My friend’s husband came home from the grocery store recently, and as they were unloading the groceries she saw a package of cookies. “What are these?” she said. “They were free,” he replied, “A lady gave me a coupon and I used it.”
My friend and I were talking about this phenomena of free food. What is it about “free” that makes some of us accept or eat things we never would imagine eating. It happens to me all the time. I’m at a store, or at a social function and before I know it someone has handed me a sample of junk food, or sent me home with the rest of the dessert.
Sometimes I get to the car and think, “Why am I holding this when I don’t want it?” Why didn’t I just say NO one more time. Trust me – I tried but for whatever reason, they were so persistent that it got uncomfortable refusing.
John says that he is tempted by the free sample foods that our local Sam’s club puts out on Friday afternoon. He told me once that he almost feels badly refusing when those nice ladies hold out tempting treats. He sometimes comes home pretty full from sampling the goodies. I don’t have a problem refusing the free food at Sam’s because I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe and don’t like to eat food if I don’t know who made it! (I’m weird.)
Usually I can refuse all food that I don’t want, but sometimes I end up with unwanted food in my house. What do I do then? Honestly, if I don’t want it, don’t need it, and can’t give it away I toss it in the trash. I occasionally feel guilty, but I get over it!
How do you handle free food in stores or from other people? Diane
We don’t get FREE foods in Germany or South Africa….
And like you I don’t like eating homemade things if I dont know the person and their hygienic habits…I also bad with this.
If someone gives me something I dont want I toss it as well…
BTW, do you count calories??
How do you monitor what you eat daily.
Jillian M said * you have to count calories, she does * I wondered what you do.
It really depends on what the free food is. Honestly, I don’t have a hard time walking by the samples at Sam’s Club, but I think it’s due to the fact that I’m self conscious about eating in front of other people, thinking they’ll judge me because I’m already fat. I guess it all works out then!
.-= Alissa´s last blog ..Memorial Day Weekend: Friday and Saturday =-.
Very good point…one I will definitely think upon…thank you!
.-= Trish @IamSucceeding´s last blog ..Failure =-.
I try to taste only the things that look healthy. Sometimes i take the sample and then give it to my husband, he’ll eat anything.
.-= cindy´s last blog ..NEVER FORGET =-.
What I have learned about this is
IT IS ALL IN THE HANDS
If my hands are clasped behind my back
they can’t hand it to me.
so saying NO THANK YOU with hands behind back is much more effective than hands in front of you – seriously works.
They can try to force it on me, hand it to me, all they want – but if my hands are clasped in back and I am repeating NO THANK YOU – I am not going to actually take it.
.-= vickie´s last blog ..The icky glasses post – I think we absolutely can tell how we felt about ourselves on the inside, by how we looked on the outside =-.
free food is one of my husband’s last food ‘problems’ not that he would bring it home (he does not bring surprise food home and spring it on me) but he will EAT IT.
And then he will feel awful (tummy wise) and
then he will say – why did I do that?
and I will say – how dumb are you after all this time?
.-= vickie´s last blog ..The icky glasses post – I think we absolutely can tell how we felt about ourselves on the inside, by how we looked on the outside =-.
Ugh, I get free food from my Gram all the time. She loves to cook and always brings us some. It’s never something low-cal either which is fine if it’s a once in a while treat, but it’s more like a once a week thing! Sadly, I have to say that I toss some of it, especially if it’s something that no one else will eat but me!
.-= Marisa (Loser for Life)´s last blog ..The No Sugar Experiment =-.
The old me loved the food samples but I am usually a germophobe so now I may think twice! The new me only eats ones that are on my diet.
.-= Karen@WaistingTime´s last blog ..Blog Superpower =-.
In stores, when the food is out for the tasting, I avoid it. It has more to do with germs than calories, though. My husband plays this game all the time, but he does it with things that are on sale. I’ll wonder why he got 4 packages of potato chips and he’ll say, “But they were on sale and really cheap.” Hm. I guess I don’t care whether something is free or cheap if I wouldn’t eat it anyway. But that doesn’t do me any good when my husband shops!
.-= Tracey @ I’m Not Superhuman´s last blog ..Rest & Relaxation. And Wine, Of Course. =-.
I used to take anything if it was free, but now if I don’t want it, I just say NO!
.-= Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..hello june =-.
Most family or friends know me so if I say no to an offer, they don’t mind… BUT the hubby may want it so I ask him first before I say no.
The only free food at stores & such I take is the food I actually want to try & this is rare. No is easy for me to say in that situation.
I was thinking the Costco food trough as we call it in my house & you mentioned Sam’s club. I see people making the rounds multiple times & I know people that go there just to eat the free samples! Drives me crazy to get around the lines for food!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..2 Year Old Smoking Boy =-.
Me being glib:
First, I don’t often shop in places where food is being given away. Occasionally I end up in a grocery chain or Costco, but usually I am in local markets were there are no giveaways. That said, in Costco when the “pusher” asks me if I, “would like some pizza rolls”, I usually just respond by saying, “Do I look like I eat pizza rolls?” and keep walking.
