If you struggle with food cravings or sometimes get an irresistible urge to eat specific foods, you’re not alone. Research suggests that over 90% of the global population experiences food cravings – which are only made trickier by the ready availability of foods like sweets, chocolate, and crisps.
However, while getting food cravings under control can feel difficult, the good news is that there are plenty of things that you can do to help.
With that said, here are 12 tips for coping with food cravings.
1. Make sure you’re drinking enough water
It can be easy to mistake thirst for hunger. In fact, research has found that people mistake thirst cues for hunger 62% of the time.
For this reason, staying hydrated can be an effective way to reduce food cravings and tune into our natural hunger cues.
In this study, when middle-aged overweight or obese people drank water before each meal, they lost 44% more weight over 12 weeks, compared to a group who didn’t drink more water. Another study found that drinking water before breakfast can help prevent overeating and reduce the amount of calories consumed during a meal by 13%.
If you struggle to drink enough water throughout the day, you might find some useful guidance in our articles; 11 tips for staying hydrated and why it’s important and 9 healthy and hydrating alternatives to water.
2. Avoid overly-restrictive diets and honour your hunger
Have you ever found that as soon as you start dieting, the more you think about food, and the more you end up eating? This is because many popular diet trends lead people to believe they can only eat certain food groups and must avoid others entirely to achieve their weight loss goals.
But, we know from research that restricting too much can actually have the opposite effect. If your body lacks the calories and nutrients it needs, not only can this cause strong cravings for certain foods, but it can also encourage a mistrust of natural signals like hunger cues and energy levels.
Studies also suggest that buying into diet culture too much and feeling guilty or shameful about your food choices can lead to more intense food cravings and overeating.
Similarly, allowing yourself to get too hungry may increase the risk of strong food cravings. This is because, if you’re extremely hungry, it’s likely that your blood sugar levels may be low, which, according to science, can cause your body to encourage you to eat high-energy foods to replenish them.
Instead, learning to eat intuitively can be beneficial. Intuitive eating is the concept of eating according to your body’s natural hunger signals – signals which can easily become blurred by diet rules and the availability of food.
3. Consider taking spinach extract
Spinach extract is a supplement made from spinach leaves. It helps to delay the digestion of fat, which increases levels of hormones that reduce appetite and hunger.
Research suggests that taking 3.7-5g of spinach extract with a meal may reduce food cravings for several hours. This study of overweight women found that taking 5g of spinach extract per day reduced peoples’ cravings for chocolate and other high-sugar foods by an impressive 87-95%.
Spinach extract capsules are available to buy at Holland and Barrett.
Note: It’s important to speak to your GP before adding any new supplements to your diet.
4. Add more protein to your diet
We know from research that, of the three main macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates), protein is by far the most filling – partly because it reduces levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. This means you feel full after eating less food.
For example, this study looked at overweight men and found that when they increased their protein intake to 25% of their total daily calories, food cravings were reduced by 60% and the desire to snack at night by 50%.
Another study found that when overweight women increased their daily intake of protein from 15% to 30% of their daily calories, they ate 441 fewer calories every day without intentionally restricting anything.
If you’d like to increase your protein intake, check out our article; 12 high-protein meal ideas.
5. Make sure you’re eating enough fibre
Fibre is a complex carbohydrate that occurs naturally in plant foods.
Research has linked higher fibre intake with a lower risk of belly fat. For example, this study, which compared the eating habits of obese people and those considered a healthy weight, found that those of a healthy weight ate more fibre than those who were obese.
These benefits were specifically linked with soluble fibre. Soluble fibre slows down the movement of food through the digestive tract, which can reduce the risk of overeating.
Research suggests that eating soluble fibre also reduces levels of hunger hormones produced by the body, including ghrelin.
If you’d like to learn more about the differences between soluble and insoluble fibre, as well as how to up your fibre intake, check out our article; 10 easy ways to add more fibre to your diet.
6. Take steps to reduce your intake of added sugar and processed foods
Consuming too much added sugar and processed foods can have a significant impact on food cravings. This is because these foods trigger a complex series of reactions in the brain that cause us to want to eat more – including the release of dopamine (a happy hormone).
We know that many food manufacturers are aware of the science behind sugar cravings, and purposefully formulate foods with extra sugar to encourage us to buy their products over and over again. For example, this study found that the more people ate sweets, high-fat foods, and fast foods, the more they craved those same foods.
