Food cravings are more common than many of us like to admit. Cravings are tough to ignore and present as a yearning for a particular food. Craving for chocolate, salty or sugary foods are among the most common.
Cravings are usually a sign that something is out of balance. Maybe you are not getting enough nutrients, or you are emotionally stressed. The urge to eat a particular food is twice as common in women than in males. Understanding the food cravings chart can better help you be able to deal with those pesky food cravings.
The Food Cravings Meaning Chart
Cravings are sometimes an indicator that your body is deprived of an essential nutrient. For instance, if you are constantly yearning for chocolate, it might indicate that your body is not getting enough magnesium. The natural response would be to get that chocolate bar when you could substitute it with foods such as leafy green vegetables, nuts, or fruits.
Note that nutritional deficiency is not the only reason for food cravings. However, if you have ruled out other triggers of cravings such as restriction, stress, pregnancy, fatigue, or lack of sleep, you might have a nutritional deficiency. So, when you are craving soda or salty chips, you can opt for a healthier alternative by taking a quick look at a junk food cravings chart. But, what do food cravings mean chart and how do you use one?
A food cravings and what they mean chart shows the types of food you crave, what nutrient you could be deficient of and types of food rich in that nutrient. But in the case you have never come across such a then you must be wondering how to handle food cravings chart? All you need to do is look through a weird food cravings and what they mean chart then identify which food you crave.
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This food cravings deficiency chart looks at healthy eating alternatives to cravings for certain types of food.
| Craving | What it might mean | What to eat instead |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | Magnesium deficiency | Green leafy vegetables, seeds, raw nuts, beans, fruits |
| Fatty or oily foods | Calcium deficiency | Spinach, kale, okra, broccoli, oranges, almonds, milk, sesame seeds |
| Bread | Nitrogen deficiency | Oatmeal, leafy green vegetables, nuts, legumes such as beans, peas, lentils |
| Soda and other carbonated drinks | Calcium deficiency | Mustard greens, broccoli, kale, tulips greens, sesame, legumes, cheese |
| Salty snacks | Chloride deficiency | Sea salt, celery, tomatoes, olives |
| Salty snacks | Stress hormones fluctuations | Leafy green veggies, B vitamins, vitamin C, breathing exercises, meditation, self-care |
| Coffee | Sodium chloride (salt) deficiency | Sea salt, regular table salt, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, seaweed |
| Coffee | Sulphur deficiency | Garlic, kale, asparagus, onion, cranberries, cabbage, broccoli |
| Coffee | Phosphorus deficiency | Beans, lentils, pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, nuts |
| Coffee | Iron deficiency | Spinach, legumes, meats, dried fruit, seaweed, cherries, plums, figs |
| Sugary sweets | Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) | Quinoa, fruits, legumes, cinnamon, raisins |
| Sugary sweets | Sulphur deficiency | Asparagus, garlic, kale, onion, cranberries, carob powder |
| Sugary sweets | Tryptophan deficiency | Sweet potato, raisins, oatmeal, spinach, pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds |
| Sugary sweets | Chromium deficiency | Cinnamon, grapes, tomato, onion, apples, lettuce, sweet potato |
| Sugary sweets | Phosphorus deficiency | Pinto beans, lentils, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, whole grains |
| Cheese | Essential fatty acids deficiency | Flax oil, Omega 3’s (EPA and DHA), walnuts, chia seeds |
| Cheese | Calcium deficiency | Legumes, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, spinach |
| Alcohol | Protein deficiency | Legumes such as beans, lentils, peas, soybeans, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, poultry, beef |
| Alcohol | Calcium deficiency | Legumes, mustard greens, kale, turnip greens, tahini, sesame seeds |
| Alcohol | Potassium deficiency | Seaweed, tomato, citrus fruits, pineapple, banana, black olives, bitter leafy greens |
| Alcohol | Glutamine deficiency | Bone broth, beets, parsley, cabbage, spinach, vegetable juice, beans |
| Chewing on ice | Iron deficiency | Legumes, dried fruits, cherries, spinach, unsulphured prunes, seaweed, poultry, fish, beef |
| Pasta or baked foods | Chromium deficiency | Cinnamon, grapes, tomato, onion, apples, lettuce, sweet potato |
| Snacks (junk foods) | Unbalanced diet | Plenty of water, fruits, vegetables, protein, whole carbs, nuts, and seeds |
Factors That Cause Food Cravings
Several factors cause food cravings. Understanding the causes of cravings is the starting point to managing this condition. When left unmanaged, uncontrolled food cravings can cause weight gain (3). These factors can be grouped into physical and mental (psychological causes) causes.
Physical Causes
The physical factors that cause cravings include:
Lack Of Good Quality Sleep
Sleep is crucial to the human body, just like diet and physical activity. During sleep, your body and brain rest so that you are re-energized in the morning. Poor or inadequate sleep can cause imbalances in hormones that regulate hunger and satiety hormones, causing an increase in appetite and intensifying food cravings (5).
Dehydration
Thirst can be easily confused for hunger. Poor hydration may have you mistake thirst for hunger and may intensify food cravings. Research indicates that drinking water before a meal may reduce energy intake (8).
Gut Microbiota
Recent research shows a link between cravings and your gut flora. The presence of some types of bacteria may influence the type and frequency of cravings you experience (6). 
Pregnancy
Food cravings are very common during pregnancies. The hormonal changes during pregnancy may influence taste and smell receptors and cause intensified food cravings (7).
Physical Inactivity
An increase in your level of physical activity, be it taking a walk around the walk or a jog in the park, may help reduce cravings. On the other hand, moving less than you usually do may cause you to have more food cravings (3).
