UAE traffic got you snacking? Expert tips to stay healthy and beat cravings on the go

It’s alright, I ate on my way home.

That’s something that you hear so often that you don’t even question it twice. Dubai-based homemaker Deepa Menon jokes that she used to hear this a little too often from her husband, who would get trapped in traffic delays. Stuck in traffic for a good 45 minutes? Well, what’s the best way to soothe your irritation and annoyance? Maybe, a burger. Maybe an ice-cream. Or a handful of gummy bears.

It feels like a harmless indulgence, just for one day. But those days pile up—and so does the impact on your diet.

Experts Cynthia Bou Khalil, dietician at Medcare Dr. Saeed Al Shaikh Gastro & Obesity Centre, and Dr. Amir Firouzjaei, Chinese medicine practitioner at Wellth, explain how the gridlock can disrupt more than just your schedule, and it can throw your body’s balance off too.

Khalil highlights several ways traffic jams directly and indirectly affect your eating habits:

Craving convenience, not nutrition: Stuck in traffic and feeling hungry? You’re more likely to give in to impulse eating, reaching for fast food or convenience snacks nearby. Sometimes, long delays force you to skip meals at home, pushing you toward quick but less healthy options. Nothing like a burger, donut to make you feel better about sitting through long lines of cars.

Messing with the meal timing: Arriving home late means delayed or missed dinners, which can disrupt your metabolism. And so, the easiest resort is eating heavy meals late at night that interfere with digestion and sleep quality.

Stress-induced eating: Traffic congestion spikes stress hormones like cortisol, which can increase cravings for sugary or fatty comfort foods, a tempting but unhealthy coping mechanism after a rough commute.

Less Time, less Cooking: After a tiring commute, cooking motivation often plummets, increasing reliance on takeout or processed foods and discouraging meal prep.

Hydration and snacking pitfalls: To avoid bathroom breaks during traffic, many reduce water intake, risking dehydration. Meanwhile, mindless snacking, usually on salty or sugary treats, becomes a common boredom-buster behind the wheel. You know the drill: Car seats littered with chips packets because ‘just in case’.

Dr. Amir Firouzjaei offers a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) view, emphasising that health reflects a delicate balance between our environment, emotions, and habits. Hunger and impatience can lead to eating fast food, snacks, or even cold, raw foods that impair the spleen’s digestive function. Delayed meals weaken the spleen’s ability to efficiently process nutrients.

What research says:

Research supports this too:  A 2007 paper titled Stress, eating and the reward system,  published in Physiology & Behavior, showed  how stress influences eating behaviors through hormonal mechanisms. The focus is on cortisol, a key stress hormone, which tends to increase in response to chronic stressors such as daily commuting frustrations. Elevated cortisol levels have been linked to increased cravings for high-fat, high-sugar ‘comfort foods,’ which provide temporary relief by activating reward pathways in the brain.

The findings highlight that when individuals experience ongoing stress, like being stuck in traffic, cortisol not only increases appetite but also shifts food preferences toward calorie-dense foods. This stress-driven eating can contribute to weight gain and metabolic disturbances over time.

The study also points out that stress-induced eating often becomes a coping mechanism, which, although momentarily soothing, can lead to poor diet quality and health consequences if it becomes habitual.

Both experts agree: Awareness and planning can help minimize traffic’s impact on your diet and digestion.

Keep healthy snacks handy: Nuts, fruit, and granola bars stored in your car can curb impulse eating.

Use traffic apps to plan meals: Anticipate delays and adjust meal times accordingly.

Meal prep on weekends: Having ready-to-eat meals reduces cooking stress on busy weekdays.

Manage stress on the go: Listen to calming podcasts or practice deep breathing during your commute to keep cortisol in check.

Stay hydrated: Sip water regularly, but in manageable amounts, to avoid dehydration without frequent bathroom trips.

Prioritise family meals: Make shared mealtime a priority when you get home to support healthy eating habits.

Traffic jams may be inevitable, but by understanding their hidden effects on your diet and digestion, you can take smart steps to protect your health — even when the road is jammed.