The sweet smell of…

October 25, 2011

Growing up, there wasn’t really much junk food in our house. The invention of SnackWell cookies and fat free potato chips made with olestra (oy on the tum-tum) in the mid-1990s changed that. My mom, an early adopter of any new weight loss fad, bought these items in bulk and they infiltrated our pantry.

image via alternatePhotography on Flickr

You know what the problem is with these things (beyond the highly processed ingredients and lack of nutritional value)? Portion control. Apparently, I didn’t get the memo that consumption of an entire box of vanilla SnackWell sandwich cookies was bad. They were good for me, right?! Same with an entire bag of potato chips that were made with olestra. They tasted just the same! How could something that makes me poop my guts out be bad for me? It just comes straight out! (Yes, I just talked about my bowel movements. Get over it.)

Sometime in high school, I discovered low fat Pop-Tarts. The strawberry ones quickly became my favorite. I would bend off the edges of them, then try to slide apart the 2 sides to eat one artificial-jelly-covered side at a time. Not only were they tasty, I could get 2 entire Pop-Tarts per package! Do you know how many bites that is? A lot!

In my junior and senior year of high school, I had another Pop-Tart discovery: cinnamon and brown sugar. These ridiculously not-good-for-you things were sold in the school cafeteria, alongside another new favorite, the Lil’ Debbie Nutty Buddy Bars (which also came 2-to-a-package!). Being limited to purchasing these sugary delights during school hours held me and my Pop-Tart obsession at bay for a little while, but when I got to college and realized they sold them in the little campus convenience store right outside my dorm it was all over. I believe my freshman year of college should be dedicated to cinnamon brown sugar Pop-Tarts, Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream, and KFC potato wedges. No wonder I gained the freshman 50.

You know how certain scents bring back strong memories? Today, I smelled something in the air that I could have sworn was cinnamon brown sugar Pop-Tarts. Despite not being hungry, my mouth watered and I immediately wanted to find the source so I could procure some.

Why are some of us conditioned in this way? It’s like a crazy Pavlov’s dogs reaction. I don’t want those things in my body – I don’t eat sugar or flour – can you imagine how those would make me feel!?

Do you have any food reactions like this? Share below so I feel like less of a freak!

  • http://runaroundsara.blogspot.com Sara @ Run Around Sara

    Well, this may seem weird, but if I smell or, heck, even think about pickles, my mouth waters. I’m a huge pickle fan though, seriously….I love pickles.

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      Ok, pickles is an odd one. Do you drink the juice too? (My bro in law does – drinks it out of the container, then leaves the pickles in there to shriver up LOL)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1524468124 Marjorie Williams

    That’s just how I ate the poptarts too.  I haven’t thought about those in years, but man, you made me crave one for a minute there! 

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      oh no, didn’t mean to make you crave one! Everyone thought I was weird for eating them like that. You and I would have been peas in a pod :)

  • Chetney woodburn

    If I smell popcorn, everyone run for cover! 

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      YES!

  • Myla

    So, it’s not even a smell.  If I’m driving by Krispy Kreme and the HOT light is on my brain immediately tells me I should just stop by.  I don’t even eat wheat anymore and that stupid light still makes me want a donut (or 4).

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      oh wow, that’s a major response to a signal! I drive past one every day going to work, but for some reason it doesn’t draw me in. The smell, on the other hand, is lethal.

  • tammy_bright

    You know how everyone is talking about how healthy pumpkin is for you?  No lie, I saw Pumpkin Spice Pop-Tarts at Walmart today!!! They were next to some kind of chocolate ones with Halloween sprinkles, so I think they are a limited edition.  I love Pop-Tarts, but I haven’t had any in ages.  I was a little curious as to what a pumpkin one would taste like, though!

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      Those sound like one of those things that sounds good in theory, but never lives up to expectations. Now, if you dunked it in coffee…

  • http://twitter.com/LyssaCurran Alyssa Curran

    Movie theatre popcorn. The smell does me in every time..

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      yes x 1000. But seriously, what the heck is the yellow oily stuff they put on it? Butter flavoring? Chemical overload!

  • http://onehealthychange.blogspot.com/ mary lynne

    Oh, I loved brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts growing up. I so want to go get some now, and Ben & Jerry’s! Not going to do it though.

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      ack, no! Don’t go get some! :) Chocolate chip cookies are a lovely smell though, I agree.

  • http://www.tryingtotri.com Kris

    Cinnamon buns! The smell of fresh baked cinnamon buns can get me craving like little else. I’ve given up gluten, and rarely eat sugar, so I know they would make me feel awful, but oh, could I eat them. :)

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      yummo… but yes, they would make you feel awful. I don’t eat gluten or sugar either – one cinnamon bun would knock my body all out of whack. I can’t smell the cinnamon bun candles either – too stomach churning!

  • Mizfit

    FRESH BAGELS.

