Your brain on biscuits: What happens in your head when you’re hangry
“Feed me! Feed me now!” Does your brain shout at you, like Audrey II?
Introduction
You know that moment when you feel slightly furious, indecisive, suddenly irrationally emotional and feeling the need for a sugary snack? That, lovely reader, is hanger. Just like Audrey II in the dark musical comedy ‘Little Shop of Horrors’, your brain can also become very direct in its desire for food, though slightly more real than a bloodthirsty alien plant!
We can joke about it, but behind the scenes, your body is staging a full-blown protest because your blood sugar has dropped; your brain is NOT. HAVING. IT.
What is hanger, really?
Hanger (hunger + anger) is your body’s biochemical SOS. When your blood sugar dips too low, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to help correct the imbalance. The result? You become edgy, irritable, foggy-headed, and sometimes suspiciously close to tears or a dramatic scene over a biscuit.
The brain uses 20% of your body’s energy and relies on glucose as a primary source of fuel. So when that fuel runs low, your usually rational brain can be temporarily hijacked by a greedy, manipulative alien.
Think of it as a biscuit-shaped loop: Sweet, tempting, and just as likely as Audrey to trap you, unless you break the cycle
Why do we reach for biscuits or other sugary snacks when hanger hits? Because your brain wants fast fuel and sugar provides exactly that. But the spike in energy is short-lived. What follows is often a crash, more cravings, and a trip on an emotional blood sugar rollercoaster.
Cue the vicious cycle:
You skip a meal or snack, or start the day with an unbalanced breakfast.
Blood sugar dips.
You get hangry.
You eat something sugary.
Blood sugar spikes, then crashes.
Repeat.
How to outsmart the hangry alien inside you
The good news is, with a little planning and awareness, you can get ahead of it:
Balance your meals: Include protein, healthy fats and fibre at each meal. This slows the release of sugars into your bloodstream and keeps you fuller for longer.
Don’t skip meals: Especially breakfast. Start with fuel that will help to keep you emotionally steady.
If you need to snack, do it cleverly: A boiled egg, hummus and oatcakes, or a few nuts and berries are far better mood-maintainers than a custard cream.
If you struggle to plan and create easy meals, get in touch; I create anything from quick, interesting, Audrey-busting snack ideas to full 7 day meal plans and beyond, as needed.
Hanger isn’t always just about food
If you're regularly hangry and craving certain foods, it could be a sign that your blood sugar isn’t being supported properly or that other imbalances in your body are impacting that, and your decision-making. At Kirsty Hale Nutrition, that’s the therapy bit; helping you identify and gently correct those imbalances, so you can feel like yourself again (not the biscuit-loving, sharp-toothed alien version).
Final thoughts
You’re not a failure because you snapped at your family or colleagues. Your brain, brilliant as it is, doesn’t operate well on empty.
So feed it. Kindly. Before you go full Audrey II and start plotting world domination, one snack at a time.