5 Tricks to Resist Unhealthy Food Temptation

Set yourself up for success!

Making the right decision just got a little bit easier. Resisting temptation is all about setting yourself up for success. If you expect yourself to make the healthy choice, it’s more likely you will. With these 5 tricks to resist unhealthy food, you can help create an environment where the right choice seems like the easy choice (or at least an easier choice).

From eating the right foods throughout the day to keeping certain snacks out of the house, these 5 tricks to resist unhealthy food temptation can help you reach your diet goals.

1. Make sure you’re eating enough.
Your body requires a certain amount of calories to function properly. These provide energy for basic processes such as digestion, muscle repair, and cell regeneration. If you deprive your body of these calories, it’ll start sending starvation signals to your brain, causing hunger and cravings. If you’ve ever followed a restrictive diet for a few days, only to eat three times as much when you finally cave, it’s likely because your body has been starving and is overriding your willpower to get the nutrients it needs.

Curb cravings by making sure you are eating enough calories throughout the day.

2. Get all your vitamins and minerals.
Another common cause of cravings is vitamin or mineral deficiencies. When you’re lacking a particular nutrient, your brain makes you crave foods that will provide said nutrient. In order to avoid this kind of craving, make sure you’re eating plenty of high-nutrient veggies and fruit.

You can also learn which deficiencies cause what cravings. Look for healthy foods that provide the vitamins and minerals you are lacking and incorporate them throughout your day.

3. Wait out your cravings.
Unlike hunger, when you ignore a craving, it tends to go away or lessen in intensity. A craving will usually last about fifteen minutes. Try engaging in a distracting activity. Choose something that takes fifteen minutes or longer and that demands your full attention. After you spend fifteen minutes focusing on a different task, you might even forget about the plate of cookies in the kitchen.

4. Don’t stock trigger foods.
If you’re reaching for unhealthy snacks even when you’re full, you might be using food for emotional comfort. While it can be a long-term struggle to shift away from emotional eating, it is worth finding healthier ways to cope. Keeping trigger foods out of your kitchen is one way you can set yourself up for a good decision. You can always keep single servings in your pantry so you can allow yourself a treat without binging.

5. Keep healthy alternatives around.
Cravings can also be triggered by low energy levels. If it’s not time for a meal but you’re getting hungry, a light and healthy snack can help you stay away from the chips. Keep apples, oranges, baby carrots, and other single-serving snacks around. When you feel a craving coming on, reach for these healthy alternatives instead. It’ll be easier to resist unhealthy options.

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Sofia Lopez

Sofia received her BA from Cornell University and her MFA from San Francisco State University. She creates workouts and fitness challenges. Her hobbies include running, hiking, and listening to audiobooks from the exercise bike.

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