What is a sensible amount of crisps, chocolate and biscuits to be eating?

[PuzzledObserver]

How much is a reasonable amount of chocolate and biscuits to eat - per day or per week?

And how much is too much?

This is for a man in his 60’s with high blood pressure who is obese

Could you explain how I was rude and snide?!?!

I do understand what you're saying but you're comparing two different things.

Nobody needs alcohol or nicotine to stay alive, but everyone needs to eat. You can do it all right and stop buying crisps and banning chocolate from the house but realistically none of us live lives where we're never around those things. If you need to quit alcohol, you can avoid it. If you need to quit cigarettes, you can avoid them. You can't avoid food.

Oh, my comments are ridiculous. Ok. Thanks, I see I’ve wandered into a foreign land and will exit pronto.

You accused me of "attributing someone else's words" to you when I didn't do any such thing. You still haven't apologised for it either - instead you're trying to make out that you're the victim.

Have you come across Dr Jen Unwin? I found her perspective on food addiction very relatable, particularly the phrase “one is too many and a thousand is never enough”

It’s all or nothing for me - and trying to restrict myself to a reasonable amount has never worked.

She and her husband both avoid carbs, but he can indulge a little and then go back to keto whereas a little indulgence for her can set her back months. For some people there is a reasonable amount, for others there isn’t.

If that's on top of actual meals, its about an extra 7,000 to 11,000 calories per week on "treats".

Is he gaining weight? Those extra calories can lead to a weight gain of .5kg to 1kg per week.

Myfitnesspal is great for putting in what you are eating and seeing exactly what you are consuming. Portion sizes can be shocking. And if it's processed, it's so easy to scan the barcode and record it.

You might have 2,000 calories a day as a target. So you can eat 2 family sized bags of crisps....or 3 square meals.

none for some obese with high blood pressure. Or once a week as a treat

Is he aiming to lose weight, you dont say this specifically

If os, its about CICO and while you can eat crisps and biscuits while doing so, they're just going to make you hungry which means its difficult to stick to your calorie requirements

if he wants to cut down on sugar/carbs/fat rather than weight loss per se well thats a different thing and ideally you would cut them out/down very much.

Whats his goal

Away from all this "none would be ideal" commentary... if it was part of an otherwise healthy diet, I wouldn't blink an eye at 6 biscuits a week (2 every couple of days), maybe two packets of crisps a week with lunch, and one smallish bar of chocolate.

I'd say ideally none, but I always think (and I think the same for picky eaters) that if you're going to eat x, try at least to eat the least bad version of that you can.

So in this case, higher quality ready salted crisps, or maybe veg crisps, and dark chocolate without emulsifiers (eg Montezuma, some other brands of 70% chocolate).

Yes, this is a really good philosophy - baked crisps are a 'least bad' crisp option that OP could consider, or 'puffed' corn snacks such as Skips, Monster Munch etc. depending what her friend/relative prefers - all lower in fat and calories than standard fried potato crisps.

Dark chocolate, as you say, and less fatty biscuits such as Rich Tea or Malted Milk.

No one is claiming these are the best things to eat, only that they are not the worst.

Damage limitation is better than an unsustainable 'cold turkey' approach which will fail and lead to the person sooner or later giving up altogether.

I gave up wine; now I'm addicted to sugar. Am definitely going to have to keep it out of the house. Sugar cravings are insane.

I have a small bar of chocolate everyday like a freddo or kitkat that sort of size. Then crisps we don't have in the house as I have no self control. Biscuits we get a pack like every couple of months, again because I lack self control

If you don't understand how this:

Tell him to forget about crisps. Pretend they don’t exist. Nobody needs crisps. Biscuits?
actually I can’t answer this thread, I don’t eat crisps or biscuits other than occasionally, like Christmas time.
why not forget about them entirely?! They aren’t actually food, after all. I’m Aware this answer will be greeted with incredulity.. but, it’s what I’d say to my dad if he was snacking in this way.
focus on real food and stop eating like a kid at a tuck shop.

Followed by this (when someone mentioned food addiction):

He’s addicted to crisps and biscuits, I see. Is there an AA type organisation that could help him with a 12 step programme type thing, perhaps.

Followed by this:

You re attributing somebody else’s words to me and ignoring the fact that I said I’m not the right person to answer this question. Perhaps you are offended and you need to fight for the rights of food addicts here.
I don’t feel you’ve been at all understanding or empathic to me. I guess I’m not deserving of empathy, due to eating differently from the addicts.

is rude and snide (and blatantly untrue, since we could see the words you wrote), then I suspect you struggle either with context or normal social relationships.

And again, if you're not the right person to answer the question, what's your purpose on the thread?

Please stop derailing the thread.

There’s no point to it.

id like us to support the op.

Yes, this is a really good philosophy - baked crisps are a 'least bad' crisp option that OP could consider, or 'puffed' corn snacks such as Skips, Monster Munch etc. depending what her friend/relative prefers - all lower in fat and calories than standard fried potato crisps

But most of these things are UPF rubbish so he'd be better off eating a small pack of plain crisps. Perhaps buy a single multipack of ready salted and 100 g of dark chocolate and that's his junk ration for the week.

When it's gone its gone. Perhaps also take away his Deliveroo privileges and ask the local convenience store to put a sign up saying 'do not sell this man junk food' just to be sure.

Less than what he's eating now and if he concentrates on improving the rest of his diet, ie mainly protein and veg heavy unprocessed food, he should lose weight and become healthier. Once he gets used to that, perhaps try to cut down more? Alternate the crisps and chocolate so he only has each one every other week?

I think it’s okay to call someone out for posting blatant lies and trying to frame other posters tbh.

I dont know who these people are that never eat crisps or biscuits or chocolate. Most people I know do, fairly regularly, weekly.

It’s an MN thing.

Yes once. But not to continue arguing with each other. Thats pointless.

I dont eat crisps, just not a fan but I do have 1 biscuit every evening with a cup of tea, the rest of my diet is purely wholefoods, its not just about reducing crisps and biscuits on its own, the rest of the diet and exercise need to be considered.

Seriously none. No nutritional value whatsoever.

No one needs crisps, chocolates, or biscuits, least of all an aging man with obesity related complications. However, an appropriate amount is whatever he feels is appropriate for him. There will be natural consequences of course.

I think it’s pointless saying none
Op husband is still in denial.

i guess he’s sort of done step 1 asking for help. But he doesn’t seem to recognise the volume he’s having.

I am a sugar addict and i knew I couldn’t ban it otherwise I’d think about it all the time. Instead I increased protein and tried healthier snacks. But still had biscuits or chocolate but opted for simpler versions like rich tea or ginger biscuits. An iced bun is around 10g of sugar v a Mars bar with 31g of sugar. I still got my sugar hit but a better choice.
Or mini bag of eg fruit oat biscuits at 6g per pack.

I found daily limits helpful. I told my dietitian that I hadnt eaten crisps in 6 months and she said to choose lower salt crisps and it’s fine as a treat. I enjoyed that first bag greatly. I avoid family packs though.

I don't eat any of these things because I'm a saint :) (Actually, I'm low carbing, and not a fan of chocolate anyway). DH gets through one 6-pack of Wotsits a week, plus (his estimate) about 3 small chocolate bars, and a packet of chocolate biscuits has lasted him 3 weeks so far. He's also in his 60s and medicated for high blood pressure.

When not trying to lose weight, I have a 6-pack of Quavers every other week or so, and that's about it.