Grocery shopping can be a tough and expensive affair these days, and some people feel the need to eat while shopping. Some people find it distasteful – others say it’s downright illegal. Some think it’s OK, others say it’s immoral.

We recently posed the question to our followers on Facebook and Instagram: “Is it tasteless to eat food while shopping?” They weren’t shy about commenting – here’s a snapshot of their heated views on the topic.

This is theft – period.

Many commenters, more than half, were of the firm belief that eating food while shopping is not only tasteless, but FORBIDDEN. Here are some examples from the moral high ground:

“You can’t eat it until AFTER you pay for it.”

“If it has to be weighed at the checkout, don’t eat it.

“I know people who ate from a jar of peanuts and then put it back on the shelf. That’s theft. They got caught too.”

“Just yesterday I observed a woman take grapes from a bag, tear them open, and then put them in a produce bag while she was eating them. She then went to the salad bar and filled a container while she was eating. The produce manager and security were chatting, so I brought it to her attention.”

It’s not theft … if it’s grapes

A surprisingly large number of commentators felt that eating food without paying for it was legally and morally questionable – grapes being an exception.

“I always eat a small grape to make sure they are seedless unless it says ‘sweet’ on them! Never a problem.”

“I always taste the grapes. I don’t pay $6.00 for grapes and come home and they’re sour. But they don’t like that. I won’t shop there.”

It is not theft – if you suffer from an illness

A very vocal group of commenters advocated granting immunity to buyers who have acute medical issues or pre-existing conditions. Everyone agreed that you should keep the package and pay for it.

“When I was pregnant years ago, I had a craving for olives. I bought two jars. One for home and one for grocery shopping.”

“I sometimes sneak a cracker or two when my blood sugar is too low and I feel like I can’t function anymore. Shopping after work is extremely stressful.”

“My grandmother was diabetic and half of my family suffered from hypoglycemia. Sometimes you have to eat right away.”

Some people called for reinforcements

Some commentators did not just rely on their gut feeling, but looked to well-known sources to substantiate their opinions.

“This is unethical. Albert Einstein said: ‘Anyone who is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important matters either.'”

“I’m pretty sure it says in the Bible that you shouldn’t muzzle an ox while plowing, but I don’t know what the store manager thinks about that…”

Some people were really upset

A group of angry people were outraged at the very idea of ​​eating food while shopping – regardless of whether the shopper intended to pay for it or not.

“Why do people feel the need to eat in a grocery store? Don’t they have kitchens? If you’re that hungry, maybe you should eat something before you go shopping. What I hate is people eating in the stores with their mouths open, inhaling a product that technically isn’t theirs because it doesn’t belong to them yet.”

“That’s as low-class as going to the supermarket in your pajamas.”

“The sloppy way people eat these days and make a mess… yes. Too many parents let their children eat with food crumbs everywhere… not to mention sticky fingers. Disgusting.”

“It’s tasteless and disgusting. You put your hands on a shopping cart and then put food in your mouth? People put their dogs in the shopping cart. That worries me more.”

Some people just had fun with it

Whether serious, mischievous or nostalgic, a handful of heartwarming commentators told some stories that made us laugh and smile.

“I actually learned this apparently bad habit from my father. He would always open a Coke, drink it in the supermarket and then show the cashier the empty bottle. However, we lived in a small town, everyone knew everyone, and no one would have worried if he didn’t pay for a $1 Coke. Even if he had brought his own Coke, he probably would have paid for it anyway so he didn’t seem shady.”

“I see nothing wrong with a slice of roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. It takes energy to walk five miles around huge stores.”

“Drinking a beer while shopping is great fun and the look on the cashier’s face when you hand her an open 12-pack is priceless.”

Our opinion

Of course, we have an opinion too! If for some reason you have to eat something while shopping, do what you have to do to take care of yourself. Just choose something that isn’t sold by weight that you can pay for without stealing. Eating a grape is technically stealing, but it’s only a fraction of a penny, so we think you can justify this little slip-up. As for the hygiene factor, that’s up to you!

Now for the big question: Is it tasteless to eat food while shopping? My personal opinion is: Yes, a little. I rarely do it. But my desire to avoid tastelessness evaporates when I’m exposed to the heat of a warm box of Publix chicken tenders riding in my shopping cart. Then I duck into a deserted aisle, rip the box open like a madman, and calmly and shamefully eat a chicken tender.

Nothing tastes better than a “stolen” chicken fillet devoured in the pet food section.

Sometimes you just have to be an animal.