I am the mother of five grown children. As our family grew, I adjusted my shopping, food prep and cooking methods to accommodate. One by one, as my children began to leave the nest, I found that shopping and cooking meals for a smaller household presented its own challenges. I went from preparing meals for a family of seven down to two—my husband and me.

Little white lies aren’t so bad when you’ve been gifted a not-so-great sweater. But when it comes to your diet, honesty is the best policy. The small food fibs you tell yourself (“I need to eat this macaroni and cheese to get through the pandemic”) can sabotage your health goals. Here are a few common examples of diet self-deceptions, and how to combat them.