9 Food Cravings + Healthy Alternatives
The desire to stay healthy and happy is natural, but staying on track – no matter how disciplined you are – can be extremely hard! During times of stress, anger, depression or any extreme emotion, it is common to reach for some sort of junk food. But what is our body really telling us when we crave certain types of bad food? Take a look at these common junk food cravings to see what your body really needs, then head to the store to grab all the latest health food brands with a Walmart coupon or Target coupon!
Food Craving 1:
Candy + Sugary Sweets
You need chromium, sulfur and tryptophan
Give your body what it needs in the form of foods like broccoli, cabbage, beans, kale, cranberries or grapes.
Food Craving 2:
Bread
You need nitrogen
Find nitrogen rich foods like legumes, oatmeal, spinach and mushrooms to munch on to curb that carb fix!
Food Craving 3:
Fatty Snacks + Carbonated Drinks
You need calcium
If you start feeling this craving, go for kale, almonds, spinach, okra, oranges, broccoli and sesame seeds.
Food Craving 4:
Coffee
You need phosphate, sulfur and iron
Who knew your body didn’t really need caffeine to function? So try and kick off your morning instead with foods like nuts, black cherries, legumes, onions, red peppers and garlic.
Food Craving 5:
Salty Snacks
You need chloride
Instead make a nice salad, packed with chloride rich foods like tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives and seaweed.
Food Craving 6:
Chocolate
You need magnesium
Oh, that regular chocolate craving we all have? That’s your body saying it needs foods rich in magnesium, like raw nuts and seeds, legumes, and fruit.
Food Craving 7:
Alcohol
You need protein
After a long day of work, sometimes we crave a nice glass of wine or a cocktail, but what our body is
actually telling us is that we need to refuel with some essential protein! Make yourself a filling meal with meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, beans or nuts.
Food Craving 8:
Tobacco
You need silicon and tyrosine
Smoking is one of the hardest habits to kick, but what is our body saying when there is a nicotine craving? If you are trying to kick the habit and feel a craving, replace that nicotine with foods rich in silicon like nuts and seeds, or foods rich in tyrosine like green and red fruits and vegetables.
Food Craving 9:
General Hunger
You need water
Oftentimes we confuse hunger for thirst. Keep in mind that our body needs eight to 10 glasses of water each day. If you don’t get eight glasses of water a day, you could be suffering from dehydration.
This isn’t the “end-all” of foods to help you curb your cravings, but is a great place to start listening to your body! The best takeaway from this would be: when in doubt, drink a glass of water. Keep in mind that along with these foods being attached to extreme emotions, they could also be attached to fond memories or even just something that you like to indulge in from time to time. Don’t restrict your happiness and become too immersed in health and nutrition! Keep the 80/20 rule (eat healthy 80 percent of the time) and moderation in mind for a happy and healthy lifestyle.
