This Common Grocery Store Behavior Is "Embarrassing," According to the Internet

Seasoned grocery shoppers know hunger hits especially hard on a grocery run. 

You’re surrounded by delicious-looking goodies and the smell of fresh bakery items wafting through the air. Plus, if you hit the store at the dreaded 5 o’clock hour, you'll probably end up stuck in the checkout line longer than expected (at a time when lunch seems like a distant memory). Sometimes, it’s hard to resist the urge to grab a snack off the shelves and dig in.

But, before you do, listen to this: Last week, a popular TikToker and mom of four (@cecilybauchmann) posted a candid (and frankly, relatable) video of her going through the check-out line and paying for an item she’d eaten in the store, saying to the cashier, “I’m sorry–I was so hungry!”

We feel you, Cecily, but the internet, on the other hand, does not.

The video now has over 3.8 million views and over 3000 comments, with the top comment reading, “Not me because it isn't mine until I pay for it—in my head, it's considered stealing.” Yikes.

Some users are simply not relating to the grocery store struggle, commenting, “idc how hungry I am, I'd never do this.” Some brought up sanitary concerns, while others deemed it downright bad etiquette, calling her behavior “embarrassing.” It’s safe to say the video is sparking a heated debate.

Despite the creator getting dragged in the comments, she’s standing by her snacking, responding, “it’s all about the experience” and “I like to keep life interesting.”

Should You Eat Food in the Grocery Store?

After raising the question to our Allrecipes editorial team, we realized most of us are guilty of the alleged “offense.” Some of us have grown up on the practice, bribed by our parents with a box of animal crackers to be on our best behavior in the store. One editor shared she always checks to make sure she has a spare credit card on hand and a charged phone before ripping into a store snack, to ensure she'll be able to pay for it when she gets to the register. 

There are some other issues at hand. Things get more complicated if you go for fresh produce that needs to be weighed, or if you use a self-check-out line, which double checks the items you're scanning based on the weight of them as you add them to the bagging area that doubles as a scale. However, if you ask for assistance to make sure the item is fully accounted for on your bill, it shouldn't be a big issue. 

So, what’s our stance? Eating food in the store didn’t make our list of the 10 rudest things you can do in a grocery store, so in our book, it’s all well and good (that is, if you pay for the item in full at checkout).

All in all, if it makes your shopping experience happier, less stressful, and more productive, we say full snacking ahead. You and the grocery store will be better off for it.