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If you watch Scandal, then you already know that Olivia Pope’s nightly indulgence is typically wine and popcorn. And with her high-stress job, it’s no surprise – alcohol and carbs are two of the most craved types of comfort foods.
But obviously, it’s no secret that red wine and popcorn aren’t exactly a balanced evening meal, so today we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on stress eating: what it is, why we do it, and what we can do about it. And — how we can still incorporate red wine and popcorn into an otherwise balanced evening of food.
3 reasons why we stress eat:
- Comfort foods are almost always high in carbs, and instinctively our brains know that carbs provide the quickest energy for our bodies, providing a much-needed pick-me-up, however, short-lived it may be.
- Carbs, particularly when combined with salt and fat, trigger release of brain chemicals that provide a temporary relief of feelings of anxiety or depression.
- Simply the act of eating provides a temporary distraction from what’s bothering us
Pope-sized Popcorn + Fish-Bowl Glass of Wine:
- As much as 1100 calories (or more) – 1500 mg sodium – 75 grams carbs – 15 grams protein
Popcorn + Wine Makeover
- 2 cups air-popped popcorn +2-4 tbsp nutritional yeast (It tastes like parmesan cheese. Really!)
- With 6 ounces of red wine and a carton of low-fat Greek yogurt drizzled with honey
- 385 calories – <150 mg sodium – 35 grams carbs – 30 grams protein
- Nearly 1/3 the calories, 90% less sodium, ½ the carbs, and 2x the protein