2. More Ways To Kick Food Cravings

Craving cause #3: Depriving yourself of trigger foods, or any food

Hunger is a basic human drive -- the reminder to eat keeps us fueled. Craving fatty, filling foods may have evolved as nature's way of ensuring that we seek out enough to eat. It's little wonder, then, that the foods people crave most often are high in calorie density, rather than less energy-dense foods such as fruits and veggies, according to research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University. On its list of the most-craved foods: chocolate, chips, and French fries.
Cravings don't always evaporate when you completely swear off foods that trigger them, research shows; they can even intensify. A similar effect occurs when you skip eating all day, as when stressed or dieting: You risk intensifying the food cravings -- and giving in when you're tired and really hungry. Cravings can even lead to bingeing this way.
To break the craving: Expect it, and make a smart substitution.
Given that cravings for calorie-dense foods are so normal, USDA researchers suggests putting that knowledge to work for you by expecting them -- and subbing lower-calorie versions of similar foods. You might be just as satisfied (and do less damage) amid a milk-and-cookies jones if the milk is skim and the cookies are gingersnaps rather than chunky-chocolate-chip, for example.
Try having a fun-sized bar of candy or a 100-calorie-sized snack pack instead of a big one. Better yet, substitute something with similar sweetness that's healthier, such as dense, sweet dates instead of a candy bar. Swap frozen whole-fruit bars for ice cream cones. (Don't believe they deliver the same kick? "Try it before you dismiss it!" Reardon urges.)

Craving cause #4: Sheer familiarity

Notice that most Americans don't crave much red-bean paste, popular in Chinese desserts, or French macaroons, the cookie found in every corner patisserie in Paris. "Basically, we crave what we know," says Reardon.
Fast food, or packaged goods like candy, chips, and cookies, are often objects of American desire because they're so visible and readily available. In fact, research has shown that chocolate is the number-one craved food in America. Japanese women crave sushi, a study at Tohoku University found, while rice cravings are common in other Asian cultures.
To break the craving: Try branching out.
It can take as many as 20 different servings before a child will start eating a new food; repeated exposures to different choices can, with diligence, build new habits for you, too. Look for swaps that echo your current craving in some way -- for example, if you're addicted to popcorn, try subbing air-popped kernels, or salted edamame, which are similarly crunchy and eaten with the fingers. Have an apple at the time you'd normally open a bag of corn chips. Be persistent; after a few weeks, you'll build a positive association to the new food.

Craving cause #5: Family history and lifestyle

Men often crave "comfort foods" such as Mom's meatloaf, greasy mac-and-cheese, or homemade chocolate chip cookies -- foods that someone else made for them that they associate with being nurtured. Women, in contrast, often go for packaged snacks like crackers or pints of ice cream, quick "bottomless" foods that they don't need to prepare and whose quantity can be ignored.
Occasions become linked to foods we crave, too: cake and birthdays, popcorn at the movies, pizza to celebrate good grades.
To break the craving: Stop to assess whether you want the food -- or the feeling.
Consider the association behind the hankering. Are you really in the mood for Mom's famous brownies, or would calling her up to hear her voice fill a need? Label what you're feeling: "I'm anxious." "I'm feeling lonely." Make healthier associations: Cheer yourself up with fresh flowers, rather than fresh cinnamon buns. To reward yourself, hit a local gift store rather than a vending machine. Remind yourself that you've come to see a movie, not to eat yourself sick.