Food and Beverage
Why eating cheap chocolate can feel embarrassing – even though no one else cares
Cheap Chocolates: The concept of “consumption stigma” describes how societal judgments influence individuals’ everyday consumption choices, leading to feelings of embarrassment and anxiety. People may alter their behaviors to avoid stigma, sometimes opting for more expensive products. Reclaiming the narrative around consumption can help reduce stigma, fostering a more accepting marketplace.
Last Updated on March 10, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Siti Nuraisyah Suwanda, West Virginia University; Emily Tanner, West Virginia University, and M. Paula Fitzgerald, West Virginia University
It’s February, and you grab a box of cheap Valentine’s chocolate from the grocery store on your lunch break. Later, you’re eating it at your office desk when you realize someone else is watching. Suddenly, you feel a flicker of embarrassment. You hide the box away, make a joke or quietly wish they hadn’t noticed – not because the chocolate tastes bad, but because you don’t want to be judged for choosing it.
If the scenario above feels familiar, you’re not alone. Many people experience subtle embarrassment or self-consciousness about everyday consumption choices, from eating cheap Valentine’s chocolate to accepting free lunch from a school food program or having visible tattoos.
We are social marketing researchers who study stigma in marketing. In our research, we coined the term “consumption stigma” to describe how people can be judged or looked down on by others, or by themselves, simply for using certain products – even when there’s nothing objectively wrong with them.
Living with consumption stigma
When people feel judged for what they consume, or choose not to consume, the effects can be mentally exhausting. Feeling stigmatized can quietly erode self-esteem, increase anxiety and change how people behave in everyday settings. What starts as a small moment of embarrassment can grow into a persistent concern about being seen the “wrong” way.
In reviewing 50 studies about stigma in marketing, we found that people respond to consumption stigma along a continuum. Some try to avoid stigma altogether by hiding their consumption or staying away from certain products. Others adjust their behavior to reduce the risk of being judged. At the far end of the spectrum, some people actively push back, helping to destigmatize certain forms of consumption for themselves and for others.
The research we reviewed found that to avoid stigma, people may deliberately consume more expensive or socially approved alternatives, even when those choices strain their finances. Imagine someone who switches to a premium chocolate brand at the office, not because she prefers the taste, but because she wants to avoid feeling embarrassed.
Over time, this kind of adjustment could pull people into spending patterns that are beyond their means, feeding a cycle of consumption driven more by social pressure than genuine need or enjoyment. We suggest that the ramifications can be even more stark in other contexts – for example, when a child skips a free school lunch to avoid being teased, or when a veteran turns down mental health support because they fear being judged by others.
From a business perspective, when consumers avoid or abandon products to escape stigma, companies may see declining demand that has little to do with quality or value. We suggest that if consumption stigma spreads at scale, the cumulative effect can translate into lost revenue and weakened brand value.
Understanding consumption stigma, then, isn’t just about consumer well-being; it’s also critical for businesses trying to understand why people buy, hide or walk away from certain products.
Take back the narrative
Stigma often feels powerful because it masquerades as reality. But at its core, consumption stigma is a social judgment, a shared story people tell about what certain choices supposedly say about someone. When that story goes unchallenged, stigma sticks. When it’s questioned, its power starts to fade.
One way people reduce stigma is by reclaiming the narrative around their consumption. Instead of hiding, explaining or compensating, they openly own their choices. This shift from avoidance to acceptance can strip stigma of its force.
Imagine a shopper who embraces buying cheaper store brands at the grocery store, seeing it not as a compromise but as a sign of being savvy to pay less for the same thing. When people wear their choices like armor, whether it’s cheap chocolate, secondhand clothing or specialized physical or mental health services, those choices lose their sting. When a behavior is no longer treated as something shameful, it becomes harder for others to use it as a basis for judging or looking down on people.
Of course, stigma doesn’t disappear overnight. But research shows that when enough people stop treating a behavior as something to hide, the social meaning around it begins to change. What feels embarrassing in one moment can become normalized in the next. For example, research on fashion consumption has shown how wearing a veil, once widely stigmatized in urban and secular settings, gradually became seen as ordinary and even fashionable as more women openly adopted it.
