I have three moods: asleep, content, and hangry. I’m a real dream to live with, let me assure you.
My least favourite state is "hangry." Check that – my hangry is everyone else’s least favourite state. Hangry is so different than hungry because “hungry” can be managed whereas "hangry" needs a police escort and close supervision. Hungry means being satisfied by a broken granola bar you found in your purse but hangry needs to be fed. Over the years (and after several interventions), I’ve developed a few coping strategies to manage the Hangry:
Note: OWN YOUR LABEL. You are not perfect. Your minivan fuel tank is often low. You’ve written school notes in crayon. You get crabby when you’re hungry. But if you’ve ever found your 8 year-old scoping apartment rental ads, your hungry is actually hangry and you need to make some changes.
Say it with me: I get Hangry. The first part of solving a problem is acknowledging you have one.
Sure, this sounds simple, but are you doing it? If you've identified hanger as an issue, I'm guessing "no." You're likely packing a lunch of some sort for your kids every day, so why are you excluding yourself? Even if you work from home, or don't happen to leave the house that day, having something prepared and ready to eat will make hanger all but disappear. If you have a thermos of hot soup, or some chopped fruit and nuts at the ready, you can simply throw it in your bag to take on the fly. Here's a good rule to follow: If you will be travelling farther than 150 meters from your refrigerator, bring a fanny pack of trail mix and a gallon of water.
You've slept through your alarm, and the dog didn’t come back after you sent him out to pee. Your kids are going to be late for the third time this week and it's Wednesday. You are starving. You’d love to just say “Screw it all” and hit an all-day buffet but who has time for sitting down when it’s your week for carpool. And you're out of gas. This is where I throw on my multitasking cape and head to a Shell.
Luckily, Shell Stations have you covered. You can literally grab a hot and fresh meal while getting gassed up. I went with a toasted roast beef and cheddar sandwich that cut the hangry, but my conscience said: next time you stop, you're getting the fruit salad (also available at Shell!).
But I digress. Get some fuel and please – for the sake of everyone around you – eat something.
It's also important to stay caffeinated. Yeah, technically caffeine is a drug, and we use it to cope with things like “life” and “children” and “being awake.” YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT? MAYBE ASK ME AGAIN AFTER I’VE HAD A SANDWICH. I've been known to indulge in a hot coffee freshly brewed at the station too ('cause multitasking). And it makes me especially happy to have so many choices for my java – everything from flavour shots to lattes.
...and visit them often. Hangry is no match for a chocolate bar or empty calorie snack. You're out running errands, and maybe you don't have time to stop for lunch and still make your appointment. You need real food, real fast, and by making sure you have a few great friends who turn out a mean batch of muffins or killer lasagna, you can eliminate your hanger AND have some great social interactions. Try to spread your "friend base" out strategically in your area, so there's never a sandwich or bowl of soup far away. If you've made bad decisions resulting from hanger and have no friends? Choose Option #2.
Here’s the straight goods: You can’t afford to lose any more friends to your hangry beast and if you run out of gas on the highway no one is going to come for you. Eliminate the possibility and face the day with a full belly and... gentler vocabulary.
So many places in the community offer food now. I've had cappuccino and cookies at the nail salon, deli meat samples at the grocery store, and full on mini meatball subs at the local big box retailer. If you can arrange your daily schedule around the places that offer the best free food, there's almost no excuse to go hungry. Sure, the dentist may pull the wrong tooth and bill you $500 for the "privilege," but there's a mini-muffin basket in the waiting room, so really, who's the winner here?
Also, is that a pear tree in your neighbour's yard? I bet you could scale that fence...
More specifically, visit them during school lunch hours, especially if their school offer a hot lunch. Believe me, nothing makes a teenager happier than seeing their mom in the cafeteria line. Arrive early to ensure you get first dibs on "Noontime No-Meat Surprise." Be a "cool mom" and save a seat for your teen so you can eat and bond together over a cafeteria table. Hey, you're partially funding their education with your taxes, so it's fine. You're making memories here, Mom.
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Shell Canada.
www.shell.ca
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