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How to overcome sugar cravings
"We're designed to like sweet flavours," says a nutritionist.
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"The goal isn’t necessarily to completely get rid of sugar cravings. That doesn't have to be the task," says Marthe Isaksen Aukan, postdoctoral researcher at NTNU.
But Aukan and associate professor Eli Anne Myrvoll at the University of Agder share several tips for keeping cravings under control, so they affect your daily life as little as possible.
Can be influenced by emotions and sleep
"Sugar cravings often appear later in the day because people skip breakfast and eat too little in the morning," says Aukan. "You should instead eat more consistently throughout the day, and make sure there is enough protein and fibre in your diet."
But your emotions, how well you sleep, and how much pressure you face at work or in family life can also have an impact.
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"The body likes routines," she says.
That’s why she doesn’t recommend trying to remove every unhealthy habit at once, especially in the first weeks of January.
"One piece of advice can be to avoid an 'all or nothing' approach. That's usually what leads to the best long-term success," she says.
Breaking habits takes time
"We're designed to like sweet flavours, and it's easy to get used to the sweet flavours," says nutritionist Eli Anne Myrvoll.
She explains that sugar cravings are often tied to habits. If you usually eat something sweet after lunch, dinner, or in the evening, the cravings will often come at those times.
Changing that habit can take time. But cravings usually fade once the routine is broken. Still, if the chocolate bar in your cupboard feels impossible to ignore, Myrvoll suggests a simple trick.
Menthol can reduce sugar cravings
Myrvoll says bushing your teeth, using mouthwash, or having a mint can help.
"It changes the tast in your mouth. If you use mouthwash with a strong menthol flavour, you may feel that the cravings lessen a bit," she says.
And mixing chocolate with menthol suddenly doesn't seem very appealing.
Myrvoll also suggests finding something to do to take your mind off the sweets.
"Fold laundry, bring out the vacuum cleaner, read a book, or go for a walk. Getting fresh air and movement gives double benefits," she says.
If you associate reading or watching TV with sweets and snacks, it might not work so well. So it's worth thinking about which situations you personally associate with eating sweets.
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It may be about taste
Both the body and the mind can work against us as we try to live healthier. Eating a lot of sweet food often leads to wanting even more, so the body needs time to adjust to getting less sugar. Myrvoll says that for many people, things get easier after a week or two.
If you’re used to eating a lot of sugar and fast carbohydrates and suddenly cut back, your overall energy intake often drops as well. When that happens, the body will cry out for nourishment – and preferably something sweet, Aukan explains.
"Make sure to fill up with regular food and don't be hungry. Cravings for something sweet can sometimes just mean you’re hungry or thirsty. Drinking a large glass of water can help," advises Myrvoll.
Sugar and carbohydrates are the body's quickest source of energy, so it's natural to crave them when you're hungry. At the same time, sweet flavours feel safe and comforting.
"We're born to like sweet foods. Breast milk has a naturally sweet taste. Bitter flavours, on the other hand, can be associated with toxic substances and usually take longer to learn to enjoy," she explains.
Do we crave sugar more when it's cold and dark?
You may also be used to snacking while watching your favorite TV show in the evening.
"In that case, it can be a good idea to cut up fruit and vegetables and eat those instead. Most people eat too little compared to what’s recommended," says Myrvoll.
But perhaps what we really crave most is the sweet taste – and not necessarily stuffing our body full of carbohydrates, says Aukan.
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"Sugar, fat, and foods we associate with positive feelings help us relax. Sugar cravings are often driven by learned expectations," she says.
In other words, the craving is mostly in your head.
"Do we crave sugar more when it's dark and cold outside?"
"I bealieve it's at least partly learned behaviour," says Aukan.
Expectations change quickly
Many probably associate the winter months with relaxing and cosying up indoors.
"And that's fine, but if it becomes a habit, the body and brain start expecting a reward," says Aukan.
The more sugar you eat, the more the brain comes to expect it.
"The more often we experience rewards, the more we need to trigger the same response," she says.
But the brain adapts quickly when habits change. At first, you're likely to feel strong sugar cravings and a need to seek it out.
But fairly quickly, the body gets used to fewer carbohydrates. It can even handle periods without any sugar at all – and that may come with certain health benefits.
Giving up whole grains on the road to ketosis
"The body is very smart. The brain needs carbohydrates, and when it doesn't get them over time, the body starts producing ketones," says Aukan.
These ketones replace carbohydrates and are used as energy by the brain. The body enters a state known as ketosis.
"You don't actually get hungrier – you simply feel less desire to eat," she says.
This can be useful for people trying to lose weight, especially those who manage to stay strict about limiting carbohydrates.
"But you have to exclude healthy food groups like whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. So there are advantages and disadvantages to this," says Aukan.
She says that the amount of carbohydrates a person can eat while still staying in ketosis differs from individual to individual.
"Life goes on even if you've eaten one chocolate too many"
A 2024 study that Aukan helped conduct showed that participants could still remain in ketosis even while eating around 100 grams of carbohydrates daily.
If you've eaten little sugar for a period of time, you'll probably notice that it takes less to feel satisfied.
"Sugar can start to feel very rich and intensely sweet. But your tolerance builds back up very quickly," says Aukan.
Myrvoll compares this to salt. In recent years, many packaged soups have been made with less salt. But producers lowered the salt content gradually so the change didn't feel to dramatic.
You can do the same in your own kitchen. Gradually reducing sugar or salt helps prevent food from suddenly tasting bland or strange overnight.
Aukan also encourages people not to be too hard on themselves if they slip up.
"We live in a fairly stressful society. Everyone is expected to perform in all areas of life, so it's important to take care of yourself and calm your body down," she says. "Life goes on even if you've eaten one chocolate too many."
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no
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