Why do sweet cravings seem to show up right when you’re trying to make healthier choices? The answer isn’t a lack of willpower. 

When sweets become part of your daily routine, your body and brain start expecting them, especially after meals.

This causes our brain to signal to us the “I need a little something sweet” feeling after eating a meal, especially a heavier meal.  Breaking a sweet habit is possible — and it does not even involve strong willpower. In fact, willpower or “going cold turkey” may actually sabotage your efforts.

How to Stop Craving Sweets

Start by Stabilizing Blood Sugar

Balanced meals and snacks quiet cravings faster than skipping meals. Skipping meals can often lead you to feel too hungry and drained to make a healthy decision. 

Each blood sugar balancing meal or snack should include:

• Protein (eggs, meat, fish, beans)
• Fiber (vegetables, fruit, whole grains)

Both protein and fiber stabilize blood sugar and keep hunger cues and cravings at bay.

Don’t Try to Quit Cold Turkey

Suddenly cutting out sweets can often backfire, leading to binge eating and feelings of defeat. Gradually reduce sugar to adjust your tastebuds and develop lasting healthy habits.

Slowly taper off sweets:

• Week 1: cut sweets portions in half, decreasing the amount normally consumed.
• Week 2: eat sweets only after meals
• Week 3: limit to 1 planned sweet per day or less, gradually decreasing to weekly

Try Sweet Swaps that Don’t Deprive

Choose natural sweets that satisfy to retrain your taste buds:

• Fruit + nut butter (fiber and healthy fat)
• Greek yogurt + berries (protein and fiber)
• One to two pieces of dark chocolate (70%+)
• Cinnamon apples or baked pears

Identify Your Trigger Times

Identify times or situations (like afternoon slumps, after dinner, late at night or when stressed or bored) when you typically crave sweets.

Instead of reaching for sweets:

• In the afternoon, have a protein snack (cheese, nuts, eggs).
• After dinner, try herbal tea or brush your teeth.
• When stressed or bored, take a walk, dance, stretch, change your surroundings or connect with someone.

Fix the “Invisible” Sweet Triggers

These habits can cause you to reach for sweets more often:

• Skipping meals
• Lack of sleep
• High stress
• Consuming an abundance of artificial sweeteners 

Choose Grace Over Guilt

If you have a sweet treat, enjoy it mindfully and savor it. Take smaller bites to make your dessert last longer. When you eat mindfully and intentionally, you will enjoy your favorite sweet without overindulging.

• Remove the “all or nothing” mentality. One dessert doesn’t make or break progress. It’s the habits that do.
• Balance your next meal. Focus on fueling your body first and intentionally enjoying sweets.

By staying consistent for a few weeks, you can reset your taste buds, leading to an actual physiological transformation instead of simply changing your mindset.  

After one to two weeks of reduced sugar:

• Fruit tastes sweeter
• Desserts feel overly rich
• Cravings become quieter and less frequent.

When a specific craving hits, opt for a smaller portion and enjoy it mindfully. For example, if you are craving ice cream, buy a small ice cream rather than a huge tub to take home. Then move forward, choosing to fuel your body first.