Food cravings: what is behind them

Hunger or craving?

Experts describe a craving as a strong urge for something specific. It is tied to enjoyment and does not automatically mean eating more.^[4]

In a diary study of 123 people, strict restraint around food was the strongest predictor of later cravings. Hunger and stress played a part too.^[5]

Short-term avoiding, longer-term cutting back

If you avoid a specific food for a short time, you often want it more afterwards.^[1] Longer calorie restriction, on the other hand, tended to go along with fewer cravings. This comes from an analysis of eight studies of at least 12 weeks in people with obesity. The effects were small and the studies varied.^[2]

Cravings are often learned

Researchers also see cravings as a learned response that can be unlearned.^[1] If a craving always comes at the same time or place, it is worth looking at that situation.

What sets cravings off

Cues: In 45 reports with 3,292 participants, reactions to food cues were linked to later eating and weight. Pictures and videos worked about as strongly as real food. That shows a link, not a cause.^[6]
Stress: In 54 studies with 119,820 healthy adults, people under stress ate slightly more and slightly less healthily. The effects were small.^[7] More under Stress and emotional eating.
Cycle: In 15 datasets with 330 women, intake was about 168 kcal a day higher in the second half of the cycle than in the first. The authors point to flaws in the measurements.^[8] In 259 women, appetite and the urge for chocolate, sweets and salty food peaked shortly before the period.^[9]

What studies say about common tips

Tip	What studies show
More protein	Slightly less hunger in the short term, no difference in appetite in longer studies^[10]
Fibre	Rarely works at once: of 107 tested variants, 39% lowered appetite and 22% lowered intake^[11]
Regular meals	Less hunger than with changing times in a trial of 11 women, which is very few people^[12]
Eating breakfast	Not a must: in 13 studies, people with breakfast ate about 260 kcal more a day than without. The studies were short and had weaknesses^[13]
Mindfulness	24 studies with 1,920 adults: cravings got slightly weaker but not rarer. The evidence is weak^[14]
A short walk	15 minutes of brisk walking lowered the urge for sugary snacks in 47 people. Only that moment was measured^[15]

So no single thing works for everyone. Try what suits you and drop what changes nothing.

What you can try

Plan in foods you feel like eating instead of cutting them out completely.
Note when the craving comes. A pattern often shows.
Look after your sleep. After too little sleep, people eat more on average.^[3]

These are suggestions, not a guarantee. If you often feel you lose control over eating, read When to get medical advice.

The app does not replace medical advice.