People Who Buy Produce Every Week Just For It To Go Bad Before They Eat It Almost Always Have 11 Distinct Personality Traits
wavebreakmedia | Shutterstock We all tend to have nothing but good intentions when making that weekly trip to the grocery store to stock up on the produce and food items that we need. Some people make a list right before heading in so they don't end up buying more than they need, while others stock up on spinach, berries, bell peppers, and maybe even something ambitiously healthy, like eggplant or zucchini. Usually, people have a plan on how they're going to incorporate their bought produce into the meals they make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Yet, once they get home and put all of that produce away, life happens, and eventually, all those healthy choices spoil before they can even get to them.
Despite knowing it happens almost every time they shop, each time they go back to the grocery store, they still buy the same produce. Considering that an estimated one in seven households experience food insecurity or struggle to access affordable, nutritious meals, throwing food away never feels good. Still, people who fall into this cycle week after week tend to share certain personality traits. The way we shop for food says more about how we see ourselves and who we hope to be than we like to admit.
People who buy produce every week just for it to go bad before they eat it almost always have these 11 distinct personality traits:
1. They're deeply optimistic
Perfect Wave | Shutterstock
Each trip to the grocery store can feel like a fresh start for these individuals. They genuinely believe that this is the week where they'll be the kind of person who actually cuts up the cucumber they buy to snack on it rather than watching it go bad. They walk into the grocery store thinking about what's possible for the meals that they're going to make and eat this week.
"People with an optimistic outlook are better equipped to handle life's challenges, as they tend to view setbacks as temporary and solvable rather than catastrophic," pointed out psychologist Jessica Koehler, Ph.D.
Their optimism is what makes them believe that things will be different. They genuinely have trust in their future self as well. They assume that future them will be motivated enough to wash the grapes as a snack and put some spinach in their omelette to start their day off right. It doesn't feel super unrealistic in the moment. Instead, it feels a bit hopeful.
2. They aspire to be healthier
PeopleImages | Shutterstock
Each trip to the store feels like an opportunity to align their habits with the person they actually want to be. They're not just grabbing lettuce because of how much they love it. According to the Pew Research Center, about half of Americans (49%) say they are extremely or very confident that they know which foods are healthy for them. They're grabbing the produce that'll be good for them because it represents the fact that they're trying to take care of their body. In that moment, they're choosing to be a bit more intentional rather than being impulsive and buying something that isn't good for them.
They're the type to notice when they've ordered too much UberEats that one week, or when they didn't do a single exercise after work and remained sedentary for too long. They try to hold themselves accountable, which makes it even worse when the food they're buying goes bad before they get a chance to put those habits into effect. Wanting to be healthier and being able to support yourself doing it are two different things. Life can get overwhelming, and before they know it, they're tossing out unused fruits and veggies.
3. They're constantly overbooked
PeopleImages | Shutterstock
Even though their calendar looks intense week after week, in their head, it all feels manageable. At least when they're grocery shopping, it does. They picture all of the productive time they'll have in the kitchen and all of the wholesome dinners they'll make from the veggies that they're putting in their cart. But their days rarely have any blank space.
"Chronic busyness can lead you to schedule yourself in a way where you have no room for yourself. The problem is, the longer a person continues in this auto-piloted state, it actually increases their suffering because the person, in constant motion, has little time to think about the real pain and to wonder why am I really so busy," explained psychoanalyst Kristen Beesley, Ph.D.
There's work, and then there's the errands they might have to run after work, before they have to come home and handle more responsibilities that take them away from being able to actually cook. Cooking fresh produce becomes impossible. It ends up feeling like another thing that's being added to their already pretty long to-do list. When you're already stretched so thin, food going bad in the fridge is just another consequence of that.
4. They're emotionally idealistic
Roman Samborskyi | Shutterstock
When these individuals are buying produce, they're picturing finally being able to have control of their lives. They see themselves washing fruit and chopping it up as a snack, or finally making zucchini pasta for dinner with the recipe that's been pinned on their Pinterest for months. They're the type of people who tend to attach an emotion to their regular routines. Certified Gottman therapist Kim Lampson, Ph.D., explained that when expectations are often too high or too unrealistic, there's often a big gap between the expectations and reality.