It’s crude and unnecessary compared to a simple, “no thank you”, but it’s a layer of armor I need — I absolutely need to just keep walking, because the truth is, I really want those pizza rolls, and 20 more just like ‘em.
.-= Emergefit´s last blog ..A Fairwell To Legs… =-.
Free samples in shops are the easier one to deal with – just a polite ‘no’ and walk on.
The remains of that friend’s delicious dessert is more problematic. These days, in an attempt to avoid those awkward social situations, I accept (having first tried to refuse, but like you not often managing it) but then give whatever I’ve been given a decent burial in the bin when I get home. If it doesn’t enter my fridge, I’m halfway there.
I loved the comment about saying no with hands clasped behind you – going to try that ploy
.-= Deniz´s last blog ..Holding steady =-.
I don’t eat the free samples- and our produce market has them every other week ( lots of small local businesses come and offer free samples of their products to drum up business . I treat them the same as Sam’s Club- I say “no thank you, I have allergies”. That seems to be the only response that stops them dead in their tracks.Truth is I do have allergies and I do not feel like carefully scanning the product labels on the packages to see if they contain the allergens or not.
.-= Diane´s last blog ..So begins another trip round the sun =-.
Most things in stores I pass on, especially samples sitting out because I picture how many people had their germy hands on them LOL!
Food gifted to me can be a problem. I will try something, and if I really like it, I try to freeze it to control. If it isn’t worth it, I will toss it.
Samples are a powerful thing – that’s why they do them!
.-= Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Thanks and a little more running =-.
I shop at CostCo and have no trouble trying only the food samples that appeal to me. Sometimes I’ll try the treats but usually I only try something I would eat (black bean burgers for example); many times I leave the store without trying anything at all. I’ve learned to never sample chips, one taste and I start thinking about them again – I really have a chip addiction which I keep mostly under control. And although I almost never buy packaged food, I do sometimes reach for the package at the sampling station and read the ingredients just to check it out – to see if I want to make something similar at home (yes to the black bean burgers!). After reading the ingredient label, if I don’t want to try it, I just say, “Oh no thanks, I can’t eat this” which makes them think I have food allergies and they never push it.
I was at an outdoor arts and crafts festival this weekend and McDonalds was there giving away free samples of it’s frozen coffee drinks. The first thing that struck me was that the sample size was relatively large (probably what a small would have been many years ago). The second thing that struck me was that there were always a LOT of people in line to get one.
Anyway, I have found that the “food” that is typically given away at events like this (or in stores) is usually highly processed. You never see them giving away fresh produce or even a piece of grilled chicken.
I don’t feel bad saying “no thank you.”
.-= KCLAnderson (Karen)´s last blog ..I Am Not Stuck =-.
Great point! I used to reach for “free” food quite a bit. Until I admitted to myself that the food really isn’t “free!”
.-= Andrea@WellnessNotes´s last blog ..Sunny, Relaxing, Long Weekend =-.
I do love free samples but I do know I should not eat them. I think everyone loves free things…I try to avoid any shops that have them out…usually go shopping first thing in the morning and nothing is out!
.-= sian-girlgetstrong´s last blog ..Face it: Your Diet Affects your Looks =-.
This is one of the hugest reasons that I’ve almost entirely using coupons. It’s next to never for something we need/want/would otherwise consume and when I have coupons I find myself planning our menus around what’s inexpensive rather than what’s nourishing and healthy for us. Great post!
Oooh, good topic. Often times I feel like I HAVE to eat something if it’s free. Or I get pressured by other people to eat things because they’re free. Now I stop and ask myself “is this a food I will truly enjoy, or am I going for it just because it’s available?” I usually grab free samples in grocery stores, at least they’re conveniently divided into small serving cups. But for example, my step-grandmother sent some shortbread cookies that I don’t really care for. I tried one, realized it wasn’t my favourite cookie in the world, then gave the rest away. Old Susan would have gobbled them up regardless!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Hometown Runner =-.
Free samples I almost always eat, even if it’s just because it tends to be stuff I never eat. Sometimes because I don’t like, in which case I remember why, sometimes it’s desserts or ham or things that I DO like, but don’t eat, but it’s nice to have just a taste. I wouldn’t be willing to take dessert home, or packages of things that I won’t eat, but I wouldn’t turn down a free meal of pizza or foods that I still eat occasionally.
.-= julie´s last blog ..We were fat women once =-.
Yeah, sometimes free is not free. I do well with samples at stores but if, say, a coworker is persistent in telling me something won’t hurt me and they continue to push the food item my way, I’ll take it then dispose of it later or, if someone else wants it, I’ll give it to them.
.-= ‘Drea´s last blog ..Month-End Review, May 2010 =-.
I’ve been known to accept a “courtesy dip cone”, those adorable small ice cream cones that they give out for free at the local drive-thru when you’re waiting for your meal. (But I don’t know why they don’t just SELL the courtesy cone size…seems like the perfect portion size to me.) In other cases, if the free food is good quality, say a nice piece of homemade birthday cake, I’ll sample a bite and bring the rest home to hubby, who still struggles to keep weight on. Sigh.
I don’t have a problem refusing food at Sam’s either, unless it’s a product I’ve wanted to try already.
