Food Noise = ruminations centered around food, such as eating, obtaining food, preparing food, and sometimes even considering the next eating opportunity while still finishing a snack or meal.

Examples include:

Thinking about what you’ll eat next while you’re already eating

Repeatedly thinking, “What should I eat? When can I eat? Should I have that? How many calories was that?”

Frequently checking the kitchen, snacks, menus, or delivery apps

Feeling pulled toward a particular food despite not being physically hungry

Spending a disproportionate amount of mental energy negotiating with yourself about eating

Finding food thoughts distracting or difficult to shut off

Some people find that cravings for specific foods are not the only topic of, but instead often include whether they are eating the “right” way at the “right” time in the “right” amounts.

How it differs from hunger…

Hunger is a biological need or drive to eat; it's for survival. Food noise is primarily the cognitive component with the above-detailed recurrent thoughts, urges, anticipation, and attention directed toward food. One of the key differences between physiological hunger and food noise is that food noise can happen even when you aren’t physically hungry and there isn’t an obvious food cue around you.