Why Do I Crave Sugar When I'm Not Even Hungry?

By Shereen Jegtvig

Question: Why Do I Crave Sugar When I'm Not Even Hungry?

I seem to crave sugar when I'm not even hungry. I'll have a nice salad with greens, salmon pieces, and vegetables on it, then a few minutes later I'll want something sweet. I usually eat nutritious foods most of the time. It's when I'm not hungry that I seem to really crave the sweets.

All of my family really likes sweets and I've tried to not have them as often anymore. If I do eat sweets, I usually will have some dates or a Clif Bar, but sometimes I'll just eat a huge bowl of ice cream or cookies, or eat a whole pan of brownies.

Why do you think I crave sweets and what are some solutions to stop craving them?

Answer: I can think of two possible reasons why you crave sugar. Eating desserts may be a family tradition so having something sweet after dinner might be a habit (seems like this type of habit gets even stronger during the holiday season).

Another reason for the sugar cravings may be due to serotonin, which is a brain chemical that makes you feel content and happy. Eating sugar may increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which helps your body make serotonin, so it's possible that eating something sweet may make you feel happy. The opposite might be true then too -- avoiding sweets may make you feel crabby.

Sugar has calories, but no additional nutritional value, and the calories can add up fast - each gram of sugar has four calories (here's how you convert grams of sugar to teaspoons). Many sweet treats also contain unhealthy amounts of saturated and trans-fats.

Is some sugar acceptable? Sure, in moderation. Choosemyplate.gov allows you to have a few discretionary calories each day. However, if you are overweight or obese, you may need to decrease your total calorie consumption, which will also decrease your discretionary calorie allowance.

Enjoying an occasional high-calorie sweet treat probably won't hurt you if you're at a healthy weight, but it shouldn't become a daily habit. I've also got some tips for helping you with excessive sugar cravings:

• Get some exercise. You may feel better if you go for a walk or get some other type of exercise. Exercise will stimulate brain chemicals that will improve your mood.
• Sugar cravings may lessen if you decrease the number of calories you eat each day, so if you are eating too many calories, cut back.
• Don't tempt yourself by keeping high-calorie sweets in the house.
• Don't skip meals, which can make cravings worse.
• Keep your meals simple. The more side dishes and flavors you include in your meals, the more likely you are to overeat.
• Choose healthy side dishes with a sweet flavor, such as sweet potatoes.

Perhaps if you satisfy your taste buds' need for sweet flavor during your meal, you won't fall for a big dessert afterward (find out how much sugar you can have each day). Fruits such as pluot and berries are naturally sweet and offer vitamins, mineral and other important phytochemicals. You can sweeten your vegetables too - dress up your carrots with a little honey glaze to keep the sugar cravings at bay later.