Food cravings

A craving is a sudden, urgent desire for one particular food – and it usually feels different from ordinary hunger. Ordinary hunger tends to build slowly, can be satisfied with almost anything and goes away after eating. A craving hits all at once, wants exactly that chocolate or exactly those crisps, and feels urgent even though your stomach often isn't empty at all.

The most common triggers are physical: going too long without eating, in some people a drop in blood sugar after a very sugary meal, too little sleep, or too little of the protein and fibre that keep you full. Then there are emotional triggers such as stress, boredom or frustration – and strict bans. Paradoxically, if you forbid yourself something completely, you end up thinking about it all the time.

What helps? First: eat regularly, with protein, wholegrains and vegetables, so your blood sugar stays stable. Second: when a craving strikes, drink a glass of water and wait ten minutes or do something else for a bit – sometimes it's actually thirst, and many cravings fade away on their own in that time. Third: if you still want it after that, eat a small portion mindfully and without guilt. One piece of chocolate that you enjoy is better than a whole bar eaten out of shame.

In children, a craving after school is often simply real hunger because lunch was a long time ago. A regular afternoon snack with fruit, yoghurt or a slice of wholegrain bread helps prevent it. If episodes of eating large amounts with a loss of control happen regularly, an eating disorder may be behind them, such as binge eating disorder. In that case, talk to your GP or paediatrician, or call the anonymous helpline of the German Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG, formerly BZgA) on 0221 892031 – eating disorders can be treated, and the earlier, the better.