When the emotional state of being in a pandemic collides with eating, my personal food world becomes a rollercoaster. I am aware that, like my mood swings, I do vacillate greatly from being mindful of what I am eating, to indulgence almost to the extreme. I do take great care in watching my portion sizes, eating more vegetables and keeping a fairly balanced heathy diet. Up until I don’t. The rationalization in my own mind being … I Deserve This.

Right or wrong, the outside influences that either restrict or constrain what and how I am used to doing things seems to be the narrative that I follow. When I get a red flag that I’m about to go down a hot-dog-and-potato-chip rabbit hole, I will often try and change my environment, which does help … but not always. Purposefully, we have changed our eating schedule quite considerably. I had started an intermittent fasting a few months prior to the pandemic era. I do not eat my first meal until about 1:30 in the afternoon. I have found upon reflection that the heavier meal has shifted to the afternoon and then a smaller dinner in the early evening.

Being curious, I started asking friends, family and associates what their food experience has been through the past seven months. Apparently, I am not alone. Many experience small episodes of depression and the endorphin rush of joy. We are all attempting to strike a balance amid the craziness and get a grip on the trials and tribulations of food eating habits. I began to wonder on a broader scale, what does this mean for our industry? How do these personal but hardened mental and physical factors translate to the masses? How do they affect our eating habits and buying habits?

Inevitably the changes and new patterns have affected the industry greatly. The harvesting and production of food coming from farms to the manufacturers has had to retool to address the greater need for retail vs. foodservice due to the restrictions. Think also of the many changes in how we acquire our food from a grocery store — online buying and curbside pick-ups to restaurant take-out and drive thru services. Recently I’ve been reading some industry research attempting to categorize statistically these changing patterns. I’ll get back to you when I get that information.

My query to you all today is: What changes have you made in your daily food habits? Have you experienced shifting eating patterns due to daily mood swings? I encourage you to share your thoughts. Stay safe.

Live well — life is precious, please savor every moment!

The emotional state of eating

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