Having cravings seems even more terrible while we are at home, so not giving in to them sometimes feels like a very difficult task.

Even if you have tried to maintain a weekly routine that includes exercise, the very nature of staying home means you are likely moving much less than you are used to. If you add to this the constant fear of a virus, the new normal is filled with anxiety.

So cravings are inevitable in this environment of anxiety and uncertainty; the bad thing is that we do not crave a big plate of lettuce, but rather those foods that do not have much nutritional value for us.

To help you curb this a bit, we help you understand why you only want to eat junk food and, best of all, better alternatives to satisfy those cravings.

Chronic stress can alter your food preferences, so it is normal to experience cravings for sugary or high-carb foods. That is, when you are anxious and stressed, you are more likely to grab a bag of chips or three cookies instead of a bag of carrots or celery.

Additionally, higher stress levels also alter the two main hunger hormones: leptin and ghrelin. This causes you to crave food more frequently, even if you are not really physically hungry.

The other reason you have these fierce cravings is that junk food is a quick way to release dopamine, yes, the happiness hormone that triggers a sense of well-being. And one more thing, you may also want to eat just because you are bored and this is a way to entertain yourself.

There is no precise strategy to evade these cravings, but you can follow certain guidelines to keep them balanced, for example, do not work near the kitchen, keep your meals balanced every four hours, take a pause before eating and reflect on whether you are really hungry or if it is just stress, and finally, be realistic: you are not going to stop wanting to comfort yourself with food; you can always have those wings, as long as you remember that eating them daily is not the best.

4 healthy alternatives for when you have cravings at home

The versatility of food can be the solution to have alternatives that taste like that craving but have a higher nutritional value.

For example, cauliflower can be a great ally for this, as there are a thousand dishes in which you can use it.



1. Cauliflower Wings

An original way to satisfy your craving for wings is to make them with cauliflower, using the same sauce that seasons them, but without eating a piece of fried chicken.

2. Pastor Tacos without meat

Eating tacos is one of the things we enjoy the most, but you can also get a lighter version if you use soy or, surprise, also cauliflower instead of pork.

3. Baked Vegetables with French Fry Flavor

Potatoes are low in vitamins, but carrots are a vegetable that has more than half of the carbohydrates and is packed with vitamins A and C; by cutting them into thin strips, seasoning them generously, and baking them until crispy, you get the same satisfying texture as French fries but without any of the weight gain side effects.

4. Mac & Cheese without Pasta

Classic macaroni and cheese is a bomb of fat and carbs without protein, but once again, you can reduce the carbs by replacing the standard pasta with cauliflower or a chickpea variety, which contains a third of the carbohydrates of regular elbow macaroni.