The #1 Best Food That Crushes Sugar Cravings, Says Dietitian
We all know that dreaded feeling of trying your hardest to eat healthy and workout to achieve your weight loss goals, only to be hit with annoying cravings mid-morning or sometime after lunch in the afternoon.
Sometimes, these cravings are enough to derail your healthy eating goals for the entire day, and before you know it you find yourself grabbing a couple cookies or polishing off a pint of ice cream immediately after dinner.
So how exactly do we fight these intense sugar cravings when they arise? One of the main ways to do this is by making sure you're eating enough nutrient-dense foods throughout the day, which ensures you'll feel more satiated. But if you find yourself in a tricky situation with some unexpected cravings, there's a helpful snack to reach for.
According to our Medical Expert Board member, registered dietitian Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The First Time Mom's Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility, one of the best foods to snack on to crush sugar cravings are prunes.
Continue reading to learn about the potential health benefits of prunes, and for more healthy eating tips, make sure to check out 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.
How prunes can cut sugar cravings.
According to Manaker, prunes can help cut cravings for a number of reasons.
For starters, prunes are filling and can quell hunger pangs: "According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Bulletin, people who snacked on prunes felt less hungry and ate fewer calories overall than people who snacked on raisins or jelly beans," she says, "and prune snackers also experienced better appetite control compared to those who snacked on raisins or jelly beans."
Another reliable way that prunes can help crush pesky sugar cravings is by providing sweetness without the added sugar. This is key, seeing as added sugar is known to have addictive qualities in your brain neurochemistry.
"Prunes are naturally sweet, a factor that may help satisfy a sweet tooth," says Manaker, "plus, unlike candy, they contain natural antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, along with fiber to make them a satiating food." Every prune has 3.5 grams of naturally-occurring sugars and 0.5 grams of fiber.
If you're in the process of curbing sugar cravings, keep a bag of prunes in the fridge, and reach for one the next time you're looking for something sweet.
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