Suggestions for chewing gum substitutes

vccv17
vccv17 Posts: 3
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
I will often eat when I'm not hungry just for the feeling of chewing. I'm strange. I know :) I've been looking for some choices to occupy my mouth while my stomach remains unstuffed. I can't chew gum. I forget it's not food and end up swallowing it. I'm not looking for things like 'take a walk' or 'busy your hands'. Rather, I'm in need of suggestions for actual 'things to chew'.

Replies

  • yeabby
    yeabby Posts: 643 Member
    Veggie sticks, carrot, celery, zucchini, cucumber.....all very low calories and filling.
  • Sj20fame
    Sj20fame Posts: 205 Member
    Chew on Celery? I notice when I eat celery the little fibers from the vegetable sometimes take a while to chew down....It's healthy so even though your not hungry your not chewing on something that shouldn't be swallowed(gum) or something that is high in calories...
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    Honestly, I think it's just a habit you should break. Mindless chewing can lead to mindless eating. Get your brain used to not making you THINK you need to chew something!

    Side note: I was feeling a little sugar craving between meals today. So, I just sipped on a cup of mint tea with a little sweetener; totally made me feel full and not want to eat anything. Maybe sipping tea could help?
  • photorific
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
    Sunflower seeds?
  • moushtie
    moushtie Posts: 371 Member
    I have a partner with a chewing habit.. he ends up chewing plastic bottle tops. Trust me, you don't swallow one of those...
  • SamiSamiBoBlammy
    SamiSamiBoBlammy Posts: 868 Member
    But in all honesty, just try to remember what's in your mouth.

    In fact, that's solid advice for daily living!

    ^^ totally
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    If you can't chew gum without forgetting you can't swallow it, I would really try to break the habit of chewing on things all the time.
  • eryn415
    eryn415 Posts: 98 Member
    Chewing gum is the only thing that stops me from munching at work. I'm chewing gum right now! What's the harm in chewing gum? My understanding is that it digests like anything else.

    What about brushing your teeth to avoid snacking?
  • Margaret0626
    Margaret0626 Posts: 11
    Maybe eat a plum and then keep the pit in your mouth and "chew" on that...but again, don't forget that's in your mouth and swallow it... that would probably not be good!
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    Tobacco?
    (kidding)

    How about that really really tough beef jerky, the kind that's the consistency of old leather? You could chew on a hunk of that stuff all day long but it still wouldn't hurt you to swallow it.

    I have always been partial to pencils, myself. I'm sure they're high in fiber. (sadly, that is not a joke, I really do chew pencils, but at least they're too long to swallow)
  • bjalter
    bjalter Posts: 43
    I guy I used to work for chewed those red plastic coffee stirring straws all day long. He must have decimated dozens of them every day.
  • dancingphoenix
    dancingphoenix Posts: 23
    I have a partner with a chewing habit.. he ends up chewing plastic bottle tops. Trust me, you don't swallow one of those...

    This one is good... I used to chew on stuff like this when I was a teen... My favorite thing to chew was a drink straw...I would walk around with the straw sticking out of my mouth and eventually chew the entire straw up into a little shriveled piece of plastic barely resembling a straw. It just was a way to ease nerves... many people don't understand how theraputic chewing seems to be. I eventually grew out of it... I never thought of it as a weightloss tool or a craving preventer before, but I was quite thin when I was a teen... :)
  • vccv17
    vccv17 Posts: 3
    I actually tried that for a while. However, when I found out it's 200 cals per 1/4 cup, that was the end of that!
  • vccv17
    vccv17 Posts: 3

    . many people don't understand how theraputic chewing seems to be.

    Thank you! THIS is what I meant. I have no desire to eat. I'm not hungry. It's not 'mindless chewing' or being unaware of what goes in my mouth. I actually NEED the act of chewing. I may try the straw thing. I appreciate the suggestion.
  • lasennaarynden
    lasennaarynden Posts: 1
    I have the same problem except I cannot STAND chewing gum, because it makes me feel frustrated. When I chew I have to feel like I'm getting somewhere and chewing gum doesn't allow that. What I used to chew on are those thick little red plastic spreaders that come in Handi-Snack packs. I would chew on the end of those until the ends would start to fan out. Many times I just kept some spares on hand for chewing later. The only reason I ended up stopping was because the dentist told me I needed to stop because I was wearing down my molars too much.
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