It seems counter intuitive. When you take a bite into a big juicy cheeseburger and wash it down with a sugary soft drink, your brain rewards you with a burst of dopamine.

We had to work physically hard to obtain food and went long periods between eating. Storing up fat and energy was crucial in the event we lost consistent access to food. When given the choice between an avocado or a handful of kale, our brains guide us in the direction of the more calorie-dense option: the avocado.

We are rewarded with this choice by receiving a small burst of dopamine, making us feel happy. Keep in mind, junk food did not exist back then! In modern times, most humans have better access to food and our lifestyle is relatively sedentary. We continue to store fat in preparation of a fast or the need for an exuberant amount of physical energy events may never come.

We keep on storing and storing and storing, eating and eating and eating. This is problematic because instead of choosing an avocado, we are now choosing a Big Mac or Ice Cream. These high fat foods are not found in nature and are out of the realm of what our bodies were meant to process.

All these processed foods trigger the same reward system in our brain that cocaine and gambling does — making it really hard to break the cycle which is why you can literally feel like a junk food junkie!

Not engaging in these traditions goes against cultural norms — and can feel isolating. And no we're not talking about becoming a junk food vegan "plant-based" doesn't always mean healthy! Instead, find recipes to check all the boxes: sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy but are made with whole food ingredients.

Have these snacks on hand and try filling up on the whole food plant-based version before assessing whether or not you still need the junk food version.

For example, if chocolate is your junk food weakness find a whole food plant-based cacao recipe that fills you up and satisfies that craving, like this dairy-free chocolate peanut butter shake.

If French fries are your junk food weakness, cut up some potatoes, blanch them, and bake on degrees until crispy. Toss in sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, then enjoy those French fries free of oil — and guilt!

Keep healthy snacks on hand like fresh fruit, trail mix, hummus and veggie wraps, and thick dairy-free shakes. Before you leave the house for a long excursion, blend a frozen banana with your favorite fruits, nut butters, and non-dairy milk and sip your shake as you drive to your destination.

You will show up satisfied, which will help restrain you from diving head first into the candy bowl at work or succumbing to any other junk food snacks. Not a lot. But, exaggerating the harm of the unhealthy choice can make it less appealing. Neither your current nor your appearance is the focus here.

Rather, the idea is make the consequences of your decisions vivid. The goal is to help you make good choices, not feel bad about yourself.

Postpone, don't deny your cravings. When you are craving something unhealthy, don't tell yourself "no. Chances are, in a short time, the craving will have passed.

You can say "no" when you aren't experiencing the craving anymore. Part 2. Replace your cravings. If you are genuinely hungry, it's okay to eat! But, instead of eating cookies or potato chips, make yourself a healthy snack.

This can be doubly effective if you can identify your cravings. A particular food craving might point to something lacking in your diet.

For example: A chocolate craving might suggest you need magnesium. A craving for sugar or simple carbohydrates like white bread might suggest your body needs protein or complex carbohydrates for energy.

Since sugar metabolizes quickly, it is not a good source of long term energy. The best sources of energy are protein and complex carbohydrates, which break down more slowly. Good examples include brown or wild long-grain rice.

Pasta or bread made from whole wheat flour are also good options. For protein, nuts, cheese, low-fat milk, beans, or lean meats are good choices. Try eating more fish, or check your grocery store for milk, cheese, or eggs containing these oils. You can also take a fish oil supplement if you don't like to eat actual fish, or incorporate flaxseed in your diet by mixing it into muffins or oatmeal.

Walnuts and fresh basil are also sources of omega-3 fatty acids. A salt craving might mean you are lacking important electrolytes like chloride, calcium, sodium, and potassium.

If this doesn't work, a banana and some yogurt might do the trick. If you have these cravings frequently, you may wish to try taking a vitamin B supplement or multivitamin. Choose healthy snacks. When you do have a snack, try to choose healthy options that satisfy the same snacking desires. For example: For a salty crunch, try popcorn instead of potato chips.

