Confidently Navigate Cravings

Cravings can be a tiny inkling for a sweet treat or can be all consuming of your concentration. Feeling out of control with cravings can feel frustrating and may escalate to avoiding certain foods altogether. Oftentimes when people start  a new diet they may notice cravings or desires for certain foods to escalate. It could turn into a battle between trying to have “willpower” to avoid a craving or saying “whatever” and having the craving anyway. Cravings usually stem from a nutrient deficiency, rather than a lack of willpower. 

Usually habits around a certain food are a result of a deeper relationship or behavior around food, in general, rather than certain foods causing the cravings. For example, have you ever told yourself “I can never keep chips in the house because I will eat the whole bag in one sitting?” You may have noticed saying that about other foods too, such as candy, cookies, whatever the snack may be. Feeling out of control with chips is likely due to the underlying relationship with food overall and not just the chips themselves. 

So how can you have confidence with cravings, while still meeting your nutrition goals? The number one recommendation I have is to make sure you are eating frequently throughout the day. If someone is restricting calories or certain food groups, such as carbs, it can lead to an increase in cravings since the body is not getting the essential nutrients it needs to function optimally. If there is a lack of nutrition in the body, your body will send signals to the brain to get the nutrients it needs. If there have been long gaps in between meals, think 4 or more hours, the brain is more likely to crave carbs in order to increase glucose levels and provide the body with energy. If someone is eating consistent and balanced meals throughout the day, then the brain is less likely to seek those easily accessible foods because the body is already getting what it needs.

Here are the key recommendations to prevent strong cravings:

• –  Have 3 meals and 1-2 snacks every day
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• –  Try not to go more than 4 hours without eating, may need to be more frequent than this.
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• –  Meals should include a balance of complex carbs (whole grains, beans, veggies), lean proteins (chicken, fish), and heart healthy fats (avocados, nuts, seeds).
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• –  Snacks should include a balance of carbs, protein, and fat- apples and peanut butter, carrots and hummus, yogurt with fruit and granola.
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• –  View foods in a neutral way: Avoid placing foods in “good” or “bad” categories as that could perpetuate feelings of doing something “wrong” when eating a “bad” food and something “right” when eating a “good” food. All foods can have a place in the diet.

If you continue to feel out of control with cravings I would encourage you to work with a dietitian to find a meal plan that works for you. A mental health professional may be helpful with identifying emotional triggers for cravings if you feel there is emotional eating involved. 

The Author