full.  Now, this goes all out the window most of the time when I go out to eat with friends or family and I am spending money on food.  The cheapness in my just has to get his money’s worth.  But, at home, I am generally (like I said, I’d like to think I am at least) pretty good.

That being said, there are certain foods that I eat in which if I start eating one, I just can’t help myself and I end up eating a ton.  Here are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head.

Pistachios.  The one saving grace for me with respect to pistachios is that I have to spend time shelling them.  At least that takes time.  Otherwise, I’d probably eat a couple pounds of that every time it’s in front of me!  I don’t know what it is about them, but they are just so yummy to me and I just have to keep eating them.  The girlfriend bought a huge bag of them from Costco last weekend, filling it in our little jar.  Suffice to say, that huge bag is now empty.

Cashew.  This is my favorite nut.  If these are in front of me, you can be sure I will eat at least a couple handfuls.  They just taste so good that if I eat them before my dinner, I usually end up eating less food for dinner because I fill my stomach beforehand.  Not sure that is really a good thing as I’m not sure cashews as healthy for you as things like fruits or vegetables.  Whenever I go to Costco and see the big jar with the red lid of cashews, I always force myself not to buy it because I know that if I do, that entire jar will be done in no time.

Peanuts.  Continuing with the nut theme, the peanut.  Of the 3, this is definitely my least favorite.  I don’t know if I really like the taste of peanuts all that much.  But, for whatever reason, if and when I do start eating them, I just can’t stop.  I just keep popping open more shells and eating more.  The bag of peanuts you can buy at Costco is even larger than the cashew jar, and so I definitely restrain myself from buying that.

Pizza.  I don’t know what it is about pizza, but I just can’t stop eating it until I am completely stuffed.  For most other things I eat for dinner, I can stop eating when I am full or at least content.  But with pizza?  If I can physically fit another slice of pizza in my stomach, just the thought of being able to eat another one is enough for me to grab it from the box and bite into it.  This is the case even for pizza that is just average.  Something about it is just too irresistible for me.

Spaghetti.  Awww, an old staple.  When I was in college, I was too cheap to go out each night for dinner.  I was always too lazy to cook each night too.  So, I’d make huge batches of spaghetti and then eat it multiple nights for dinner and lunch the following days of that week.  You would think that after years of that, I’d be sick of the pasta.  But no.  Spaghetti, like pizza, is just very tasty to me.  When it’s made for dinner, I almost always cannot eat just the one bowl.  I gotta put at least another bowlful in my mouth, until I am 100% full.  So simple, but so yummy.

Chips and salsa.  This one actually depends on the chips and salsa because if one or the other is not tasty to me then I can easily stop eating.  But,  you get both of them to good and you have the perfect storm for me in finishing an entire bag and jar of this stuff.  This is the case even when I eat at Mexican restaurants, where I sometimes just stuff myself too much that I can’t finish my food when it is finally served.

Bread.  This one is only for when I go out.  I almost never eat bread prior to lunch or dinner at home.  If I eat bread, it’s part of the meal, like a sandwich or something.  But if I go to place, like an Italian restaurant for example, and they serve bread before dinner, I fall victim to the same thing as chips and salsa, filling myself up too much for the actual main course.  I’ve had bad breads before, but most of the breads I eat are just something I can’t stop putting in my mouth.  It doesn’t matter if I eat one then tell myself not to eat anymore before dinner.  If I see it sitting there in front of me, I pray that someone else at the table takes it, because if they don’t, I know that I will.

Popcorn.  I always, always have to force myself to only order a small popcorn at the movies.  When the worker asks me to get a medium for .25 cents more, or whatever that price is, even though the cheapness in me says that I have to, the other part of me says that if I don’t get the small, I will finish, in its entirety, the larger size.  I don’t know what it is about the popcorn in the movie theaters. Whenever I eat microwave popcorn at home, it’s just okay and I don’t even finish the bag.  I don’t even buy any because of that.  But, when I’m sitting in the theater, I can’t keep my hand from constantly reaching into that bag of popcorn, then stuffing it inside my mouth.  I think they add crack to it or something.  I have no other explanation.