There are a few reasons why you may be craving food all of a sudden, ranging from low blood sugar and stress to menstrual cycles and thirst. In addition, the basis for experiencing a craving can play a role in the types of food you desire.
When you have cravings, know that there are healthy and satisfying snack choices to satisfy them until your next meal. Here's what you should know.
Craving high-carb foods like bread and pasta may be because your blood sugar is low. "When you go too long without eating or consume too many simple carbohydrates, your blood sugar drops, triggering your body to reach for starchy foods that are quick and easily digestible," Jessica "Chef Jess" Swift, RD, a Washington, DC-area dietitian, and classically trained chef, told Health.
When you crave carbs, try whole grains and other foods rich in fiber instead. Whole grains are rich in fiber and take longer to digest, so they'll keep you feeling full longer than simple carbs. There are also plenty of other health benefits of whole grains.
Stress
Research has suggested that when stressed, people release the stress hormone cortisol, which is linked to the desire for sweet foods. A sweet treat can also cause a blood sugar spike and crash, leaving you feeling sluggish and moody. When you crave sugar, try these foods instead:
- Fruit
- Frozen yogurt
- Plain yogurt
A piece of fruit and fruit paired with low-fat Greek or plain yogurt are nutrient-filled snacks. "The yogurt provides calcium, which is good for your bones, and the berries are packed with immune-boosting antioxidants," Keri Gans, RD, New York City-based dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet, told Health.
Other than stress, you could be experiencing salt cravings because your body needs sodium. Everybody needs sodium, and research has suggested that when the body is low in the nutrient, the brain triggers specific appetite signals to eat sodium.
You can satisfy salty cravings without adding tons of extra calories—or a surplus of sodium—to your day. Gans recommended roasting chickpeas tossed in heart-healthy olive oil and sprinkled with herbs and salt.
Low Satiety
A bowl of lentil soup or sweet potatoes can be options to try if you're craving a hot, savory dish—a craving one study found in hungry participants. "Lentils are a good source of fiber and protein, and this winning combination may help stabilize your blood sugars, keeping your appetite in check until your next meal," said Gans.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fiber, which means they take longer to digest. They can also provide vitamin A, which is helpful for vision.
Eating pure protein can also help reduce later hunger and prevent future cravings since protein foods take longer to digest. When you crave hearty and filling foods, try these foods:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Poultry like chicken and turkey
Chocolate is one sweet that many people crave when stressed. In addition, research has found that some people experience a significant increase in appetite and cravings for chocolate, sweets, and salty foods during the later stage of their menstrual cycle.
When you crave chocolate-rich foods, try these foods instead:
- Chocolate/nut/coconut mix
- Granola bars
- Low-sugar chocolate milk
- Nuts and seeds
Thirst
Some research has indicated that people may occasionally confuse thirst with hunger. "The same area of your brain that controls hunger also controls thirst, so sometimes signals get crossed when you haven't had enough to drink during the day to confuse you into feeling the sensations of 'hunger,'" Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, author ofThe Flexitarian DietandThe Superfood Swap, told Health.
Your best bet is to drink a quick glass of water when you're hungry but not sure what to eat. Wait 15 minutes or so to see if you're still craving something.
People can crave different types of food for different reasons, from having low sodium in their bodies to not feeling satisfied after eating. There are healthy ways to satisfy your cravings—sweet, salty, or otherwise—and provide yourself with nutrients.
Options like fruit, yogurt, eggs, and whole grains can help satisfy your desire for certain foods. You can also speak to a healthcare provider or registered dietitian if you have concerns about any cravings you experience.
FAQs
Cravings can be your body's way of letting you know it's not getting something it needs, such as a specific vitamin or mineral. Having certain cravings, such as for chocolate or other sweets, is also often linked to how you feel emotionally. You don't have to completely deprive yourself of the treats you enjoy.
What does it mean when you have a random craving? ›
In general, a craving can signal something is out of balance, but it doesn't always mean you need a certain type of food. A craving might mean you're dehydrated, stressed or lacking sleep. If you crave a snack, and you eat it, but you don't feel any better, your body was never needing that food to begin with.
What your body really needs when you crave? ›
Food cravings are linked to nutrient deficiencies. If you're constantly craving sweets, get more magnesium, chromium, and tryptophan in your diet. These nutrients are found in whole, natural foods, such as broccoli, dried beans, liver, eggs, poultry, legumes, and grains, or you can get them via supplementation.