Enjoying cheap chocolate shouldn’t require justification. Cold water tastes just as good out of an unbranded travel mug as it does from a Stanley tumbler. A generic sweatshirt keeps you just as cozy as Aritzia. And yet, many people feel the need to explain, deflect or upgrade their choices to avoid being judged. Understanding consumption stigma helps explain why and underscores that these feelings aren’t personal failures, but social constructions.
Sometimes, the most effective response isn’t to consume differently, but to think differently. When people stop treating everyday choices as moral signals, they make room for a more humane – and hopefully honest – marketplace.
Siti Nuraisyah Suwanda, Doctoral Student and Graduate Researcher in Marketing, West Virginia University; Emily Tanner, Associate Professor of Marketing, West Virginia University, and M. Paula Fitzgerald, Professor of Business Administration, West Virginia University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
recipes
Celebrate the Return of Fall with One-Pot Ratatouille Spaghetti
As the seasons change, you don’t have to overhaul all your meal plans immediately. Usher in the arrival of autumn with recipes like Ratatouille Spaghetti that blend fresh, summery produce with warm fall flavors.
Last Updated on November 13, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Celebrate the Return of Fall with One-Pot Ratatouille Spaghetti
(Feature Impact) As the seasons change, you don’t have to overhaul all your meal plans immediately. Usher in the arrival of autumn with recipes that blend fresh, summery produce with warm fall flavors.
This Ratatouille Spaghetti recipe is a perfect way to make the most of those last few harvests from the garden or trips to the farmer’s market. Create layers of rich flavor by taking your time with each vegetable – first browning the eggplant then softening the zucchini and tomatoes before adding flavorful aromatics like garlic and thyme to make the whole house smell delicious. The addition of chickpeas or cannellini beans boosts the protein and fiber in the meal, and you can use a high-protein or whole-grain pasta for even more nutrition.
The best part is, while this meal might taste gourmet, you can have it ready in less than an hour – and leave yourself with only one pot to wash afterwards. Even if it’s a school night, it only takes a few extra steps to make a spaghetti dinner feel a little fancier.
Discover more seasonal recipes at Culinary.net.
Ratatouille Spaghetti
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 large zucchini, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 can (12 ounces) chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup jarred tomato puree
- 12 ounces dried spaghetti
- 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- lemon juice, to taste
- In large Dutch oven or stovetop pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; cook 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and softened. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside. Wipe pot clean if remaining browned bits are starting to burn.
- Cut one zucchini into 1-inch pieces. In now-empty pot, heat remaining oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add zucchini pieces, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is browned and softened. Stir in garlic, thyme and red pepper; cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Stir in reserved eggplant and chickpeas or cannellini beans.
- Add water, tomato puree and remaining salt to pot then bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti, reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and cook about 8 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking, until spaghetti is almost al dente.
- Cut remaining zucchini into 1/2-inch pieces. Add zucchini pieces and bell pepper to spaghetti and cook 6-8 minutes, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring often, until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender. Stir in fresh tomatoes and basil; remove from heat.
- Divide evenly among six bowls. Finish with squeeze of lemon juice for extra brightness, to taste, and garnish with extra olive oil, basil and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
SOURCE:
recipes
Talking Texture: Identifying a Key Snacking Trend
Identifying a Key Snacking Trend: From the first crunch or snap to a soft, chewy finish, snacking goes beyond flavor. It’s a full-body sensory experience, and texture can play an important role in turning an everyday bite into something worth slowing down to enjoy like Buffalo Spiced Snack Mix or Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies.
Talking Texture: Identifying a Key Snacking Trend
(Feature Impact) From the first crunch or snap to a soft, chewy finish, snacking goes beyond flavor. It’s a full-body sensory experience, and texture can play an important role in turning an everyday bite into something worth slowing down to enjoy.
According to the 2026 State of Snacking Report – a collaboration between Mondelēz International, Mintel and Black Swan Data – snacks are evolving beyond simply filling the space between meals. People are increasingly interested in truly indulging in the moment, no matter the occasion, and the survey revealed texture is of growing importance in that experience, quickly becoming one of the most craveable qualities in snacking.
Texture opens a new world of surprise and delight, creating contrast and a multisensory experience that rewards attention and keeps each bite interesting. Consider these ways snackers are prioritizing texture in their indulgences.
