Understanding Different Types of Hunger

There are countless reasons that we consume food. People usually say “hungry” when they mean being physically hungry for food, however there are many different types of hunger, and only one of them comes from the body’s need for energy in the form of calories. If you only allow yourself permission to eat when you are physically hungry, it is likely your relationship with food will be turbulent and guilt-ridden. 

In this post I outline six different types of hunger and discuss how they each play an important, healthy role in a normal and peaceful relationship with food. 

1. Physical Hunger

Physical hunger is the most basic kind of hunger. You might have been told it is the only “valid” kind. (We’re about to de-bunk that!) Physical hunger is the body letting you know that it needs energy in the form of food. 

Be on the lookout for biological signals like stomach growling, low energy or irritability. If you have been out of touch with your internal hunger cues, you may find it helpful to use the Hunger and Fullness Scale to start getting back in tune with how your body feels when is starting to get hungry (4), is very ready to eat (3), is ravenously hungry (2), or is nauseous/feels ill with extreme hunger. 

Takeaway: when you identify physical hunger, address it as soon as possible by having a meal or snack.

2. Taste Hunger

Taste hunger is desiring a particular food or flavor. You might also think of it as a craving. It often coincides with physical hunger, but it can exist on its own.

Taste hunger is one of the reasons it is important to remember the satisfaction element of food. You may be good at addressing physical hunger but unintentionally neglecting your taste hunger. Then you find yourself continuing to reach for other foods or snacks; you still have an itch that needs to be scratched. All types of hunger are important and must be considered if you’re to achieve true satisfaction from your meals.

Takeaway: when you identify a particular taste hunger, give yourself permission to meet that need. Lean into the different qualities, textures, flavors and scents of foods. Have the food item that you are specifically hungry for, then observe what happens in your body as you satisfy that desire.

3. Emotional Hunger

Emotional hunger is the need or desire for eating that is the result of a strong emotion or feeling you are experiencing. It is when we use food as a coping mechanism for addressing certain situations, circumstances or feelings. 

Emotional eating has a bad reputation, but truthfully it can be a normal part of a healthy relationship with food, as long as it is not the only coping mechanism in your toolbox. 

If you notice that you often have eating experiences and strong emotions simultaneously, it might be worth doing some journaling or tracking so you can get a sense of the pattern. Which emotions are triggers for you to want certain foods or to just want to eat? Common ones are stress, boredom/loneliness, sadness, guilt or shame.

Takeaway: if you notice that you don’t have many other ways to manage big feelings when they come up, spend some time brainstorming other activities that help you process or handle distressing feelings. Do you like to read, make art, walk, listen to music, do guided meditations, play video games, watch a favorite movie, or call a friend? Make a plan for something else you can try next time emotions are driving your eating. Remember, it’s OK that certain foods can be attached to handling emotions, we just want to make sure you have lots of options for coping and are managing your circumstances in a healthy and sustainable way.

4. Practical Hunger

Practical hunger is a need to eat based on convenience, availability or planning ahead. It means that you may be eating not necessarily because you are experiencing physical hunger, but because you know you need to eat now to satisfy a future physical need. It could be because eating now fits best into your schedule, is going to be your only opportunity for a while, or you’re heading into a physical endeavor that requires extra nourishment.

Whether you have an extra-busy schedule, are frequently traveling, or are an athlete that has to plan carefully for meals, practical hunger may factor in more significantly in your eating decisions than someone who is eating primarily based on hunger cues. The different types of hunger show up in different frequencies for each of us based on our unique bodies, lifestyles and needs.

Takeaway: It’s not wrong to eat in anticipation of a future need. It’s a smart way to care for your body. Take a look at your usual daily or weekly schedule and see if there are times you may need to plan ahead, eating for practical purposes even when you’re not super hungry.  

5. Environmental Hunger

Environmental hunger is influenced by your surroundings or situation. One form of this is the desire for food at a certain time of day or location simply because you usually eat at that time or place. If you always order a pastry at the coffee shop, then one day you go and plan to just have coffee, you may notice that you really desire a pastry, even though you had breakfast recently. Your environment is recalling memories and habits that factor into the desire for food. 

Sometimes environmental hunger contributes to taste hunger, like when food advertising gives you a craving or smelling something delicious in your surroundings makes you want to eat that food, even in the absence of physical hunger. All the types of hunger are interrelated; it’s so helpful to be well versed in all of them, and aware of what your body is communicating to you.

Takeaway: sometimes our environment provokes a desire to eat. It’s not wrong to eat based on an environmental cue! It is helpful to give attention to which factors contribute to your eating decisions, so you can make good decisions for your physical, mental, emotional and social health. In the coffee shop example, if you think ahead to your visit and know that this environment will likely trigger a desire for a pastry, you can intentionally leave some room when you eat breakfast that morning so you won’t feel uncomfortably stuffed after your delicious cinnamon roll.

6. Social Hunger

Social hunger is eating influenced by social situations. It could be a holiday party, being at a restaurant with friends, or a family gathering. When you think about munching at a party buffet, your brain might categorize that as mindless or unhealthy. But social eating is an important part of our culture. It can be a part of celebrating, commemorating important events, grieving, communicating, or connecting. 

An important thing to remember in social situations where there is a food component is: your plate is your business. I want you to feel that you can make your own eating decisions without pressure or influence from others. 

Takeaway: Sometimes eating happens naturally in social situations. If this causes you to feel guilt or shame about eating when you weren’t hungry, I invite you to give yourself compassion and begin to develop an “unconditional permission to eat” mindset. 

Conclusion

To recap: there are many, many types of hunger. They can all be reasons we choose to eat at any given time. You may eat as you deal with a tough emotional situation; you may eat when you are gathered with your extended family; you may eat to satisfy a craving for a certain kind of food; you may eat when you’re about to get on a plane and go without food options for an extended time. 

As you figure out the role that each kind of hunger plays in your everyday life, I encourage you to work on developing one of the most critical aspects of intuitive eating: unconditional permission to eat. 

Feeling guilty, shamed or wrong for eating will never be a productive or healthy part of eating. For more learning about what it looks like to quit dieting, check out this post I wrote on 9 Benefits of a Non-Diet Approach to Life. Or if you’re looking for one-on-one help in your nutrition journey, schedule a discovery call with me. I would love to connect with you.

Until next time,