If you’ve ever wondered how to curb sugar cravings without going “cold turkey” and getting all those withdrawal symptoms then these tips can help you.
Instead of trying to quit sugar that way use the following 10 foods listed below as your starting base to help curb sugar cravings. Remember that moderation is the key to success. When you drop processed sugar from your diet and look more towards natural sugars from fruit, you still need to understand a few things.
Related reading: Sugar Detox: Supercharge your Health in 5 Simple Steps
For example, you may be eating bananas as a prime source for a satisfying snack. Even though bananas are low on the glycemic scale they are high in carbohydrate. They contain sucrose, glucose and fructose and are one of the higher sugar fruits. They can raise blood sugar in some people so they are not a good way to prevent sugar cravings.
Let’s look at 10 foods you need to be aware of.
How To Curb Sugar Cravings
1. Green Smoothies
Instead of getting a fruit smoothie at one of those smoothie bars or buying supermarket ones make your own green smoothie. Use kale or spinach with green apple with stevia or a little organic raw honey to sweeten. Use filtered water or some coconut water for the liquid.
Stevia is as sweet as sugar but does not raise your blood sugar so is an ideal sweetener. Kale has many benefits and is high in vitamin C, which will reduce your sugar cravings.
2. Fermented Vegetables
Looking to eat something after dinner? Try fermented vegetables as a substitute for candy. Korean kimchi may be too spicy for you but you can investigate making a carrot/jicama mixture, which is crunchy and delicious. Jicama is also a favorite of those on the keto diet as it can be eaten in so many different ways, including jicama fries.
3. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes like jicama can be made into fries. Sweet potatoes are very healthy and can be enjoyed by baking or eating them whole. Try them with the addition of a little cinnamon. Delicious! They do contain a lot of natural sugar so eat in moderation.
4. Nuts and seeds
Consider eating healthy nuts and seeds, such as walnuts and pumpkin seeds. You can munch on them for snacks or add them to a healthy lunchtime salad. Just remember not to add store bought salad dressings as they often contain added sugar. and other unhealthy ingredients. Make your own with some extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
5. Eggs
You may not have thought about eggs as a sugar replacement but they are actually very good. Eating a couple of organic free range or pastured hard boiled egg for breakfast helps to keep you feeling satisfied a lot longer than say cereal. You can eat an egg as a snack between meals too. It will help to keep your stomach full and stave off cravings. Add a touch of Himalayan salt and a little black pepper or paprika for taste.
6. Grapes
Many people are addicted not only to sugar, but the crunchy feeling from eating chips or chocolate bars with added nuts or candy bits. Replace those unhealthy foods with grapes. Grapes have enough natural sugar to override your desire for the processed stuff and they can be considered as a crunchy food.
A trick I was told once by a doctor at a 7th Day Adventist Center was to have some grapes in the freezer and eat a few after dinner. They would be enough to satisfy that craving for something sweet.
7. Dark Chocolate
If you are having trouble cutting out sweet treats, switch over to dark chocolate. This chocolate has a high cocoa content and is considered to be healthy due to a large amount of antioxidants, which are beneficial for your heart. Scientific studies show it can also be good for the brain, unlike processed sugar that is found in cookies and other types of sweets.
You can get dark chocolate sweetened with stevia or coconut sugar which is better than regular sugar. Coconut sugar is reputed to be low glycemic in studies but it can raise blood sugar in some sensitive people so be careful with it.
A square or two is satisfying if you eat it slowly and mindfully. Eating mindfully can stop you eating a whole bar without realizing. You get to savor the taste and your brain gets to register that you are satisfied.
Related reading: 5 Tips For Eating Mindfully During Thanksgiving and The Holiday Season
8. Greek Yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt is another way to curb your sugar cravings. You can add a little fresh fruit if you want. Stay away from yogurts that have added fruit as it is not fresh and there may be additional sugar added.
Greek yogurt is higher in protein which helps to get you feeling satisfied.
Related reading: Yogurt: A Powerful Ally for your Detox Diets
9. Dark berries
Dark berries like blueberries and blackberries have that sweet flavor you crave and are also full of antioxidants which are good for your health. They are low in carbs but just eat them in moderation. A handful is best rather than consuming a bowl full of berries in milk.
10 Avocados
Avocados are very popular with the health crowd. They can be eaten on their own, put in a smoothie or can even be used to make a delicious low carb avocado ice cream.They truly are a great sugar substitute and one of the best food items you can use while detoxing from sugar.As you are probably aware, people often add avocado to their breakfast or main meals, such as a salad or even a slice on top of a homemade hamburger.
You might also want to take a look at an article that I wrote on my low carb/ keto diet blog about 5 Healthy Snacks That Kill Sugar Cravings for some additional ideas.
I hope now that you will have a better idea how to curb sugar cravings. If you need a more detailed plan to help you then take a look at my
7 Day Sugar Detox Program .