4 food ingredients that cause cravings

Have you noticed that some foods make you want more and more, even though you know you’ve eaten plenty? Potato chips, cookies, popcorn and chocolate are some snacks that just stoke the appetite. Here’s a list of four food ingredients that will make you hungrier, even if you’re full, so limit these items:

1. Animal meat. Yes, eating animal meat will make you hungrier, that’s why you can eat a whole rack of ribs at one sitting.
2. Flour. Anything that has flour will encourage you to eat more. Common items that contain flour are pasta, bread and desserts.
3. Sugar. This one is a no-brainer. It’s tough to eat just one brownie or one serving of ice cream, which is typically a mere ½ cup.
4. Salt. If you add salt to anything, nuts, chips, pretzels…you’re going to want more.

Have you noticed what these ingredients have in common? Several of them are usually added together. If you have ribs, they are typically coated in a sauce that contains sugar and salt. Kung Pao chicken is fried in a batter that contains flour, sugar and salt. Pasta is made with flour and salt. If you add a red pasta sauce, it contains sugar (to offset the bitterness of the tomatoes). Then top off the pasta with some sausage, and you’ve got a tasty dish you’ll want a full plate of.

To rid yourself of cravings, try to limit animal meat, salt, and foods that contain sugar and flour. You can get your protein from grains, nut and seeds which will fill you up and reduce overeating. I make zucchini noodles instead of pasta. Instead of sugary snacks, I eat fruit; blend up a fruit smoothie with coconut milk (no juice); or I make one of my whole-food desserts from one of my two cookbooks: The High-Five Diet, or Slimming Dairy-Free Desserts and Smoothies.

I do add salt to all of my meals, but I only use a fraction of what the recipe calls for. I add a few shakes of salt on top of the entrée after I plate my food so that small amount of salt still brings out the flavors of the meal.