7 Tips to Curb Cravings- Recipes Included!

 

 

 

Hey, lovely! 

 

Are you doing really well keeping up with your nutrition plan only to have it foiled by cravings?

 

I’m here to help! 

 

As with any dilemma, getting to the root of the problem is the fastest way to find a lasting solution. 

 

Why are you having cravings to begin with? 

 

One of two reasons:

 

1. You’re not giving your body (enough of) what it needs
2. You’re diet contains too much sugar and processed foods

 

When you eat healthily and get cravings, your body is telling you what it needs. If you’re craving carbs, it’s because you need some. If you’re craving nuts, avos, cheese, etc, your body is telling you it needs some fat. Likewise, if you’re craving meat, beans, fish, eggs, etc your body needs protein. 

 

However, if your diet is less than healthy, or simply has a bit too much sugar and packaged foods sprinkled in, this will trigger cravings due to the spikes in blood sugar. 

There’s a reason more than 70% of grocery store items have added sugar- because it’s highly addictive and the best way to gain a repeat customer is to get them hooked! 

 

So, to get ahead of the cravings, first identify if your body is sending you messages about what it needs or if you’re needing to break an addiction. 

And before you say “I’m not addicted to sugar! I’m usually super healthy!”. Sugar is like Lays (Walkers) potato chips- betcha can’t eat just one. 

It can be challenging to consume treats in moderation so we must be mindful and practice self-control. Thankfully, I know a few tricks to getting in treats that actually help you reach your macro (fat, protein, carb) targets so you don’t have to try too hard! 

 

Here are a few tips to help you beat cravings and keep your nutrition on track:

 

• Find your favorite recipe and determine which ingredients you can substitute for a healthier alternative. This way, you can have your cake and actually eat it too- totally guilt-free.

 

• Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. Our bodies are mostly made of water so most probably when you’re “hungry”, you’re actually thirsty. Try drinking water and see if that curbs the craving before you crack open the snacks. 

 

• Water not cutting it? You may just need to liven up your water a bit- try adding fruit, herbs, or cucumber slices to your water! It tastes awesome and you’ll get some added benefits (and even a snack ;)). 

 

• Sometimes, I end up with a bit of juice in the container after chopping fresh fruit, so I strain the juice into a cup and add some soda water for a very low calorie fruity soda.  

 

• Make snacks that help you meet your macro goals but that will also satiate your cravings. Need some ideas? I’ve got you covered! Scroll to the end to check out a few of my fav cheeky treats.

 

• If you’re craving chocolate, as long as it’s proper chocolate, eat the chocolate (in moderation)! Just make sure it’s at least 72% cacao and it should only have 3-4 ingredients (milk and words you can’t read aren’t one of them). 

 

• Did you know peppermint curbs cravings?! You can have a cuppa peppermint tea, use peppermint lip balm, put some in the oil diffuser, brush your teeth with minty toothpaste, chew some peppermint gum, or shower with some mint soap to release the aroma that will suppress your appetite =D

 

I hope you found these tips helpful, beautiful <3  

If you have any questions, feel free to hit reply and ask away! 

 

xoxoxo, 

Nadia

PS- Help your friends and family keep their nutrition on point by sharing these tips with them!

 

PSS- If there’s ever any question or topic you’d like me to answer or talk about, just shoot me a message here or on Facebook <3 

 

Butter Balls (like Butterfinger but in a ball lol)

• 178g Peanuts (or allergy friendly alternative)
• 35g Honey (or less if you don't like it so sweet- this was a wee bit too sweet for me!)
• 12g Cacao Powder
• 44g Cocoa Butter
• 1.5g Sea Salt (I guessed)

To make:

1. Blend the peanuts in a blender until crumbly but not smooth (like Butterfinger center crumbly). 
2. Add salt and set half or less of the honey and stir to combine. 
3. Melt cocoa butter on low heat. 
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa butter and the rest of the honey. 
5. Form balls with the nut mixture and set on a plate. 
6. Once you've formed all the balls, coat them in the chocolate mixture and freeze till set. 
7. If you have more chocolate left over, coat them a second time and set again. This makes for a better balance of chocolate to nut ration =D 

 

If you prefer Reese's, you can do the same thing but blend the peanuts till smooth or use a natural sugar-free nut butter. 

 

To make:

You can use a silicone or regular ice cube tray for individual pieces or use a small pan or glass dish.

1. Pour some chocolate in the container of your choice
2. Freeze till set
3. Add the nut butter then pour the remaining chocolate on top
4. Freeze till set again

 

Fudgy Oat Flour Brownies

I adapted this recipe a bit from one I found last week. It turned out uhhhhhhhmazing- like, best batch yet and if you know my and my brownie game, that's saying a lot!

• 120g Oat Flour (get certified GF oats if that's what you prefer!)
• 3.5g Baking Soda
• .5 Tsp Coffee Grounds (I used Vietnamese coffee <3)
• 100g Cacao Powder
• 60g Honey
• 200g Organic Sugar (swap for Stevia for a lower-calorie alternative!)
• 153g Butter (Ghee would make them vegan friendly =D) 
• 17g Cocoa Butter (I actually just ran out of butter and forgot I had this before I started melting all the butter lol...)
• 73g 81% Cacao Chocolate Bar
• 20g Sliced Almonds
• 4 Small Eggs (use flaxseed instead for vegan friendly alternative!)

 To make: 

1. Blend oats until fine (measure 120g of flour, not whole oats)
2. Add coffee and baking soda then set aside
3. Melt butters on med-low heat then add sugar and cook for one more minute
4. Remove from heat and add the honey
5. Stir in the cacao and salt
6. Whisk in one egg at a time
7. Fold in the dry mixture until just combined
8. Add in the chocolate chunks (the original recipe says to let the mix chill for 10 min if you want to keep the chunks in tact)
9. Spread mixture into a lightly greased 8x8 pan and top with more chocolate and the almonds
10. Bake at 350F/177C for at least 10 minutes. 

I baked them for about 8-9 min and then turned the (countertop) oven off and let them sit a little longer. The top was browning so I thought they were a bit more set but, I wasn't about to risk overcooking these babies! 

They turned out ultra fudgy-gooey <3 They set more in the fridge, of course. You could bake them slightly longer if you prefer your brownies less ooey-gooey =D haha. Just don't go too far or, well, you know >.< 

 

Need more ideas? I've got tons... Shoot me a message telling me what kind of foods you enjoy or what targets you're struggling to hit and I'll help you out! 

 

You can also find more of my favorite healthy snack recipes here.

 

Be sure to let me know if you tried these recipes and how they turned out for you! <3