People Make Bad Food Choices When They Are Hangry

According to the study conducted by One poll on behalf of Farm Rich, the most common reasons for people’s hunger-related irritability include mealtime delays(44%), busy work schedules(37%), never knowing what to make(32%), and not having time to go grocery shopping(29%). Hanger can strike at any time with 41% most often experiencing hangry at home, 35% have that crankiness follow them to work, 34% get the hangries when they are shopping, 33% have had hangries while they are running errands, and 33% have had hanger while they are traveling.

The Northeast appears to be the hangriest with 46% of the respondents reporting that they always or often experience hunger-related anger. Across the nation, men are less likely to be hangry than women, with 32% of men saying that they have never experienced a hanger moment while only 20% of women claimed to have never experienced a hanger. 

Adults with small children appear to be the most hangry as 42% with children 4 years old and under reporting that they are frequently hangry, 39% admit to eating their children’s snacks to ease hunger-related irritability, and 68% of parents say that they are willing to let their children eat just about anything if it stops them from having a hangry tantrum. 

Does hot or cold matter when a person is hangry? According to these respondents 52% state that a hot savory snack is more satisfying than a cold one when they are hangry. To never experience hangry again 49% of the respondents would be willing to stock the fridge with a month’s worth of food, 32% would give up social media, and 30% would only eat their favorite food for a month. 

48% of the respondents say that they will even resort to eating their least favorite food to get rid of the hangers, and 42% admit to eating leftovers that a significant other or roommate was saving for themselves when they were hangry. More surprisingly is that 28% admit to eating discarded food that is in the garbage can and 27% say that they have eaten expired food in mid hangry. 

“There are many reasons our moods can be affected by food and this poll shows us a lot of them. Also, we saw that snacks remain important, with more than half the respondents (56%) saying they try to always keep snacks on hand or fuel up with small meals throughout the day (55%),” Ozamiz says in a statement.

Most will not be surprised to learn that there is actual science behind having hunger-related mood swings, it is connected to blood sugar levels. Quick pick-me-ups like fruit, nuts, dried fruits, and nut butters require little prep work and they can help to restore emotional balance while managing blood sugar levels. Some even suggest that the trick may be to stop eating all the time and learn to know the difference between physiological hunger and psychological hunger, but that’s for another story. 

Having trouble with those Wednesday humps, well hunger may be at play here as well, one third of these respondents say that they are more likely to experience the hangries midweek. 53% attribute having this emotion due to skipping meals, and 48% say not eating on time being a big part of the problem. 

I make it a rule to never shop when I am hungry as it more than not results in impulse buying half of the grocery store. Being hangry is no exception to this rule as it results in even bigger checkout totals and junk food purchases. Similarly, the majority of respondents in this study reported spending an extra $51 to $100 more during trips to the local grocery while hangry with the 4C’s being the top impulse items: cheese, chips, chocolate, and cookies. 

From personal experience, I can say it may be best to avoid anyone in the midst of a hangry moment. But if you must approach a person in mid-hangry there are some common tips: 42% of the respondents suggest that you get in and out of that conversation quickly by avoiding talking too much, and 38% say that most importantly if you see they are eating do not try to remove the plate before they are finished.