In support of this, research has also found that the less processed foods you eat, the less you may crave them. For example, in this study 95% of participants who cut out added sugar and artificial sweeteners for two weeks found that, afterwards, their usual sweet food and drinks tasted sweeter or were even too sweet. And, just six days into the study, 86.6% of participants reported that they’d stopped craving sugar altogether.
While it’s not necessary to cut out added sugar entirely to reduce sugar cravings, the evidence suggests that cutting it down can help. For more tips, have a read of our article; 9 simple ways to cut back on added sugar.
7. Improve your sleep quality
Our appetite is significantly affected by hormones, including ghrelin and leptin. And research suggests that a lack of sleep can disrupt these hormones and cause strong food cravings and poor appetite regulation. In fact, this study found that sleep-deprived people were up to 55% more likely to become obese compared to those who slept enough.
The sleep and fatigue section of our website is full of useful articles to help you improve your sleep quality – including how to create the perfect bedroom for sleep. We also have advice on coping with insomnia if this is something that you struggle with.
8. Make sure you’re getting enough magnesium
Being deficient in certain minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium may lead to sugar cravings.
However, research suggests that magnesium deficiency is particularly worth paying attention to. Magnesium is linked to an increased risk of insomnia, stress, anxiety, and depression. And, as we know, lack of sleep can have a significant impact on our appetite and cause us to experience more food cravings.
Another reason why magnesium deficiency is linked with sugar cravings is because it’s involved in the production of serotonin – a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood and appetite. Being deficient in magnesium can result in reduced serotonin levels – impacting mood and leading to an increased desire to eat or drink sugar as a pick-me-up.
Magnesium is found in a range of foods, including spinach, pumpkin seeds, black beans, and quinoa. If you’d like to learn more about magnesium, including its health benefits and how much you need, check out our article; Magnesium – what it is and why it’s important.
9. Take steps to reduce stress
Research has found that stress can lead to food cravings and impact our eating behaviours – particularly in women.
For example, studies have found that women under stress eat significantly more calories and experience greater food cravings than non-stressed women. Another study also identified a direct link between chronic stress and food cravings.
If you’ve been struggling with stress recently, you might find our articles, 7 tips for coping with stress and anxiety and 9 simple stress-relieving activities, useful.
10. Where possible, avoid going to the supermarket hungry
It might sound obvious, but avoiding going to the supermarket on an empty stomach can make the world of difference when it comes to taking control of food cravings.
A recent study revealed that people are more likely to buy larger quantities of food, buy special offers, or grab unhealthy snacks they can eat straight away if they shop while hungry.
Despite spending an average of 19 minutes planning a food shop every week, four in 10 people deviate from their shopping list if they’re hungry. Plus, one in six reported feeling stressed when trying to resist their food cravings when they were hungry in the supermarket.
11. Practise mindful eating
In our busy lives, eating can often be something we do quickly, while distracted, and without much thought. However, since it takes your brain up to 20 minutes to recognise when you’re full, these habits can increase food cravings and the likelihood of overeating.
Mindful eating is a practice designed to eliminate distractions and bring your full attention back to your food. Research has linked it with a greater appreciation of food, improved portion control, and healthy weight maintenance.
Studies have also concluded that mindful eating can be effective at helping people develop the skills needed to become aware of and accept their emotions without judgement – and learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger cues.
For tips on how to get started with mindful eating, check out our beginner’s guide.
12. Create non-food-centered rewards
It’s common to turn to food as a reward – for example, after we’ve completed a work project or made it to the gym. However, while there’s nothing wrong with indulging every so often, constantly rewarding yourself with food can lead your brain to expect sweet treats whenever something goes well.
As a result, research suggests that over 85% of overweight people tend to use food as a reward.
For this reason, having non-food-centered rewards in place can help to cope with food cravings. This could be anything from having a massage or taking a hot bubble bath to watching another episode of your favourite TV show.
Final thoughts…
Food cravings can be difficult to deal with – particularly when it can feel as though we’re constantly surrounded by delicious, tempting treats.
However, the good news is that by making a few habit changes and getting a better understanding of how and why our bodies crave certain foods, it’s possible to take control of your food cravings.
For further reading, head over to the diet and nutrition section of our website. Here, you’ll find everything from simple swaps for a healthier lifestyle to quick and healthy recipe ideas.
What are your top tips for coping with food cravings? Will you be trying any of the ideas from our list? We’d be interested to hear from you in the comments below.