Never Settling for Just One Texture
Today’s snackers want everything: health and indulgence, nostalgia and novelty, convenience and connection. Texture can help bring them all together in snacks like Buffalo Spiced Snack Mix, creating variety from bite to bite. Peanuts, pretzels and raisins can be part of your new go-to, getting a spicy makeover with Buffalo sauce in this quick and easy treat.
Taking Snack Time Beyond the Crunch
While crunch is a classic snacking sensation, it’s far from the only texture consumers seek. Among U.S. consumers who buy crackers, 38% said texture is an important attribute, ranking second to flavor (52%).
Colliding Textures Make Magic
When soft meets crunchy or creamy complements crispy, you can explore an entirely new level of snacking satisfaction. Among U.S. cookie consumers, 55% pointed to texture as the most important attribute when purchasing cookies, suggesting they’re choosing not just between flavors but rather looking for crispy, chewy, soft-baked options and beyond. You can bring the inspiration of colliding textures to your own kitchen with these Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies, which pair crispy cookies with chewy brownies and crunchy pretzels for a complex yet complementary combination.
Find more snacking trends and texture insights by visiting StateOfSnacking.com.
Buffalo Spiced Snack Mix
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 27 minutes
Servings: 18
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 package (8.1 ounces) RITZ Toasted Chips Original
- 1 cup lightly salted peanuts
- 1 cup miniature pretzel twists
- 1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup raisins
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Cover large, rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In large bowl, combine chips, peanuts and pretzels; set aside.
- In small bowl, mix wing sauce, honey and cumin until blended. Add to chips mixture; toss to evenly coat.
- Spread chips mixture onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally. Remove snack mix from oven; stir in raisins. Cool completely.
Butterscotch Pretzel Brownies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Servings: 24
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 12 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies, coarsely chopped, divided
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, divided
- 5 thin pretzel twists (2 1/4 inches), broken into 1-inch pieces
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- Line 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, extending ends of foil over sides; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine flour and baking powder.
- In large bowl, use mixer to beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Add six chopped cookies and 1/4 cup butterscotch chips; mix well.
- Spread batter evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.
- Top with pretzel pieces and remaining chopped cookies and butterscotch chips. Use back of spoon to partially press toppings into batter.
- Bake 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool completely.
- Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars to serve.
SOURCE:
Mondelez International
Food
Separating a Good Steak from a Great One: Understanding How Cut and Preparation Make a Difference
Even frequent steak diners may not know exactly what separates one cut from another. Preparation matters too, and understanding those differences can make it easier to choose the steak that best fits your taste.
Separating a Good Steak from a Great One: Understanding How Cut and Preparation Make a Difference
(Feature Impact) Even frequent steak diners may not know exactly what separates one cut from another. The cut is simply the section of beef the steak comes from, and it helps shape tenderness, marbling and flavor. Preparation matters too, and understanding those differences can make it easier to choose the steak that best fits your taste.
Watch this to find out more:
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“When you’re looking for a great steak, it’s really all about the details,” said chef Efrem Cutler, chief steak officer for Outback Steakhouse. “It starts with quality beef and our longstanding sourcing standards. We’ve built on what we already do well across our steak lineup, from center-cut sirloin to ribeye, with even more focus on hand-trimming, seasoning, preparation and training. When you bring all of that together, you get a steak that’s tender, juicy and packed with flavor.”
Still, many diners aren’t sure which cut is right for them. Just 41% of Americans said they’re confident in their knowledge of different steak cuts, according to Outback Steakhouse’s Modern Steakhouse Survey.
If you want big, bold flavor, Cutler recommends a ribeye. For something incredibly tender, opt for the filet mignon. For a balance of flavor and tenderness, try a New York strip.
“Understanding the differences between cuts can make ordering easier,” Cutler said. “We want guests to feel confident choosing the steak that fits their taste.”
With its Best Steaks Ever lineup of hand-selected, hand-trimmed, perfectly seasoned and expertly seared steaks, including the new Down Under Delmonico Ribeye and New York strip, alongside Victoria’s barrel-cut filet mignon, center-cut sirloin and Rockhampton ribeye, guests can find the cut and flavor profile they crave.
Visit outback.com/steak to learn more and find a location near you.
SOURCE:
Outback Steakhouse
