A craving isn’t the same thing as true hunger. Hunger is your body asking for fuel. A craving is a strong pull toward a specific food, and it can be driven by biology, habits, emotions, or just your environment.
If you’ve ever dealt with cravings, you’re not broken and you’re definitely not alone. Research consistently shows that the vast majority of people experience food cravings regularly, especially for foods like chocolate, salty snacks, baked goods, ice cream, pasta, pizza, and other high‑reward foods.
Below are 12 science‑backed strategies you can use to manage cravings effectively, without relying on willpower alone.
1. Control your home environment
Don’t keep foods at home that always trigger overeating. If they’re not there, you can’t eat them. Your kitchen is the one place you can fully control.
2. Reduce exposure to triggers where possible
Cravings are often cue‑driven. Certain places, people, routines, or even times of day can spark the urge to eat when you’re not physically hungry. While you can’t avoid every trigger, being aware of them allows you to plan ahead or limit exposure when possible.
Less exposure means fewer battles to fight.
3. Identify emotional eating patterns
Cravings are often about emotions, not food. Common triggers: stress, boredom, sadness, anger, anxiety, loneliness, or even “I deserve a treat.” Ask yourself: “What am I actually feeling right now?”
4. Build non‑food coping tools
Prepare non-food options for tough feelings:
- Bored → play a game, watch something, call someone
- Stressed → deep breathing, short walk, stretch
- Angry → move your body, listen to loud music
- Anxious → journal, listen to calm music
- Happy/celebrating → plan a non-food reward
5. Manage your stress
Ongoing stress is one of the biggest causes of cravings. Small daily habits like better sleep, moving your body, or a few minutes of calm breathing can lower cravings a lot.
6. Keep your blood sugar steady
Big blood sugar drops make cravings much stronger. Eat balanced meals with:
- Protein
- Fibre
- Enough calories
- Regular exercise (weights + cardio) also helps your body handle sugar better.
7. Don’t starve yourself
Very low-calorie diets create huge cravings and make binges more likely. A smaller, sensible calorie deficit with satisfying foods works much better long-term.
8. Limit ultra‑processed foods most of the time
Foods loaded with sugar + fat + salt are designed to make you crave more. Eat them sometimes, but not every day. The less often you have them, the weaker the cravings get.
9. Don’t ban foods forever
Telling yourself a food is “never allowed” usually backfires. Instead, plan to enjoy your favourite foods occasionally in reasonable amounts. This helps you stay in control long-term.
10. Use replacement instead of resistance
Trying to fight a craving without a plan usually ends badly. Instead of removing everything, replace it with a better option:
- Want something sweet? → fruit, berries, or yoghurt
- Want creamy? → Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese
- Want crunchy? → air-popped popcorn, carrots, or a small handful of nuts Having replacements ready makes the choice easier in the moment.
11. Lean on social support
Accountability matters. A partner, friend, coach, or training buddy can help you stay consistent when motivation dips. Simply knowing someone else is aware of your goals can make cravings easier to manage.
You don’t have to do this alone.
12. Change your self‑talk
How you talk to yourself during a craving matters. Research in cognitive behavioural therapy shows that thoughts influence actions.
Instead of saying “I can’t have this,” try “I’m choosing not to right now.” Visualising yourself making the choice you want can also strengthen follow‑through.
The bottom line
Cravings are completely normal. They don’t mean you’re weak or that your plan is failing.
The goal isn’t to never have cravings again. The goal is to get better at managing them so they don’t control you.
With these simple strategies, cravings lose their power and become just a passing feeling you know how to deal with.
Resources
📝A satiety index of common foods | Pubmed
📝12 Ways To Crush Cravings Before They Crush You | Tom Venuto
▶ How to Manage “Stress Eating” & Compulsive Eating | Dr. Elissa Epel & Dr. Andrew Huberman