We've all experienced it: it's 4:00 p.m., we've had lunch, but we're hungry again and craving a sweet snack. The coffee is not enough, and the sweet snack hiding there in the cupboard keeps calling us to it. What if you could prevent these feelings, meet your healthy eating goals, and stay completely satisfied from lunch to dinner? Read on to learn how to reduce sugar cravings.
Are you interested in how to reduce sugar cravings? "If you start the day with a proper diet, you won't crave sugar," says the nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot, which recommends that we eat breakfast every morning, and if only we can get involved a piece of fruit and organic yogurt. The most important meal is lunch, when what's on your plate determines how the rest of the day will be. "A lunch that contains fiber and protein will keep you full until dinner," says Zuckerbrot. And what does she think the perfect lunch is? Mixed green salad with broccoli and hearts of palm and protein of your choice (salmon, chicken or tofu). If you add more one or two slices of avocado, you will stay full longer, as fats are supposed to slow down digestion.
Other suggestions include lentil soup and leafy salad or whole wheat tortilla with vegetables and protein. A meal that lacks protein and fiber (such as vegetable juice, which can be high in sugar, and sushi with white rice) may be digested more quickly, meaning it will our body craved the afternoon meal.
Last but not least, it is important drinking water between meals. Dehydration mimics hunger and so often we think we need a snack when in reality we are just thirsty. And never chew gum. "Sugar-free chewing gum increases the feeling of hunger, which causes our body to produce insulin, which encourages us to eat carbohydrates and crave sugar," adds Zuckerbrot.
However, if you still can't stop craving sugar despite these tips, then it's important to get it into your body in the right way. Instead of grabbing a bag of candy that won't fill you up, opt for a combination of fiber and protein like na prime an apple with almond butter or hummus on whole grain crackers.
