A food craving can overwhelm you but armed with the right tools you can beat it.
Firstly, try to understand why you’re hungry:
- Habit – you always have that latte and muffin on the way to work or a biscuit with your mid-morning cuppa so your body expects food at that time.
- Emotion – you were once comforted by something such as chocolate and you will look to repeat that feeling the next time you need to be comforted.
- Message – you are lacking in a specific mineral or vitamin and your brain will send a message to consume something that contains that mineral or vitamin.
If you have a very specific food craving take a look at the list below to see what your body could actually be asking for. Introduce the alternative food into your diet to increase your intake of the missing mineral or vitamin and in time, the cravings will fade.
| Craving | What your body really wants | Alternative food |
| Cheese | Healthy fat | Handful of unsalted nuts, avocado |
| Pasta / white bread | Chromium | Onions, grapes, tomatoes, sweet potato, cinnamon |
| Bread/ toast | Nitrogen | Green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts |
| Crisps | Chloride | Celery, olives, kelp |
| Chocolate | Magnesium | Greens, fruit |
