Are you out of control around chocolate or sweets? Is that bag of Kettle chips calling you by name? Read this before answering the call.
Virtually all women and most men experience food cravings. Problem is, giving in to an intense desire to devour, say, a bag of Doritos or a carton of Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream can add hundreds of extra calories to your diet and make you pile on pounds.
To help conquer cravings, here are nine healthier ways to keep you satisfied and on track:
1. Sleep more.
Research shows that lack of sleep ups hankerings for high-sugar, high-fat foods. Insufficient sleep amps up your hunger hormones and, at the same time, lights up areas of the brain that make us crave high-calorie treats. One recent analysis of 11 studies found that insufficient sleep was associated with eating, on average, 385 more calories the next day.
[See: 10 Ways to Get Better Sleep (and Maybe Cure Your Insomnia).]
2. Lose booze.
Alcohol, like lack of sleep, highlights areas of the brain that make us crave calorie-rich foods like burgers, fries, pizza and chips. Alcohol also ups your appetite as it chips away at your inhibitions and willpower. Hello, greasy burger and fries.
3. Choose a healthier alternative.
If you deny your cravings all the time, it will eventually backfire and set up an unhealthy relationship with food that will make you more likely to binge when you eat the “forbidden” food. Those who find healthier ways to manage their cravings are more successful at achieving their weight goals. The key is to make sure your substitution satisfies your desire. Carrot sticks aren’t going to be a sufficient snack for a need-chocolate-now moment.
[See: 11 Things to Tell Yourself When You’re About to Binge Eat.]
4. Go dark.
Chocolate is a highly-craved food, and many people have a daily battle with their desire for something chocolatey. To indulge without bulge, reach for an antioxidant-rich, low-sugar dark chocolate bar, like a Lindt bar made with 85-percent cocoa, suggests Christina Greening, a registered dietitian and health coach with Aetna. Each polyphenol-rich chocolate square has 60 calories, less than a gram of added sugar and has such an intense flavor that a small portion will satisfy.
5. Find a fix for fast food.
You can enjoy the flavor of fast food without derailing your diet by ordering a kid’s meal, explains registered dietitian Natalie Nicolas of George Washington University. Most kid’s meals keep calories in check by downsizing portions. “Another option is to order a regular burger with a side salad or order fries with a serving of soup or chili,” she says. “The worst thing you can do is to order a ‘value’ meal that bundles several menu items for a discounted price.”
6. Go nuts for crunch.
Instead of munching through a 1,200-calorie bag of potato chips, registered dietitian Abeer Bader of Massachusetts General Hospital recommends portion-controlled almonds. Studies show that a handful of crunchy almonds (1 ounce or 23 nuts) can help curb cravings, whittle your waistline and reduce your risk for chronic diseases. An ounce of almonds provides 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 12 essential nutrients. One study reported that adults who ate 1.5 ounces of almonds daily as part of a heart-healthy eating plan reduced belly fat and waist circumference more than those who ate a diet with the same number of calories but without almonds. Want chip-like flavors? Try Blue Diamond’s crowd-pleasing salt and vinegar or wasabi and soy sauce varieties.
7. Try guilt-free ice cream.
When you scream for ice cream, Seattle-based registered dietitian Laurie McBride has two guilt-free go-tos: Halo Top and two-ingredient banana ice cream. Halo Top weighs in at 240 to 360 calories and 20 grams protein per pint compared to 1,000 calories or more per pint of traditional Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen-Dazs ice cream. McBride’s two-ingredient banana “nice” cream is simply frozen banana slices and almond milk pulsed in a food processor or blender. Grab your spoon!
8. Tame a sweet tooth.
As someone who needs to tame a sweet tooth on a daily basis, my healthier picks include fresh fruit, dried fruit or a cup of hot tea with honey. Other dietitian-approved sweet treats include sugar-free gum, a yogurt parfait, chocolate-dipped fruit or a fruit or date-based energy bar.
[See: These Healthy Seasonings Are Tasty Substitutes for Sugar and Salt.]
9. Track it.
When you log what you eat and drink, you’ll be more likely to manage the munchies because tracking strengthens areas of the brain that weigh the consequences of your choices. Studies show that individuals who log what they eat lose up to twice as much weight as dieters who don’t track what they eat.
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