The problem ends up being that the idea in their head doesn't quite match up to real life. They don't take into consideration how much energy they might actually have after a stressful day, and the lack of motivation they'll feel to even open their fridge, much less cook with their produce. Instead of feeling inspired, they now feel overstimulated.
5. They struggle with decision fatigue
New Africa | Shutterstock
They may start off going to the grocery store with good intentions, but by the time they reach the produce aisle, their brain starts to become quite exhausted. They've spent so much of their day having to make constant choices, whether it's at work or in their personal lives. Each decision chips away at their mental capacity to make more.
Buying fresh fruits and veggies feels like a smart choice, but following through on that is usually where these individuals start to waver. Suddenly, they're depending on meals that are more convenient rather than using the produce they've just bought. The cycle eventually continues week-after-week, no matter how much they try to kick the habit.
6. They unable to get started and stay motivated
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock
These individuals may buy a whole bunch of fresh produce, imagining a week of balanced meals. But, actually putting that plan into action feels like quite the journey. It's not that they don't want to eat well or use their ingredients; it's just that they need that motivation to get going.
Until that shows up, the vegetables just sit in their fridge until it's eventually time to throw them away because they've gone bad. All of that overthinking ends up getting in the way. They want everything to be right before they begin, and that can make starting feel like a project rather than a simple task.
7. They're mild perfectionists
Gorodenkoff | Shutterstock
They want their meals to look and taste a certain way, which often starts by buying fresh and high-quality produce. Even when they have nothing but good intentions, the fear of possibly cooking it wrong or the meal not turning out the greatest influences whether they actually use the produce they've bought.
They care deeply about things being perfect, even when that is almost always impossible. This trait ends up unintentionally contributing to their food going bad before they even get the chance to use it.
8. They're impulse buyers
maxbelchenko | Shutterstock
No matter how much motivation they have when entering the grocery store, these individuals are usually approaching it with a mix of planning things out and a hint of spontaneity. An estimated 84% of all shoppers have made an impulse purchase at one point, whether it's groceries or something more elaborate, like a piece of jewelry.
Those that can't seem to use their produce before it spoils, though, might have a list in their hand, but somehow they're leaving with a few extra items that weren't on their list, like some new produce items that they've never tried before, but have convinced themselves they need to buy them. They imagine the meals they could make with everything, and the excitement of buying it sometimes outweighs their actual intentions of cooking the produce before it spoils.
9. They're mildly forgetful
Nicoleta Ionescu | Shutterstock
They might buy the fresh produce and feel excited about cooking it later, but somewhere between unloading the groceries into the fridge and going about their week, they forget it's in there in the first place. It's not that they're trying to be careless.
It's just that their brains are usually juggling so many things at once. The produce isn't forgotten on purpose; it just ends up falling off their radar. They might even open the fridge and glance at it, making a mental note to cook it later. But then they end up forgetting, and now the produce has to go straight into the trash.
10. They're self-aware
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock
Despite how often this might happen, where they're hunched over the trash, scraping mold out of a container of veggies they swore they were going to use, it's still something they can laugh about. They know that they often buy more than they can realistically eat. They don't try to deny it or pretend that it didn't happen. They can acknowledge the pattern in themselves without judgment.
A 2023 study found that self-awareness helps prevent feeling stressed out from life and from becoming depressed or feeling too anxious. These individuals understand that their actions are not inherently flawed. Even if the results are perfect, they're trying to make adjustments so that they no longer have to keep throwing out produce.
11. They're financially hopeful
Geber86 | Shutterstock
These individuals believe that buying fresh produce is the smart and responsible choice. Even when they know that some of it will eventually go bad. They see it as an investment in their health and the goals they may have.
They hope that buying more produce instead of prepackaged meals or ordering takeout means they'll end up saving money in the long run. Even when that produce ends up spoiling, the act itself still feels like a small step in the right direction of having better financial habits. Of course, there is still room for improvement, but their minds are still on the right track.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