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      my first job was in a bagel shop, so I completely understand this one

  • http://twitter.com/retta Retta

    Movie popcorn. I love the smell of that stuff

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      YES. Last time I went to the movies, the people I was with ordered the most massive bucket of popcorn ever and kept passing it over me. I was raging after the movie! I wanted the popcorn!

  • Anonymous

    We were just looking at Pop Tarts the other night!  I was DYING for some since I haven’t had them in years but at 400 calories for one *packet* (which most assume is a serving but 2 tarts are 2 servings) they just weren’t worth it.  If I could get them separately I’d a get a cherry one and a brown sugar cinnamon.  Drool.

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      they’re so not worth it…. just run away!

      • Chetney woodburn

         OMG 400 CALORIES!!! No wonder I don’t eat those anymore! I knew there was a reason LOL!

  • Meg

    I’ve also cut out flour and sugar (as well as rice, pasta, beans, potatoes, etc.) , and it’s been months, so I normally don’t really crave much along those lines.
    But so help me god if I smell French fries.  I know they’d make me feel terrible.  And honestly, I don’t even think they’d taste as good as I momentarily think they would.  The smell, however, totally makes me drool.

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      I swear it’s something about the starch and the oil. Gets me everytime.

  • Liz

    Ahhh yes.. this reminds me of when the girls at my old office and I being newly converted Atkins junkies discovered sugar free russell stovers chocolates and ate them by the handful.  Did I mention there were only 2 bathrooms in said office among many converts……?

    It was bad.  Very bad

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      ewwwww

  • Dyfedgirl

    I must be the only person in the world who has never had a pop-tart:-)

    Freshly baked bread or french stick really gets to me (still warm with butter) or the smell from a fish & chip shop. The funny thing is that I can always resist them now, (but couldn’t when I was 340lbs) and all the other foods that bring back memories of eating, not that anyone would say you can’t have that or give me a strange look now if I did eat them (lost 105lbs), but I have my own food monitor now in my head. The voice is louder on some days than others, but i think that is the measure of someone who is taking charge of their food issues.

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      congrats on the 105 pounds lost!!
      one day I will go across the pond and have some fish and chips – yum.

  • http://www.tudor-rosy.blogspot.com Tudor Rose

    My grandma made this chicken noodle soup when my mom was growing up and then my mom made it for us. It’s really super easy, one of those semi-homemade kind of deals using Lipton’s noodle soup but it was sooooo good  and every once in a while I’ll get a whiff of something that smells JUST LIKE IT and want it. I even put a comment on Twitter once about smelling it and my sister responded with how she agrees it has a very distinctive yummy smell that she recognizes, too.

    Problem is, I’m a vegetarian now so chicken noodle soup is kinda out of the question :(

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      I suppose veggie noodle soup doesn’t have the same scent, huh :)  

  • http://twitter.com/stardust462 Elizabeth O’Malley

    I eat poptarts the same way! I very rarely eat them now, even though I buy them every week as part of my office’s Monday morning breakfast.

    French fries give me a reaction like that. It is so hard to resist them. So. Hard. But, I decided a month or so ago to stop eating fries. I’ve had them twice since them, but it’s a LOT less than I used to. I even got served fries accidentally at a restaurant when I had asked for a salad as my side. They brought me the salad, but left the fries (makes sense). I didn’t eat ANY of them and I was so proud of myself.

    Seeing Coke and Dr. Pepper at stores gives me a similar reaction. I majorly cut out soda about three or four years ago and now I have it once a month. I can’t drink diet because the artificial sweeteners give me headaches.

    I just found your blog today and I’m very excited to check out your old posts and read your future ones. Great job so far!

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      I agree with french fries, but only McDonald’s french fries for some reason. *drool*
      Thanks for stopping by!

  • http://fatcookieblogs.wordpress.com cookie

    Not freaky at all. You said it – it’s like Pavlov’s dogs, nothing crazy about it. Although people would like to stand above it, they usually don’t. It takes a lot of willpower to resist that urge. I don’t have enought to be honest :D .

  • Beth’s Journey

    Oh this TOTALLY happens to me all the time. One of the worst is Aunt Annie’s pretzels – any time I smell it it’s like I HAVE to have it right then and there! Love those things…

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      reason number 224 that I avoid the mall – the smell of Auntie Annie pretzels!!!

  • LHA

    The smell of anything sweet baking is irresistible…almost!  The combination of sugar and flour in baked goods is definitely more tempting to me than candy or plain bread.  Add in some chocolate and wow….what a sweet smell.  Think brownies.  That smell will make my mouth water any time!

  • MarcieT

    Movie theater popcorn, fresh bagels and brownies are all the smells that make me salivate. I only have to see Coca Cola to want some…

  • Tamsin North

    The cinnamon roll smell they pump at you as soon as you walk through the door at Ikea! But we never buy them, because my husband makes The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever, and nothing else quite compares :)

    • http://www.skinnyemmie.com Emily Sandford

      so funny you say that because I’m going to Ikea tomorrow! I’ve never noticed the smell, but now of course I will!

Previous post:

Next post:

Copyright Skinny Emmie © 2013

Disclaimer