Eating Ultra-Processed Foods
Research suggests that processed foods rich in added fats and sugars may be associated with addiction-like symptoms. These, in turn, may cause an increase in cravings for such foods (10).
Ghrelin And Leptin Dysregulation
Ghrelin, often called the hunger hormone, increases energy intake, stimulates appetite, and promotes fat storage. On the other hand, Leptin sends signals to the brain that the body has stored enough fat, thus inhibiting hunger. An imbalance in these hormones may result in cravings and increased hunger pangs (9).
A Nutrient-Deficient Diet
Nutrients such as fiber and protein help you stay full for longer. A diet deficient in these nutrients may make you feel hungry and cause increased cravings even when you have eaten enough calories (1).
Missing crucial nutrients such as sodium chloride or magnesium may cause cravings for salty foods and chocolate, respectively. Looking through a food cravings chart nutrient deficiency might help you identify where your cravings stem.
Premenstrual Syndrome
Cravings are very common in women just before their periods begin. Changes in the hormones progesterone and estrogen that occur during your period may cause cravings, especially for carbohydrate-rich foods (7).
Low Blood Sugar Levels
Low blood sugar is a major culprit behind food cravings. When you take sugar, your blood sugar levels spike, and the body releases insulin to bring it down to a safe level. Low blood sugar occurs when there isn’t enough glucose circulating in the bloodstream. This typically happens during long periods of starvation or skipping meals.
When your blood glucose is low, the body responds by causing you to crave foods that will raise your sugar levels. Also, if you have a blood sugar imbalance, you are likely to have increased cravings. If insulin lowers your blood sugar way below the normal level, you will crave snacks with a high carbohydrate content (4).
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Psychological Causes
Food cravings also have a mental aspect behind them. The mental (psychological) factors that cause food cravings include:
Stress
Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone. Stress can cause an increase in the level of cortisol. Stress, especially chronic stress, disrupts homeostasis, influences food choices, appetite, and eating habits.
Chronic stress increases wanting and appetite for calorie-dense and high-fat foods. High cortisol levels has been linked to hunger and cravings (9). Stress also results in a phenomenon called stress eating that generally causes an increase in energy intake.
Mood Fluctuations
Certain mood states can cause cravings for specific types of foods. Particularly so, negative moods trigger cravings for comfort foods (2).
Personality
Certain personality types have been linked to food addiction. Research suggests that individuals who are more impulsive or score higher on addictive personality scales are more likely to experience food cravings (10).
Eating Context
You have definitely heard the phrase ‘it is all in your head.’ As it turns out, the brain associates eating some types of foods to a specific context. For example, popcorn and watching a movie. So the next time you are watching a movie, you may crave some popcorn.
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Food Cravings And Emotions
Food cravings and emotions are strongly connected. You may find that eating a certain type of food when you are sad makes you feel better. Given that both nutrient deficiency and emotions cause cravings for specific foods, you may confuse the two. In fact, it would be easier to think that a nutrient deficiency causes your cravings as it would be easier to manage.
Emotional eating involves eating particular foods that bring you comfort when you are sad or upset. You may often feel guilty after eating in that manner, causing a cycle of overeating and issues such as weight gain and obesity. Much as emotional eating affects both men and women, it is thought to be more common among females.
Food is sometimes used as a way to fill a void that may result from negative emotions. Food may also offer comfort since an individual has retreated from social functions. Stress causes an increase in the level of cortisol which, in turn, causes food cravings.
And while you need food to function properly, it is important to differentiate emotional hunger cues from actual hunger cues. There are a few signs that differentiate emotional hunger from physical hunger as shown below:
| Emotional hunger | Physical hunger |
|---|---|
| Comes abruptly | Develops gradually or over some time |
| You long for certain comfort foods | You crave any type of food |
| Feelings of guilt and shame after eating | No negative feelings |
| You eat quickly and in a private place | You take your time eating |
| You must eat immediately | You can wait a while before eating |
| You do not stop eating when full | You stop eating when you are full |
To be able to better understand cravings and emotions have a look at the food cravings and emotions chart below:
| What you crave for | Negative emotion you may be experiencing |
|---|---|
| Sugar | Depression |
| Salty foods | Stress |
| Meat and crunch foods | Anger |
| Soft, sweet foods such as ice cream | Anxiety |
Conclusion
We all have at one point experienced a food craving. While giving in to a craving might seem like the easiest way out, it is not. Often, foods we crave are loaded with sugar, salt, and fats, making them unhealthy. So any time you feel like grabbing a bar of chocolate, try an apple or a handful of nuts instead.
The best way to get through food cravings is to refer to a chart on food cravings and what to eat instead, like the one provided above. That way, you can opt for a healthier alternative. Also, reduce stress, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, and exercise regularly to keep food cravings at bay.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- A randomized crossover, pilot study examining the effects of a normal protein vs. high protein breakfast on food cravings and reward signals in overweight/obese “breakfast skipping” late-adolescent girls (2014, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Food craving: new contributions on its assessment, moderators, and consequences (2015, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Food Cravings and Body Weight: A Conditioning Response (2019, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Food cravings during acute hypoglycaemia in adults with Type 1 diabetes (2004, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Impact of insufficient sleep on total daily energy expenditure, food intake, and weight gain (2013, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms (2014, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Pickles and ice cream! Food cravings in pregnancy: hypotheses, preliminary evidence, and directions for future research (2014, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Pre-meal water consumption reduces meal energy intake in older but not younger subjects (2007, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Stress, cortisol, and other appetite-related hormones: Prospective prediction of 6-month changes in food cravings and weight (2018, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- What Is the Evidence for “Food Addiction?” A Systematic Review (2018, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
