Woman Spends Nearly $500 On Groceries, Internet Asks “So… Where’s The Food?”

Feeding a large family is no small feat. It takes money, planning, and plenty of energy to keep everyone satisfied—especially with today’s prices.

But when a mom of three shared her latest grocery haul on TikTok, she didn’t get praise for stocking up. Instead, viewers came down hard on her. Many were stunned as she revealed item after item of junk food, from 32 frozen pizzas and 14 blocks of cheese to bags of fries and bottles of soda.

Scroll down to see the full haul and how the mom answered her critics. Do you agree with the internet’s reaction?

A mom of three decided to show how she feeds her family by posting her grocery haul

Woman pushing a shopping cart through supermarket aisles picking items for an American family grocery haul.

Image credits:  Yunus Tuğ / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

But the contents of her cart left people in shock

American family grocery haul featuring items purchased from Sam's, Walmart, Food Lion, and Piggly Wiggly stores.

American family grocery haul including brownies, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, oatmeal cream pies, tea, and cereal bars.

Woman in kitchen holding bags of snack chips and jars, showcasing an American family grocery haul in a home setting.

Image credits: boymomx3_b

Woman in kitchen holding brownies and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal during American family grocery haul.

Image credits: boymomx3_b

American family grocery haul with fries, conditioner, bread, bananas, cheese, mayonnaise, cucumbers, and lettuce items.

Family grocery haul showing various food items like grapes, cheese, eggs, medicines, and beverages in an American household.

Woman in a kitchen holding stacked groceries and bottles of soda during an American family grocery haul.

Image credits: boymomx3_b

Woman and young man showing an American family grocery haul with various food items in a kitchen setting.

Image credits: boymomx3_b

American family grocery haul featuring subs, Mountain Dew, Fruit Loops, Doritos, buttermilk, and a big bag of sugar.

American family grocery haul including milk, Froot Loops, Oreos, Capri Suns, New York strips, ribeyes, drumsticks, and pork chops.

Woman in kitchen holding a large stack of frozen pizzas as part of an American family grocery haul

Image credits: boymomx3_b

Stack of 32 pizzas, 10 packs of strawberry Kool-Aid, and cases of water in an American family grocery haul.

Box of Deluxe Mac and cheese ordered online as part of an American family grocery haul from Sam's Club.

Woman in a kitchen reviewing a grocery list as part of an American family grocery haul with cereal and soda nearby.

Image credits: boymomx3_b

Text showing grocery haul expenses from various stores including Sam's, Food Lion, Walmart, and Piggly Wiggly for an American family.

Receipt showing a total of $476.68 from an American family grocery haul with some items left off the list.

Image credits: boymomx3_b

Watch the full video and see the reactions below

@boymomx3_b Why do groceries have to cost so much 😩 😅 #fyp#foryoupage#groceryshopping#groceryhaul#samsclub#foodlion#pigglywiggly#walmart♬ original sound – boymomx3_B

@resilientwrinklesjenkins The 32 pizza boy mom thought she proved the internet wrong. Wthelly #resillientwrinklesjenkin#32pizzas#boymomx3_b#donutmom#boymomx3♬ Quirky Suspenseful Indie-Comedy(1115050) – Kenji Ueda

@daniellysmelly 30+ frozen pizzas, 7 blocks of cheese, almost 10 litres of soda, brownies and crème pies, the list goes on. That is nuts #obesity#groceryhaul#junkfood#healthy#cooking♬ original sound – Danielle

Image credits:  Kateryna Hliznitsova / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

What makes junk food so addictive?

Just because a food is healthy doesn’t mean it can’t be tasty. And just because it’s unhealthy doesn’t automatically mean it’s delicious.

Still, when people talk about cravings, it’s rarely broccoli or green smoothies. More often, it’s pizza, chocolate, or ice cream that people dream about sinking their teeth into.

(Although if you genuinely crave peas, props to you.)

So what’s going on here? Why do the foods we label as “junk” feel so tempting?

For starters, food addiction is a controversial topic. It’s not an official medical diagnosis, though addictive eating behaviors have been linked to conditions like obesity and binge eating disorder. And whether food itself is addictive is still debated.

“Some people believe you can’t be addicted to a substance that you need to survive and that food itself is not actually addicting,” psychologist Susan Albers, PsyD, told Cleveland Clinic. After all, food doesn’t create the altered state of mind that drugs do.

