Avoid products that list sugar as the first ingredient or that contain several different types of sugar brown sugar, cane nectar, etc. Eat breakfast. Start out your day with a filling, nutritious meal, so you'll be less likely to give in to cravings.

Steel-cut oatmeal, eggs, and fruit are all good breakfast choices. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

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How well do you score on brain health? Shining light on night blindness. Can watching sports be bad for your health? Beyond the usual suspects for healthy resolutions. July 1, By making smarter food choices, you can eat less sugar and lose weight without feeling deprived.

Sugar aliases Sugar comes in many forms—including honey, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, and molasses. Are artificial sweeteners better? Break the sugar addiction If you're "hooked" on sugar, don't try to eliminate all sugary foods at once. Here are a few suggestions to help you break the sugar habit: Keep sugary foods away.

Their high fiber content and naturally occurring sorbitol also mean they may help relieve constipation. Sorbitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that tastes sweet but is absorbed slowly in your gut Summary Prunes are sweet, nutritious and high in fiber, so they can be a healthy food for satisfying cravings for sweets.

Eggs are another high-protein food that may help keep your appetite and cravings in check. In fact, research has shown that having a high-protein breakfast like eggs may reduce hunger and help people eat less throughout the day 41 , 42 , This may be partly because a high-protein breakfast suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and increases some of the hormones that make you feel full, including peptide YY PYY and glucagon-like peptide-1 GLP-1 44 , 45 , This suggests that an egg breakfast could keep you feeling fuller for longer and keep the cravings at bay 43 , Summary Eggs can be a good choice, especially for breakfast.

Trail mix is the name often given to a snack containing dried fruit and nuts. Nuts contain healthy fats, proteins, fiber and plant compounds. Eating them has been linked to a number of health benefits , including improved risk factors for heart disease and diabetes Summary Trail mix combines the sweetness of dried fruits with nuts.

This gives your sweet fix some added nutritional value. Fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut are sources of beneficial bacteria. This makes it possible for your gut bacteria to influence your food intake in a number of ways.

Some of these compounds may even mimic hunger or fullness hormones in your body, influencing your appetite and food cravings 51 , However, no studies to date have examined the effects of eating fermented foods on food cravings, and more research is needed Summary Fermented foods can contribute to maintaining a healthy gut, which could influence your appetite and food intake.

Whole grains are high in fiber and contain nutrients including B vitamins, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, manganese and selenium 54 , Eating whole grains has been linked to a longer, healthier life, and their high fiber content also means they may help you feel full 56 , 57 , 58 , Whole grains can also promote the growth of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria , Lactobacilli and Bacteroidetes in your gut.

Interestingly, their filling properties cannot be explained by their fiber content alone. It has been suggested that their influence on gut bacteria may also contribute to this effect Overall, making sure you are eating enough and including foods like whole grains in your diet will help keep you full and may help prevent sugar cravings.

While eating vegetables may not be satisfying when you are experiencing an acute sugar craving, including them in your diet regularly could be helpful. Vegetables are high in fiber and low in calories. They also contain lots of beneficial nutrients and plant compounds 4. Eating more vegetables is probably one of the best things you can do for your health and could lower your risk of diseases like heart disease and cancer Adding vegetables is also a great way to bulk up your meals, helping you feel more satisfied throughout the day Summary Adding more vegetables to your meals could help fill you up and prevent you from getting sugar cravings due to hunger.

If you need something sweet, swap some of your sugar-filled treats out for some of the healthier options in this list. Additionally, you can try these 11 ways to stop food and sugar cravings , which take a look at your diet and lifestyle as a whole. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Sugar cravings are one of the main reasons people have a hard time losing weight and eating healthy.

Here is a simple 3-step plan to stop these…. Although food cravings are common, they can lead to overeating and negative health consequences. This article shares how to stop food cravings. People disagree on how much sugar is safe to eat each day. Some say you can eat sugar in moderation, while others recommend avoiding it completely.

Fruits are very nutritious and contain lots of fiber and antioxidants. However, some people think they can be harmful because of the sugar they…. While they're not typically able to prescribe, nutritionists can still benefits your overall health. Let's look at benefits, limitations, and more.

A new study found that healthy lifestyle choices — including being physically active, eating well, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption —…. Carb counting is complicated. Take the quiz and test your knowledge! A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic?

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Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala , for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process. Trending Videos. Quelling Sugar Cravings Isn't Always Easy I've never questioned my voracious sweet tooth until my doctor told me that my excess sugar consumption could lead to a slew of health issues, including cavities, inflammation , diabetes, and heart disease.

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Are Honey and Maple Syrup Really Healthier Than Sugar? We Asked Nutritionists. Healthy Things to Eat When You Feel Sugar Cravings Without Sacrificing on Nutrition Fortunately, there are a ton of healthy foods you can munch on when you feel a sugar craving coming on, from fresh fruits and nuts, to Greek yogurt and dark chocolate.

Fresh fruit : Since fruit contains natural sugar, it can satisfy cravings while also offering plenty of fiber and micronutrients hello, antioxidants! Greek yogurt : Similarly to how nuts and seeds prompt feelings of fullness, Greek yogurt also offers that perk, along with providing lots of protein, gut-friendly probiotics, vitamins, and calcium.

Look for plain Greek yogurt varieties without high added sugar. Ungerleid says. Whole-grain crackers with cheese: Bring out the whole-grain crackers that have not been stripped of their good-for-you fibers and cheese —this snack combo provides plenty of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates to satisfy hunger in a sustainable and delicious way.