Fresh, air-popped corn is best, but if you opt for microwave popcorn, pick a low fat variety. This can be a good source of complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

It's lower in sugar, and high in healthy antioxidants. If you want French fries or onion rings, try some lightly salted edamame, which is high in fiber and protein. Or, fix yourself a baked potato for few calories and more fiber.

If you're dying for some ice cream, try a sorbet or frozen yogurt. These are still high in sugar, so don't go crazy. But, these options have a lot less fat--often none at all. Cook your own meals. Restaurant meals, and especially fast food , are full of salt and other unhealthy ingredients.

Making your own healthy and tasty meals will help you resist the cravings for restaurant food. If you have your own healthy food, you'll be less tempted to grab a quick bite at a drive-thru, or to have the pizza your co-workers ordered.

Distract yourself. When you feel a food craving coming on, try to occupy yourself with something else. Ideally, you could make this a healthy activity, like going for a walk around the block. But, you could also call a friend or work on a project around the house.

Food cravings are often triggered by boredom or fatigue. Keeping yourself occupied will help ward off either of these. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation causes your body to need and crave more calories to keep going. It has been linked to cravings for junk food.

Likewise, sleep deprivation can weaken your willpower, making it harder to resist cravings. Break the routine. Psychological research shows that a lot of snacking occurs in an absent-minded way, as part of a routine.

Breaking these routines can help reduce cravings. Try to be aware of these routines and break them. You can do this by changing the physical space. For example, you might move your TV to another room for a while. This change will weaken the association between TV and snacking. You can move it back once you've broken the habit.

Studies also show that eating snacks with your non-dominant hand will mean you eat less and will also weaken these habits. So, if you give in and snack, give it a try. Celebrate in moderation. Tasty but unhealthy foods are part of many of our celebrations. Whether it's birthday cake or pumpkin pie around the holidays, sweet and fatty foods go with good times.

Try to moderate how much of these things you eat. Not many people are likely to turn down a slice of cake on their birthday. Go ahead and have a piece! But keep in mind, it doesn't have to be a huge piece. You can take part in the celebration and often satisfy your craving with just a small piece of cake.

Part 3. Clean out your cupboards. One surefire way to make sure you don't eat unhealthy foods at home is to not have them in your home. If you're really serious about keeping these foods out of your diet, get rid of them! If you eat your meals at home and only have healthy ingredients to prepare them with, that's all you'll eat.

Keep unhealthy foods out of sight. As the old saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind. If you keep potato chips in the house, keep them in a closed cupboard. Keep healthy foods accessible. The flip side of hiding your junk food is making sure that healthier options are more easily seen and accessed.

This will increase the likelihood of eating them instead. If there are apples in plain sight, but the potato chips are hidden away, this will make you more likely to go for the fruit.

Take some time to do food prep on the weekends by washing and cutting fresh vegetables that will then be available to quickly snack on throughout the week. For example, carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli. Try washing and freezing some grapes that have been removed from the vine.

Frozen grapes make a great healthy snack when you are craving something sweet. Don't go shopping on an empty stomach. Research shows that when you go to the grocery store hungry, you are more likely to make impulse buys. This often means unhealthy food. This will reduce the temptation to make junk food impulse purchases.

Go to the store with a full belly and make good choices. Planning what you are going to eat for the week and shopping accordingly is also a great way to make healthy eating easy. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

Don't beat yourself up for the occasional lapse. Nobody is perfect, and tomorrow is another day. Thanks Helpful Not Helpful Drinking plenty of water will help cravings go away. So instead of reaching for those potato chips, reach for a cup and drink some water!

Thanks Helpful 44 Not Helpful 4. Brush your teeth a little earlier. It'll help to prevent you from eating the unhealthy foods since your teeth are already clean and flavored. Not all foods go with a mint flavoring of a toothpaste or mouthwash. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published.

Eating unhealthy foods "in moderation" does not work for everyone. Some foods trigger people. Just as an alcoholic cannot have just one glass of wine, some people cannot have just one piece of candy. It is better to eliminate the foods you binge on or find a good substitute for them. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2.

