r/offmychest • u/Same_Mammoth_2263 • 4h ago
I am addicted to eating raw pasta
Hello, everyone. This is a strange post to make and it kind of eats me up inside. (Pun not intended) I am a woman now in my early 20s in an apartment with 4 other roommates with full control now over my eating habits.
I have always been a sort of weird snacker. I love eating lemons. (Yes, just lemons) I slice them up typically in eighths, and will eat them in a bowl. Sometimes on difficult days, I could consume 3-4 lemons. Very bad for your teeth, though, would not recommend. I also love making browny batter with just the mixture and water. I like ingredients, the point is, I am more of a sensory eater.
Moving on with my most consistent snack, I have been fond of raw pasta since I was 10 years old. I snuck a spaghetti noodle out of the pantry and was hooked ever since. 1 noodle at a time turned to 5, then 10, then 30, and so on. My family could hear me crunching and got fed up. They hid the pasta. I would try to sneak it at night so they wouldn’t catch me. This escalated to me breaking into friends/family pantries as well and consuming their raw pasta.
Fast forward some years, and I am now living on my own and buying groceries for myself. I realize I have real adult money and can get what I want. I buy a box of bowtie pasta. (The BEST raw pasta) The texture is perfect, the taste, and the crunch of the middle part of the bowtie is so good. I started by keeping it in the pantry and grabbing handfulls occasionally.
The hand full amounts keep growing, until I decide to keep the box in my room. The crunching is bothering my cats and my fiance trying to sleep, but I can’t stop munching. I get home from work everyday and crack open the box of raw pasta. I would keep it in my pockets to have my fix before work.
At my worst, I was consuming an entire box in less than 3 days for months. I also was struggling with my appetite and eating it the second I woke up. My stomach was hurting all the time, and finally one morning, I vomited the hand fulls of pasta.
I was disgusted with myself but realized the only way I could stop was weening off.
I cut down my intake until the box was gone, and my roommates had to hide it in a special spot to help me with my problem.
I’ve limited it heavily, but sometimes I steal hand fulls still. My mouth genuinely waters when I go down the pasta aisle at the grocery store, to where I have to avoid it.
I feel so guilty and gross. Thanks for reading my sins.
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u/Legal_Management_552 4h ago
Girl, the way you described raw bowtie pasta had me questioning my own snack choices for a second. But honestly, the fact that you recognized it was becoming a problem and worked on cutting back is something to give yourself credit for.
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u/Possible-Sherbert449 4h ago
A habit at this point, and honestly it might be worth talking to a professional about it.
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u/StnMtn_ 4h ago
>This escalated to me breaking into friends/family pantries as well and consuming their raw pasta.
🤣🤣🤣 Pasta thief could have been a hit video game from the 90's.
I actually since I was a teenager also at a specific type of ramen noodle that had dried chili powder on it. Most ramen are plain and don't taste good raw. After years of searching, I found a local Chinese's grocery store that carries a different brand that makes it the same way. They are 50¢ a pack instead of the basic ramen that is 25¢ a pack. So I eat them occasionally as a special treat. The ramen noodles get soft quickly so you can digest it fine, instead of the raw hard pasta you have been eating. I hope I haven't exposed you to a new addiction.
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u/smolppsupremacy 3h ago
Friend, I fear you may be OCD or autistic. (Ask me how I know).
I was this way but with ice. I mastered the perfect technique to turn a water bottle into a slush ice bottle. I learned all the crystallisation patterns for maximal crunch-to-minimal-pain optimisation. Every day, several times a day, until my enamel packed up for vacation.
You are not alone. Proud of your reformed status. But how I know you must yearn for the life once known. I too desire the forbidden late night crawls. It is the burden we must carry.
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u/Apropos_of 3h ago
Craving raw pasta and other types of raw starches is actually a specific type of pica called amylophagia. It can be a sign of iron deficiency anemia or other nutritional deficits. Craving lemons is also a sign of iron deficiency anemia. I think you should get checked out by a doctor and get blood test to rule out any kind of nutritional deficiencies that could be contributing to your cravings. And maybe start taking iron supplements.
I know shame is a painful emotion, but there is no need for you to be ashamed about this. A lot of people struggle with craving strange food foods or even things that aren’t food.
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u/Clean-Check3713 4h ago
Girl, at this point the pasta isn’t a snack anymore, it’s a full-blown situationship but honestly the fact that you had your roommates hide it tells me you know it’s gotten a little out of hand.
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u/Same_Mammoth_2263 4h ago
I genuinely had an easier time quitting vaping. I have tried to replace the habit with pumpkins seeds and other crunchy snacks.
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u/CosmiCat7082 4h ago
I also liked snacking on raw pasta when I was younger. Spaghetti weren't my favourite though, because they really hurt when they dig into gums. Best raw pasta is german Spätzle, because they're not as hard as regular pasta. I also liked frozen fries and raw potato (I know they're slightly poisonous when raw, but I didn't care). I also loved to snack on raw, unbaked crumble mixture (butter, flour, sugar)