Moderation Monday: Grocery Shop Shaming - Stop It!

Waiting in line at the grocery store, watching the person in front loading their cart's contents onto the conveyer belt. . . fruit snacks, ramen, candy bars drift by.  What goes through your mind?  Ever catch yourself comparing your cart to those around you?  Just stop.  

Let me say right now that dietitians have housefuls of teenagers, toddlers, and sick kiddos in need of a candy bar poster just like anyone else.  I remember once when I was preparing for a TV segment on the topic of chips and healthful snacking, I had a cart full of chips of various types and flavors.  What appeared to be a crazy, binge-sized amount of chips was the only thing in my cart that day.  Yep.  A few raised eyebrows made me suspect they thought their local dietitian had gone off the deep end.

The facts are these (and you'll see this applies to more than the grocery store):

1. It's none of your business
2. You never know the whole story

So this Monday, moderate your reaction to what others are eating.  And on the flip-side, don't worry about what others might think about what you are buying or eating.  

Embrace a healthy life in the real world.  Sometimes that means candy bar posters, sometimes it means a cartful of in-season produce, sometimes it means a cart full of chips.  Worry less, and live more.