Most of the social situations I find myself in involve plenty of people who are more than willing to take the free, or extra, food home, so it’s not a problem for me to refuse.
It is funny how we are wired that way though, to accept something just because it’s free when we wouldn’t have purchased it ourselves in the first place.
Embrace the germophobe attitude. When I was the librarian in a primary school, I had all 700 students in my classes. Almost every day one or more children would shyly come up to my office door with a flat of birthday cupcakes. Of course I would congratulate the child and oh and ah over the cupcake, but as soon as they left, I would toss it in the circular file. I could so easily imagine one of the little cuties sneezing all over the cupcakes.
I’ve stopped taking home others’ left-overs. I used to, but ended up eating them (and fattening up!) so I just don’t even bother to throw them in the trash for someone. I figure I’m helping to clean up the world’s eating! If no one wants the left-over junk, maybe people will stop bringing so much of it to social functions! (One can hope anyway, right?)
.-= Kate´s last blog ..Cantaloupe Bliss =-.
I’m happy to say that I no longer just take and eat food because it is free. I have NO problem turning it down or throwing away food that enters my house that I know shouldn’t be here!
.-= Jenn @ Watch My Butt Shrink!´s last blog ..A Bunch of Animals =-.
I usually let my toddler eat some of the samples, because they are usually some sort of sweets (which he won’t get a lot of at home), or cereal or yogurt. Little of it is appealing to me.
When it comes to free whole packaged foods, if its something we won’t eat, I can give it to my parents, because they have three kids they are trying to feed and are usually accepting of any of it. If its something that can be donated, we give it to the local food bank, as they are always holding drives.
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Q & A Tuesday =-.
Most people know me well enough to know not to push me on taking food home. They’ll offer, but a simple ‘no thank you’ is usually enough to make them hush.
As for free samples at the stores, if I want it, I’ll take it, especially if it’s packaged. I do tend to steer clear of the cooking demo samplers, with a ‘no thank you, but it still smells/looks good!’
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..I Can See Clearly Now =-.
Food in stores I can usually resist but when I’m at a party or something and people tell me to “eat up” I feel bad and keep eating. I need to stop that.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..Out With the Old… =-.
Hm, joining Marcelle: I don’t think we have free food here in Germany, or at least not where I’ve seen. I am sometimes tempted by the sales racks near the cashier, when my favourite sweets are on display there. Sure, that particular item may be cheaper then but that doesn’t change its effect on my body! Ugh.
Going shopping right after I ate something delicious helps a little, though.
You always bring up such interesting things, Diane!
No of course I just say no, or ignore “free” food. The food industry must have learned at the knee of drug dealers (or cigarette makers).
At the grocery store near our house they give out a free item if you spend over $60, and it is always something healthy! Last time it was a free cucumber, other times it has been cauliflower, and once even dark chocolate! But the food samples at Costco are pretty tempting and not so healthy – so I just don’t eat them.
.-= Carla´s last blog ..Happy June 1st! =-.
Luckily for me free food isn’t a big thing around here in the stores. The last free food I remember eating is at my HM expo and the race. Lucky for me though it was all healthy food as you can imagine
If I can’t give it away, or if it’s something that I don’t want to eat because I know it’s junk, then I know it’s junk for someone else and I will toss it and not feel guilty. Hopefully during times when this happens to me, I am having a good will power day. Otherwise, I confess, at this point, I am prone to cave and eat it.
I SOOO used to fall prey to this with food and other CLUTTER in the house.
one day the husband turned to me and said:
CARLA FREE SHIT IS STILL SHIT (sorry for the wording but thats what he said
).
and it resonated with me.
SH*T in the form of clutter.
SH*T in the form of junk calories.
I just say NO in the moment or pass it along or (GASP) throw it away.
especially the junk calories.
I hate to but I also hate to inflict the cr*ppystuff on others as well.
.-= Miz´s last blog ..National Running Day. =-.
I can usually pass up the free samples at the grocery store. As far as friends trying to give me leftovers, they know now that if I say “no thank you” they back off. At the start of my journey I had to get tough with some of them. I told a few of them “if I take your food I will be throwing it in the garbage. Maybe you should give it to someone who will eat it.” That stopped the offers in a hurry.
ON free samples, I don’t take it! And if someone gifts me with food I don’t want if I can’t find a home for it I toss it out. Yes I feel guilty but I won’t eat it so whats the point in letting it go bad sitting on the counter.
I just stay out of these places. Sam’s is like a buffet on the weekends.
.-= Joe´s last blog ..New Runners This Weekend – =-.
One of the reasons I don’t use grocery store coupons is because the products that you get free or at reduced rates are generally nothing but junk. It’s not a good deal if you are getting something you don’t need.
.-= karen@fitnessjourney´s last blog ..Ask a Trainer Wednesday: Stability Ball Workouts =-.
Back in Texas, there was a promotion of buying one item, and getting several free. One of these items was a product that I was boycotting. When I got to the checkout, the clerk suggested that I get it (since it was free), and then donate it to their food drive.
.-= AmandaLP´s last blog ..Cupcake Diet- #LHAS =-.