Have you ever wanted a hamburger so badly that you could not stay put until you got your hands on one? Have you experienced a chocolate craving so much so that all your thoughts throughout the day kept coming back to it? If you have, then you have experienced some serious food cravings.
Food cravings, also called selective hunger, can be tricky because, unlike normal hunger, the brain controls them. Hunger is born out of your survival mechanism; it is the body’s sign that you must feed it, and as such, the stomach controls it.
What most of us don’t know is that these food cravings are born out of nutritional deficiencies in the body. They are messages sent within the body to communicate that something is missing. For example, a craving for something sweet, such as a chocolate bar, can signify much more than just wishing to feed the palate with a sugary snack. Below, you can find some of the most common food cravings, the reason behind each, and raw foods you can eat instead.
| Craving | The Reason | Eat Instead |
| Cheese | Fatty Acids Deficiency | Omega-3s – ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts |
| Red Meat | Iron Deficiency | Spinach, cherries, figs |
| Salty Foods | Chloride Deficiency | Celery, tomatoes, kelp |
| Chocolate | Stress Hormone Fluctuation | Leafy Greens (spinach, kale, romaine, arugula) |
| Chocolate | Magnesium Deficiency | Raw cacao nibs/powder, bananas, nuts, watercress |
| Soda | Calcium Deficiency | Broccoli, kale |
| Coffee | Phosphorus Deficiency | Pumpkin seeds |
| Sodium Deficiency | Apple cider vinegar, kombucha | |
| Alcohol | Protein Deficiency | Nuts & Seeds |
| Potassium Deficiency | Tomato, banana, pineapple | |
| General Sweets | Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) | Fruit, cinnammon |
Perhaps knowing the reason behind our cravings will not only make us understand our bodies a little more, but also help us steer our diets in a healthier direction.
