Caving to the Craving
“Food cravings can be good or bad depending on how they are handled, said registered dietitian nutritionist Jill Weisenberger. Adding a favorite treat to a daily meal plan, using the mindfulness technique of surfing the crave wave or making an indulgence a little more nutritious are good ways to deal with cravings, Weisenberger said.”-Food & Nutrition Magazine (6/7/19)
“It’s not the hand you’re dealt, but how you play the hand that matters.” Another life lesson that applies to nutrition say whaaaaat?! Most of us experience cravings. Some more frequent, more intense, more specific than others, but most of us experience them to some extent. Though we can’t always prevent these cravings from occurring, we can absolutely be equipped to handle them wisely when they do arise. Here are a few tips on how to handle your cravings in a constructive manner, minimizing deviations from your standard of a healthy, well-balanced diet!
“Adding a favorite treat to a daily meal plan.” Let me start by reminding you of one of my favorite phrases- “everything…gggg in moderation”. 😊 But seriously, I do believe it can be quite beneficial to include a favorite treat daily! If you have a sweet tooth, it is unrealistic to avoid sweets altogether (since we are focused on long-term habits here). If we restrict ourselves from sweets for too long, this often leads to backlash in which we overconsume. Rather than alternating phases of restricting and binging, it is most beneficial to incorporate a small treat into your daily routine. Several of my clients who fall into the “I’m a ‘sweets’ person” category have had success enjoying one small square of dark chocolate after lunch. Having this treat after lunch, rather than after dinner, is often helpful as our self-control is stronger earlier in the day (increasing the likelihood that we stick to just one square) plus we go a smaller span of the day potentially feeling restricted from our desired sweet treat. If you are a “salty” person, the same concept applies. Enjoy a conservative portion of a salty treat at lunch, with the logic based on these same principles.
“Mindfulness technique.” The concept of “mindfulness” regarding eating is hot right now. Somewhat ambiguous, this technique need not be overcomplicated. Try your best to stay in-tune with what you are truly craving/desiring, rather than acting on impulse. There is no need to satisfy your craving the second it arises. Rather, give it some time and see if this subsides. For most of my clients, I recommend trying to fight it off the rest of the day. If you wake up the next day with the same craving, by all means – satisfy it (within reason of course, and hopefully around lunch time)! Work to decipher the cause of the craving. For example- do you really want dessert, or are you just tired and thus craving sugar for purposes of energy? If you are honest with yourself and still rule that it’s an appropriate time to quench your crave, then simply do so in a modest fashion. I’m primarily talking about exercising proper portion control here. 😊
“Making an indulgence a little more nutritious.” Yes, it is possible! Here are some examples: add fresh berries to your ice cream, choose a chocolate option that contains almonds, dip your Doritos in cottage cheese (I did not come up with this one! Lol. Shout out to Paige Fry for this unique discovery 😉)…the list goes on! Not only do these types of additions enhance the nutritional value of your indulgences, they also help with portion control by a) displacing some of the more calorically-dense food (for example, one cup of an ice cream treat that contains ½ a cup of berries cuts the amount of ice cream in half, from 1 cup to ½ cup) and b) promoting satiety (via their protein and fiber contents).
Though the suggestions listed above have proven effective for numerous clients in handling their cravings, we are all different! If you find a strategy that works for you that is not listed here, please share. I am always on the lookout for new ideas that can help others improve their dietary habits. We’re all in this together!