Have you ever felt hungry but nothing sounds good?
Have you ever wondered what to eat when nothing sounds good?
If so, I’ve got you covered!
In this post, I’m going to talk about interoception and hunger cues, some reasons nothing sounds good, and finally, what to eat when you are hungry but nothing sounds good.
Let’s dive in!
Interoception and Hunger Cues
First let’s start with interoception and what hunger cues even are.
Interoception is defined as how we understand our body’s inner sensations. Therefore, if there’s been a disrupter to your ability to tune into your body’s inner sensations, due to trauma, injury, illness, or even chronic dieting, you may have a hard time recognizing and knowing what hunger feels like in your body.
Hunger cues are your body’s inner sensation that it is low on energy and would like you to eat something. Many people think of the stomach rumbling when they think of what hunger feels like. And that is one hunger cue people may experience but there are others, too.
Hunger cues may feel like:
- Stomach rumbling
- Stomach feels empty
- Dizziness
- Shakiness
- Inability to focus or concentrate
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Moodiness such as irritable or cranky
Figuring out what hunger feels like in your body is the first step in figuring out what you might want to eat and how much.
Here is a Hunger and Fullness Scale image from the book, Body Kindness, that may be a helpful visual. You can think of hunger and fullness like the gas gauge in your car. Hunger feels different if you are running on empty (extreme hunger or “hangry”) versus if you are moderately and lightly hungry.
Figuring out what hunger feels like in your body and at different levels on the hunger scale can take time and practice, if you are not used to noticing and responding to hunger cues of if your hunger cues are nonexistent.
Reasons Nothing Sounds Good
If you are able to feel that you are hungry but nothing sounds good, there are many reasons this may be happening.
First, does this happen often or only occasionally? Are you struggling to know what sounds good with all meals and snacks or only certain ones (such as lunch or dinner)?
Let’s take a look at some reasons you may feel hungry but nothing sounds good.
Food fatigue
You may be experiencing food fatigue. This is when you are tired of eating the same foods or food combinations. This often happens when dieting or restricting certain foods or food groups and limiting your food choices. This can also happen when you aren’t eating foods that you truly enjoy.
Cooking fatigue – are you tired of cooking, feel low energy, no inspiration, etc.
You may be experiencing cooking fatigue. This is when you are tired of cooking and the time and energy it takes to plan, shop, and prepare food. You may feel low energy due to life stressors or lack of sleep, or you may feel low on inspiration of what to make for each meal or snack.
Physical hunger vs. emotional hunger – do you want to eat?
It’s also important to assess if you feel physically hungry or if you are emotionally hungry or wanting to eat because you are bored, sad, angry, or stressed. If you are using food to cope with emotions (which is 100% okay!), you may find that the food isn’t satisfying the need because it’s not truly getting to the root of the issue.
Basic needs not being met
Similar to physical hunger vs. emotional hunger, you may have a hard time deciding what to eat when your basic needs are not being met. This includes things like sleep, hydration, stress management, relationships or social connection, purpose, etc. If these things are lacking or nonexistent, food is likely going to be less satisfying because again, you’re trying to fill a void with food that actually needs something else.
What to eat when you are hungry but nothing sounds good
So, you may be wondering what to eat when you are hungry but nothing sounds good.
First off, if you are hungry but nothing sounds good, it is usually better to eat something than to eat nothing. What you choose may not be the most exciting or satisfying but it will get the job done of giving your body some energy and nutrition.
When you nourish your body because you know it needs food, you are practicing practical hunger. Practical hunger is when you may not feel hungry or you may not know what you want to eat, but you eat anyway because you know it is good for your body.
Another example of practical hunger is having a recovery snack or meal after a hard workout even though you don’t feel hungry. Or eating something before going into a long meeting because you know that if you wait until after the meeting is over, you will be overly hungry and that doesn’t feel good.
Giving your body something to eat even when nothing sounds good is also a way that you are respecting your body and eating as a form of self-care. Well done!
Now, let’s get into some specifics – what to eat when nothing sounds good.
One way to begin to put together a meal or snack when nothing sounds good is to use a combination of macronutrients, which are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. You can use a visual, such as the Balanced Plate image below, or use a grocery shopping list broken down by the food groups for inspiration.
Choose one (or more) food items from each food group and boom, you’ve got yourself a nice balanced meal or snack! Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect and it may not be the most satisfying eating experience ever, but it gets the job done.
You might also use convenience foods when you are feeling cooking fatigue. Having easy go-to meals made ahead of time that you can pop in the oven or microwave; eating out or ordering take out delivery, or choosing ready-to-eat foods is another way to nourish your body without expending a lot of time or energy.
Some examples of easy go-to meals could be:
- A made-ahead or store bought frozen meal
- A peanut butter and jelly or turkey and cheese sandwich
- A one-sheet meal that you dump everything on a sheet pan and bake
- A combination of snack-type foods such as a Greek yogurt, an apple, and some peanut butter or a Greek yogurt parfait with berries, nuts, and seeds
Remember, there is no perfect way of eating! It’s okay to let go of your food rules and choose the path of least resistance when you are hungry but nothing sounds good.
And one final tip for what to eat when nothing sounds good.
Limit your options.
This can be useful especially if you find that you are struggling with certain meals such as lunch or dinner. Why isn’t breakfast a struggle? Because you likely eat the same thing or same couple of things for breakfast.
Do the same for lunch or dinner. Choose 1-3 recipes that you are going to make or buy. Then choose only from those when it’s time to eat. Or choose 1-3 food items from each food group and choose only from those when it’s time to eat. Limiting your options can make it less likely you’ll feel decision fatigue when it comes to your food choices.
And finally, give yourself grace, kindness, and self-compassion. Know that this feeling of food fatigue, cooking fatigue, or overall life fatigue, that’s leading you to feel uninspired when it comes to food and eating, is not going to last forever. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself and know that one meal, one day, one week of eating isn’t going to make or break your health.
Reflection Questions:
- Are you in touch with how hunger feels in your body? Can you distinguish between low, medium, and high hunger? When does it feel best to eat?
- How often do you feel hungry but nothing sounds good? Does this happen for all meals and snacks or is it certain ones in particular?
- Which of the above suggestions are you going to use today or the next time you are struggling with what to eat?
Looking for More?
Download my FREE Guide – 5 Steps to Stop Obsessing About Food and Your Body
Individual Nutrition Coaching – if you’re looking for more individualized support, check out my options for working together one on one.
Intuitive Eating Support Group for Women – if you’re interested in learning more about Intuitive Eating in a supportive, small group environment, this is the group for you!
