Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash
In short: A craving is a sudden, strong pull towards one particular food, often something sweet, salty, creamy or crunchy. Everyone has them, and they usually come from one of a few places: stress, a need for comfort, real hunger after skipping meals or eating too little, tiredness, or simple habit. The first step is to find out where yours come from, because each one needs a different answer.
It’s nine in the evening. You’ve had dinner, you’re on the sofa, and you weren’t thinking about food at all. Then, out of nowhere, you want crisps. Or cheese. Or that chocolate you know is in the cupboard. The thought gets louder and louder until you get up, almost without deciding to.
Cravings are one of the things people ask me about most. Not just sugar, but salty, crunchy, creamy, bready, all of it. So let’s talk about them: what they are, where they come from, and how to listen to them without letting them run your evenings. If sweet things are your main weakness, I go into sugar in detail in Sugar cravings: why they happen and how to calm them.
What is a craving, exactly?
A craving is different from hunger. Hunger builds slowly and almost any food would do. A craving arrives quickly, wants one particular thing, and won’t be satisfied by anything else. An omelette won’t do. It has to be the crisps.
I like to picture a craving as a wave. It rises, it peaks, and if you don’t feed it straight away, it very often fades by itself. You don’t have to obey it, and you don’t have to fight it either. You can simply watch it for a moment and ask what it’s about. I describe the different kinds of hunger in Seven kinds of hunger, and many cravings fit neatly into one of them.
Why do we get cravings?
There are different reasons, and each person has their own mix. Here are the ones I see most often in my coaching.
Stress. When you’re under pressure, your body switches into alert mode and asks for quick fuel. Sweet, salty and fatty foods calm that alert feeling for a little while, so the body learns to ask for them. Some people also eat to distract themselves from whatever is weighing on them.
A need for comfort. Food is warm, quick and always there. When you feel sad, anxious, lonely or bored, it can feel like a hug or a reward. I wrote about this loop, and how to step out of it gently, in How to overcome emotional eating. That need tends to grow as the days shorten; I looked at why in Why we reach for food when it gets dark.
Real hunger. When you skip meals, eat very little, or try to “be good” all day, your body ends up truly hungry, and that hunger often arrives as an urgent craving in the evening. Then comes overeating, and then guilt. Very often the answer is simply more food, earlier, which I explain in Why you need more food, not less.
Tiredness. After a short night, your appetite goes up, food looks more tempting, and the quiet part of you that usually pauses and chooses gets sleepy. Sweet and rich foods call much louder. I wrote about this in The direct impact of sleep and stress on your weight.
Habit. If you always have something sweet with your coffee, or crisps in front of the evening film, your brain links the two. The craving then arrives on cue, whether you’re hungry or not. The more often the pattern repeats, the stronger it gets. And what was learned can be gently unlearned.
What are your cravings trying to tell you?
I find it so much more helpful to treat a craving as a message than as a weakness. When one arrives, try asking:
When did I last eat a proper meal? If it was hours ago, your body may simply be hungry.
How did I sleep? Tired days are craving days.
What’s happening right now? Stress, boredom, loneliness, a hard conversation?
Is it the usual time and place? Then it may be a habit more than a need.
Often the answer is clear within a few seconds. And once you know what the craving is about, you can respond to that, instead of only to the food.
What helps?
1. Eat regular, satisfying meals
This is where I always start. A breakfast with some protein, a real lunch with vegetables, protein, healthy fats and carbs, and a proper snack if you’re hungry in the afternoon: an apple with a handful of walnuts, carrot sticks with hummus, a piece of cheese. Planning your meals a little in advance helps too, because when you know what’s for dinner, you’re less likely to grab the first thing in reach. I share easy afternoon ideas in The afternoon energy dip in autumn.
2. Have a drink and wait a moment
Have a glass of water or a cup of herbal tea, and give yourself a few minutes. Sometimes a drink is all you needed, and sometimes the wave passes while you’re drinking it.
3. Look after your sleep and your stress
A regular bedtime and a calmer evening will do more for your cravings than any amount of willpower. To release stress, find what works for you: a walk outside, some movement, a few slow breaths, time in nature, or something creative with your hands.
4. Find new rewards
If food is your usual reward, for a hard day or for a good one, make a list of other things that feel like a treat: a bath, a good book, a phone call with a friend, flowers for the table, an hour in the garden, something you’ve wanted for a while.
5. When you eat, really eat
Put your phone away, switch off the screen, sit down and focus on what you’re eating. You may find that a few bites are enough to satisfy you. I talk more about this in my FAQs on mindful eating.
What doesn’t help?
Banning foods. The more forbidden something is, the louder it calls.
Skipping meals to make up for it. It only sets up the next craving.
Guilt. Guilt is stress, and stress is one of the reasons cravings start.
Relying on willpower in the evening. It’s at its lowest when cravings are at their strongest. Plan earlier in the day instead.
Try this for one week
Keep a little craving notebook. Each time a craving comes, write down the time, what you wanted, and one word for what was going on: hungry, tired, stressed, bored, lonely, habit. You don’t have to change what you do. Just notice.
At the end of the week, read it through. You’ll probably see a pattern: the same time of day, the same feeling, the same place. That’s where to start, with kindness.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a craving and hunger?
Hunger builds slowly, and almost any food would satisfy it. A craving arrives suddenly, wants one particular food, and often has more to do with how you feel than with how empty your stomach is.
Do cravings mean my body is lacking something?
Sometimes people say so, but nobody really knows for sure. A varied diet with plenty of vegetables, lentils and beans, nuts, seeds and wholegrains covers most needs, and if you feel exhausted most of the time, ask your doctor for a blood test.
How can I stop a craving in the moment?
Pause, have a drink, take a few slow breaths and ask yourself what you really need. If you still want the food, have it sitting down and enjoy it slowly.
When should I talk to my doctor?
If your cravings come with extreme thirst, needing to pass water often, unexplained weight changes or constant tiredness, please see your doctor. The same goes if eating often feels out of your control or food and guilt take up a lot of your thoughts.
Would you like some help?
Cravings make so much more sense when you look at them alongside other people, and realise how much you share. Understanding cravings and comfort eating is one of the themes I love in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
If you’d rather work one to one, online, book a free 20-minute call. Bring your craving notebook if you have one, and we’ll look together at what your cravings are trying to tell you.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