What are the three types of cravings? ›
What Are the 3 Types of Cravings?
- Physical cravings: Hunger for specific foods. Cravings due to withdrawal from substances. ...
- Emotional cravings: Eating for comfort during stress or sadness. Desire for substances to relieve boredom or loneliness.
- Psychological cravings: Cravings triggered by habits (e.g., smoking after meals)
It could be a sign that your body's trying to tell you something. While some people blame a sweet tooth for their urge to eat carbs and sugar, others suggest that nutritional deficiencies of magnesium, zinc, chromium, amino acids (tryptophan), or vitamins (vitamin D especially), may actually be the culprit.
What are the four most powerful triggers of cravings? ›
The 6 Triggers of Craving
- Cues. Cravings may be caused by exposure to a setting in which drugs have been used. ...
- Expectation. ...
- Belief (perceived availability). ...
- Attention. ...
- Priming effect. ...
- Stress.
The brain regions responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward play a role in food cravings. An imbalance of hormones, such as leptin and serotonin, could also lead to food cravings. Cravings also involve the appetite centers of the brain, even though they tend to be separate from hunger.
Why do I crave so much? ›
Unlike hunger, cravings occur when your body doesn't need food. Many factors can trigger cravings. Triggers might be environmental — the sight, smell, or sound of a food being made might start a craving. Stress, lack of sleep, hormones, and certain personality traits can also be involved.
Does craving mean anything? ›
Food cravings usually mean your body is trying to tell you something, whether it's that you're not eating enough or that you have a deficiency in a certain vitamin or nutrient.
What part of the body controls cravings? ›
The hypothalamus is the portion of your brain that controls hunger. hormone cortisol, which can create hunger cues. When you eat, your stomach expands. This signal notifies the hypothalamus that it's time to stop eating.
Options like fruit, yogurt, eggs, and whole grains can help satisfy your desire for certain foods. You can also speak to a healthcare provider or registered dietitian if you have concerns about any cravings you experience.
What happens in the brain during a craving? ›
Increased activity in the amygdala, rhinal cortex, insula, and anterior cingulate appears to initiate the process that leads to craving by linking visual cues to memory. This complex process is monitored by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (B, dark blue), a brain region that acts as a “manager” for working memory.
What vitamin deficiency causes you to crave salt? ›
FIRST-- let's look at the vitamins and minerals you need as part of a healthy diet: Calcium and Magnesium: Low levels of these two minerals—which often go hand in hand—prime you for sugar and salt cravings. Low magnesium levels, specifically, are known to trigger chocolate cravings.
How does a craving start? ›
External cues. These are things like a favorite TV show that you have a habit of watching while eating ice cream. You'll become conditioned to reach for that bowl of ice cream when you watch an episode, Apolzan notes. Internal cues, such as sadness, can prompt people to crave certain foods, too.
What is the chemistry behind cravings? ›
Ghrelin and leptin are hormones that play significant roles in hunger and satiety, which can affect craving patterns. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is crucial in the brain's reward system, which encourages behaviors that meet our needs.
What is the psychology behind cravings? ›
The Mental
Fear, stress, anxiety, joy, pleasure, and boredom are common feelings that can affect our eating patterns. In one study, emotions, especially of the negative kind, were associated with a higher tendency to use food as a coping mechanism, inducing more intense feelings of hunger.
What 3 things cause food cravings? ›
Many factors can trigger cravings. Triggers might be environmental — the sight, smell, or sound of a food being made might start a craving. Stress, lack of sleep, hormones, and certain personality traits can also be involved.
What is the origin of cravings? ›
Food Cravings Can Originate For Physical Reasons
Other hormone-induced cravings are often seen during PMS where evidence has shown cravings for carb-rich foods are common. There are many other fascinating physical reasons for cravings. Among them are lack of hydration, lack of physical activity, and sleep deprivation.
What hormone imbalance causes cravings? ›
Cravings seem to be closely related to your body's hormonal regulation. Any spike or drop in those levels leads to cravings. Rises in estrogen and progesterone levels tend to correlate with rises in cortisol (stress hormone) levels which lead to cravings for carbohydrates, including sugar.
