Having sugar cravings, especially mid-afternoon or after dinner is extremely common. Here are some tips to help prevent you from constantly reaching for the lolly jar.

1. Include the right balance of macronutrients at main meals

This would have to be the most common culprit. Ensuring you are eating balanced meals will help regulate and stabilise blood sugar levels and therefore reduce cravings. For example, having a salad without including an adequate serve of complex carbs (e.g., at least ½ cup cooked brown rice, sweet potato or a slice of wholegrain bread) and/or protein (e.g., 60-80g cooked chicken, small can of fish, 2 eggs or 150g firm tofu) at lunch will leave you famished and hungry by 3pm. Including a source of good fats (extra virgin olive oil, avocado, sprinkle of seeds or nuts) will also help increase satiety and keep the munchies at bay.

2. Avoid chronic energy restriction

If you are consistently not providing your body with enough energy, you will get cravings. In addition to missing out on important nutrients, skimping/restricting at main meals, especially in the first half of the day, is counterproductive if you end up snacking all afternoon and/or after dinner. Make sure your breakfast and lunch provide enough fuel (kilojoules) to get you through the afternoon.

3. Include a protein rich afternoon snack

If you struggle with cravings in the afternoon up until dinner, ensure you include an afternoon snack that contains some protein plus good fats. It’s both satisfying and again helps stabilise blood sugar levels. Some good choices include,

a small handful of nuts and seeds
nut butter or avocado on wholegrain crackers
roasted chickpeas
a boiled egg or cheese on crackers
hummus and veggie sticks
Greek yoghurt plus berries

4. Go for natural sweetness

If you are craving something sweet, fresh fruit can be a good choice. While it contains sugar, it also contains valuable nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium, as well as a good dose of dietary fibre to promote satiety. Even better add some protein and good fats such as dollop of Greek yoghurt and sprinkle of seeds to make this a filling and satisfying snack.

Working with hundreds of women over the past 6 years, I have noticed that when protein is increased, sugar cravings drop right off. If you are unsure what your protein number is and how to bump it up, try tracking for 2 weeks using a fitness tracker. We have our FBBN App that tracks your calories, protein, carbs and fats and can help you see if you are eating enough protein. If you would like to start a 7 Day Free Trial with us, hit this link and download the FBBN App to start tracking and checking your protein levels. Join FREE for 7 days here.