There’s also no single “addictive” ingredient. Some people are team salty, while others proudly play for team sweet. But no one eats spoonfuls of plain sugar. The real pull seems to come from processed foods, where fats, carbs, and flavors are engineered into irresistible combinations.

Yet other researchers argue that food really is addictive. Certain foods light up the brain’s pleasure centers and trigger dopamine, the same feel-good chemical released by addictive substances.

Dopamine itself isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s vital for keeping our bodies and minds healthy. But because it also reinforces behavior, when a food makes us feel great, the brain’s message is simple: let’s do that again. And again.

For people more prone to addiction, this reinforcement can override signals that say “I’m full,” leading to a cycle of overeating.

Over time, a kind of tolerance can even develop. “Many of the words that people use to describe how they feel with food are very much related to addiction, such as cravings, withdrawal and feeling out of control,” Dr. Albers explained.

Some experts describe this not as a true “addiction” to food, but as a process addiction: people become hooked on the soothing feelings and pleasure that eating provides rather than the food itself. Stress and emotions can make this cycle even stronger.

Taste plays a big role, too. Junk food often combines fat and carbs in ways that rarely exist in nature. Rice is high in carbs but low in fat. Nuts are high in fat but low in carbs. But food companies mix and intensify flavors, creating foods so appealing that stopping feels impossible.

And research backs this up. When people were asked which foods they tend to overeat, the most common answers were:

• Chocolate
• Ice cream
• French fries
• Pizza
• Cookies
• Chips
• Cake
• Cheeseburgers

That doesn’t mean these foods need to be cut out completely. According to Healthline, swearing off junk food entirely isn’t sustainable, enjoyable, or even beneficial.

As we’ve all heard before, moderation is what really matters. Treat yourself when you want to, while remembering the bigger picture of your health.

Many commenters criticized the unhealthy food choices

Commenters discussing the high cost of groceries and nutrition in an American family grocery haul video.

Screenshot of a social media comment thread discussing an American family grocery haul with users reacting positively.

Commenter discussing sugar consumption in a healthcare worker context with a humorous reply about American family grocery haul.

User comments in a social media thread discussing personal accountability and family wellbeing in an American family grocery haul context.

Screenshot of a TikTok comment thread discussing an American family grocery haul, questioning where the groceries are.

Comments discussing eating and growing fresh veggies in response to an American family grocery haul video.

Comments on a social media post with one user expressing amazement and the creator replying with emojis about an American family grocery haul.

Screenshot of a social media comment thread discussing sugar content in an American family grocery haul.

Conversation about an American family grocery haul, mentioning snacks, cheese, and watching the haul again.

Screenshot of a social media comment expressing gratitude for growing up with an almond mom, highlighting family values.

Comment on social media about someone buying two cucumbers, related to an American family grocery haul discussion.

Comment humorously listing a grocery haul including 32 pizzas and 16 blocks of cheese for an American family grocery haul.

Social media comment about a large grocery haul including soda, pizzas, and cucumbers in an American family grocery haul context.

Comment about an American family grocery haul mentioning cheese and pizzas with high engagement shown by likes.

Comment from LocalTroll about a tiny bag of grapes and a big box of oatmeal creme pies in an American family grocery haul discussion.

Comment saying we never getting free health care omg with 19451 likes, related to American family grocery haul discussion.

Comment on social media post with 2 green option choices, expressing excitement about American family grocery haul.

Comment saying literally no food in sight on a social media post about an American family grocery haul.

Comment stating disbelief about America not being a real place, with high engagement on social media post.

Comment discussing cheese and grapes portion sizes in an American family grocery haul conversation.

Comment from Nevaeh urging kindness and referencing a head of lettuce in an American family grocery haul discussion.

Comment on social media post expressing discomfort, related to American family grocery haul.

Comment from Alison about challenges switching to healthy eating and concerns for kids shared in an American family grocery haul discussion.

Comment discussing an American family grocery haul with mostly produce and bottles of Dr Pepper, spending nearly $500.

Comment about an American family grocery haul with 32 pizzas, fries, sweets, soda, and few vegetables.

Comment criticizing unhealthy food choices in an American family grocery haul, expressing concern for children's health.

Comment discussing a wild American family grocery haul and its impact on family eating habits with 81 likes.

Others, however, stepped in to defend the mom

Comments discussing food choices and health concerns in an American family grocery haul conversation thread.

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