Managing Food Cravings with Confidence and Curiosity
Understanding Food Cravings: Why They Happen
Managing food cravings is something everyone can relate to. We all experience them — and not every craving needs to be “managed.” Cravings are a natural part of our relationship with food. Taking pleasure in eating is one of life’s simple joys.
We eat for many reasons — physical hunger, we enjoy the taste, or due to emotional triggers. Cravings only become a concern when they start to feel overwhelming or when they no longer serve us in a positive way. That’s usually the moment when a little extra support can make a big difference.
When Hunger Drives Cravings
A very common form of food cravings is physical hunger.
When we don’t eat enough during the day, our bodies can trigger what I call the “see food diet” — we see it, we want it, we eat it. At this point, all bets are off — meal prep, mindful eating, and balanced choices go out the window. We’re simply too hungry to think clearly about what or how much we’re eating.
In this primal hunger state, we reach for the most comforting, high-energy foods available — often the ones that taste the best and bring quick relief. Add the stress or fatigue of a busy day, and it’s easy to find yourself eating rapidly or without awareness of fullness.
The Role of Meal Timing in Managing Food Cravings
If you want to manage food cravings more effectively, start by looking at how often you eat throughout the day.
Are you skipping meals because you’re too busy? Waiting until late morning or even the afternoon to have your first meal? While some people can manage with fewer meals or a shorter eating window, most find that skipping meals or snacks leads to stronger cravings later on.
Going too long without food pushes your body into an “over-hungry” state — that’s when the “see food diet” kicks in. You see food, you want it, and everything tastes amazing.
For most people, eating every 3–5 hours supports stable energy levels and balanced blood sugar levels. If you often feel hungry around 4 p.m. or notice your dinner portions are larger than planned, consider adding a balanced afternoon snack.
Planning a snack before your typical craving time can help prevent that crash — even if you don’t feel overly hungry yet. Think of it as putting yourself back in the driver’s seat of your food choices before your body’s hunger takes over.
Client Story: When Cutting Carbs Increases Cravings
I recently worked with a client managing type 2 diabetes who wanted to reduce evening cravings. To control blood sugar, they had significantly reduced carbohydrates — foods like bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes.
(Quick note: Carbohydrates break down into glucose, or sugar, in your blood, which is your body’s main energy source—especially for your brain and muscles.)
While this client’s intention was to manage blood sugars, their reduced carbohydrate intake throughout the day — combined with often skipping lunch — led to intense cravings around 8 or 9 p.m. They often reached for chocolate bars or sweets.
After reviewing their eating patterns, it became clear that their body was simply under-fueled with carbohydrates and lacking meal frequency. Once we added regular meals and moderate amounts of whole-grain carbohydrates back into their day, those late-night cravings started to fade.
3 Practical Steps to Manage Hunger Food Cravings
If you’re struggling with frequent cravings, try this one-month experiment to see how different eating patterns impact your hunger and cravings.
Step 1: Review your eating schedule.
Look at how often you eat meals and snacks. Are there long gaps — more than 3–5 hours — between eating? Try spacing meals more evenly to avoid dips in energy and blood sugars.
Step 2: Reintroduce complex carbohydrates.
If you’ve been cutting back on grains or carbs to manage your health, ask whether that’s fueling your cravings. Remember: carbs convert to glucose or sugar, your body’s preferred fuel source. Try adding high-fibre carbs like whole-grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, or oats.
Step 3: Reflect and adjust.
For one month, experiment with more consistent meals and balanced carbs. Track how your cravings change — are they less frequent or less intense?
These steps address biological hunger, your body’s natural need for fuel. Once your body is well nourished, it’s easier to notice when cravings are driven by taste or emotion instead of hunger.
The Bottom Line: Consistent Nourishment
When clients struggle with strong cravings, my first step is to check:
How often they eat during the day
How far apart meals and snacks are spaced
Whether they’re eating enough carbohydrates
Once physical hunger is addressed, we can explore taste hunger (craving food for pleasure) and emotional eating (using food for comfort). Both are valid parts of our relationship with food — and learning to recognize them helps you make choices that truly serve you.
Managing food cravings isn’t about willpower or control. It’s about listening to your body, staying nourished, and finding confidence in your ability to care for yourself with food.
Ready to Make Peace With Food?
If you often feel overwhelmed by food choices, struggle with evening cravings, or feel guilt after eating, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
As a registered dietitian, I help clients build a calmer, more confident relationship with food — one rooted in nourishment, not perfection.
💬 Book a discovery call today to explore how we can work together to help you feel at peace with food again.