What's your craving buster?

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tseecka
tseecka Posts: 90 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have a few items that I try to always keep on hand...I get really bad cravings halfway through the day, and trial and error has found some snacks and drinks that can really stop them in their tracks!

I always have a small baggie of raw almonds with me during the work day. I make sure to only pack 15 or so, so that I don't go crazy with snacking (because nuts can REALLY add up quickly) but I find that popping two or three in my mouth when I start thinking about heading down to the vending machine for a bag of chips can stop those thoughts in their tracks. I started using almonds to counter cravings after I read an article for a Health Education 101 class at uni, about a certain element in them that is actually specifically geared to target cravings...crazy!

My other craving buster is tea. I am a tea addict...and I'm not afraid to admit it...tea is one of those great things that make you FEEL like you're taking in more than just water, but at barely any calories! I have a collection of about 48 different types of teas, and those are awesome because a lot of them have ingredients that trick my taste buds into thinking they're getting chocolate or other sweets or tasty foods when really it's just water. I find that the taste of tea lingers longer, too, so taking a sip from my mug (as I just did!) puts off that nagging, "I want delicious things in my mouth" feeling that often leads to late day snacking.

My favourite tea is a Dragonwell (a Chinese green tea) that is the perfect mix of sweet and bitter and gets better with every steeping. I've been drinking mugs of that all day at work. The small amount of caffeine is juuuust enough to wake me up, and the taste of it is mild enough to really compliment the food I packed for my lunch--but it also satisfies me all on it's own, like now when all my snacks are gone. Even teas that have chocolate or other things in them (and I mean actual chocolate, not chocolate flavour) have at most 1 or 2 calories per cup, and if you buy teas that have natural sweeteners like apple, vanilla, or maple in them, you don't have to worry about dumping sugar into your cup to make it drinkable!


What snacks and drinks do you use to curb cravings?

Replies

  • darklord48
    darklord48 Posts: 114 Member
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    Tortilla chips and homemade salsa. Just like you pack limited almonds, I pack limited chips. Salsa on the other hand, I go all out.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Those individual dove dark chocolate squares.
  • tseecka
    tseecka Posts: 90 Member
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    Those individual dove dark chocolate squares.

    Oh yes! I also love Cocoa Camino or Green and Black's chocolate bars--just a square at a time. They're perfect for when you really want some chocolate, because the super dark flavours (which are my fave) are satisfying in small quantities and don't leave me wanting more.

    Plus I get to feel good about eating chocolate from an ethical standpoint, as well as a dietary one!
  • Marig0ld
    Marig0ld Posts: 671 Member
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    I am 100% with you on the teas. Do you know where I can pick up some of that Dragonwell stuff? At Teavana maybe? I could spend my life's savings there. Lol
  • ErrataCorrige
    ErrataCorrige Posts: 649 Member
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    I am a sweet craver. My go to is the Fiber One Chocolate Caramel Coconut bars. Tastes just like Girl Scout Samoa cookies, but only 120 cals, 2g of protein and 9g of fiber!!!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    Tea and Psyllium husk powder
  • Sp1nGoddess
    Sp1nGoddess Posts: 1,138 Member
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    Ditto on the Dove dark chocolate squares... oh and homemade habanero beef jerky will kill any craving.
  • tseecka
    tseecka Posts: 90 Member
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    I am 100% with you on the teas. Do you know where I can pick up some of that Dragonwell stuff? At Teavana maybe? I could spend my life's savings there. Lol

    I spend basically all of my tea budget (yeah, I had to set up a budget for tea because I buy so much...lol) at DavidsTea. They're a Canadian company, but they have a website and I know they do ship to the States. And I'm totally willing to make some recommendations on flavours if you're thinking about ordering some!
  • leeshults
    leeshults Posts: 223 Member
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    At work I keep some individual boxes of cereal. Corn pops or Lucky Charms. At 110 a box they are low calorie and I eat them with hot tea so it seems more like a snack plus I get in more water.

    Also...my all time fave is the new Skinny Cow candy bars. At 110 to 120 they don't taste "diet" at all......

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