How to Reduce Sugar Cravings

We all know sugar isn’t good for us, but how do you stop yourself eating a chocolate bar when its 3pm and you’re craving something sweet?  A lot of sugar cravings stem from what you have eaten earlier in the day, so if your lunchtime meal isn’t balanced, your sugar levels rise rapidly and then fall leaving you hungry and tired around 3pm.

We want to avoid excess sugar because is associated with many health conditions including high blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dental decay and cancer. The WHO recommends ideally less than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day for men, and 5 teaspoons per day for women, yet the average New Zealander consumes approximately 14 teaspoons per day. This is concerning because a recent study found that higher sugary drink consumption was associated with an increased chance of dying from any cause.   Sugar is also hidden in places we might not even realise, such as breakfast cereals, sauces and salad dressings as well as flavoured yoghurt. 

So how can we eat well during the day to stop craving sugar in the afternoon?

The most important thing you can do is to eat a balanced meal at lunchtime.  A balanced meal is plant rich and contains some protein, whole food carbohydrate (should you chose to consume carbohydrate) and healthy fat in approximately equal proportions.  I generally recommend picking a protein first and basing the meal around this. The protein can either be animal or plant based, but try to avoid processed meat as it is bad for gut health. Protein tends to keep you fuller for longer and your blood sugar is more likely to remain stable throughout the afternoon.  Then add in some healthy fats (such as nuts, avocado, feta), and wholefood carbohydrate if desired (such as kumara) and finally some fibre (leafy greens).  Wholefood carbohydrates tend to release sugar at a slower rate, keeping your blood sugar more stable in the afternoon, and fibre is important for gut health.

So instead of relying on willpower to get you through your 3pm slump, focus on eating well throughout the day, including a good source of protein, wholefood carbohydrate and healthy fat at each meal.  You should feel a lot less hungry and significantly less sugar cravings.

Can you do one percent more by adding a healthy source of protein into your daily lunch?