You Might Also Like. How to. Tara Coleman Clinical Nutritionist. Tara Coleman. Replace unhealthy snacks with something that's healthier. Try something like nuts, seeds, fruits, or vegetables. We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback.

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Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Support wikiHow Yes No. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1. Tiffany Stafford, CPT.

Physiol Behav. Dhillon J, Craig BA, Leidy HJ, et al. The effects of increased protein intake on fullness: a meta-analysis and its limitations.

J Acad Nutr Diet. Eat protein foods. Canada Food Guide. Ledochowski L, Ruedl G, Taylor AH, Kopp M. Acute effects of brisk walking on sugary snack cravings in overweight people, affect and responses to a manipulated stress situation and to a sugary snack cue: a crossover study.

Nelson JB. Mindful eating: the art of presence while you eat. Diabetes Spectr. American Psychological Association.

By Katharine Chan, MSc, BSc, PMP Katharine is the author of three books How To Deal With Asian Parents, A Brutally Honest Dating Guide and A Straight Up Guide to a Happy and Healthy Marriage and the creator of 60 Feelings To Feel: A Journal To Identify Your Emotions. She has over 15 years of experience working in British Columbia's healthcare system.

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Eating Disorders. Awareness and Prevention. By Katharine Chan, MSc, BSc, PMP. Learn more. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.

Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Medically reviewed by Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS. Learn about our Medical Review Board. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Why Is Less Nutritious Food So Addictive?

Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Every person experiences cravings differently, but they are typically transient and often for processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthful fats. Research suggests that males are more likely to crave savory foods, whereas females are more likely to crave high fat, sweet foods.

Food cravings can lead a person to eat foods that have adverse health effects, and they can disrupt efforts to follow a healthful diet. This article looks at the causes of food cravings and explains what simple steps people can take to handle them.

People might experience food cravings seemingly out of nowhere, or they may be related to seeing, smelling, or hearing about a specific food.

For instance, seeing an advertisement for chocolate might trigger a craving for it. The brain regions responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward play a role in food cravings.

An imbalance of hormones, such as leptin and serotonin , could also lead to food cravings. Cravings also involve the appetite centers of the brain, even though they tend to be separate from hunger.

In people who menstruate, hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle can create food cravings. People can experience especially strong cravings during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. A person may also experience pica , which is a craving for nonfood items, such as chalk, dirt, coins, or ice chips.

Emotions can also contribute to food cravings, such as in cases of comfort eating. It is also possible that some food cravings may be related to specific foods because the body needs particular nutrients. Nonselective hunger is the desire to eat anything.

It may be the result of real hunger and hunger pangs, but it can also be a sign of thirst. Drinking water may help with intense nonselective cravings. There are a variety of ways to reduce unwanted food cravings.

People can try the following techniques:. Stress and emotional eating can influence a variety of health issues. Feeling stressed may promote emotional eating and cravings for comfort foods. For example, a study found that chronic stress was related to more food cravings and that this led to a higher body mass index BMI in participants.

Stress may also cause weight gain even without food cravings. Stress results in higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, which may promote abdominal fat. Read about natural ways to reduce stress and anxiety here. Hunger and thirst can produce very similar sensations, potentially leading people to confuse the feeling of thirst for hunger.

Drinking plenty of water offers many health benefits. Learn more here. This imbalance may contribute to overeating and weight gain. The researchers noted that switching from controlled sleep deprivation to an adequate sleep schedule caused the participants to lose weight, indicating that the increase in sleep quantity brought their hormones back into balance.

A healthful diet should contain plenty of lean sources of protein , as they may help reduce cravings. For example, the results of a review of animal studies suggest that eating protein can suppress appetite and reduce ghrelin, a hormone related to appetite.

Stop Buying the Foods you Crave. Share it. In Summary. Eat less processed foods Eat more whole foods Prepare your meal in advance to prevent junk food cravings Drink more water.

Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Get more sleep and avoid bad food choices Stop buying the food you crave. Harvard, The Nutrition Source, "Healthy Eating Plate" Cryan JF, Dinan TG.

Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour. Nat Rev Neurosci. doi: Epub Sep PMID: stop eating junk food.