What your midnight cravings actually mean and healthier alternatives

Food cravings can strike at any time. One moment, you're craving something sweet and chocolatey; the next, it's something spicy and tangy—and once the thought settles in, resisting feels nearly impossible. Unfortunately, most cravings lean toward the unhealthy side (though undeniably delicious). After all, when was the last time someone craved celery sticks over chocolates, doughnuts, or chips?

While cravings can be triggered by various factors, they may also signal certain nutritional deficiencies. But don’t worry—there’s a way to navigate them. The first step? Decoding your cravings. The second step? Finding a healthy alternative. Here, experts break it down for you.

The Blame Game

“Cravings are a strong feeling of desiring specific foods, and are often influenced by various emotional, physiological, and psychological factors” says Eshanka Wahi, culinary nutritionist and holistic wellness coach. “Your body might be signaling various conditions from nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, and emotional triggers, to dehydration and blood sugar imbalance through cravings."

According to Karishmma Chawla, functional medicine nutritionist and lifestyle educator, your body doesn’t technically ‘crave for food’. “The gut bugs living rent free in your gut craves for unhealthy food and your mind acts like the ‘yes’ genie, giving in to every demand.” Another factor to blame? Your tastebuds! They tend to lose control when they are teased. This, according to the expert, turns into a vicious cycle resulting in the onset of gut-related issues like acidity, bloating, constipation, which results in dysbiosis or simply put, an imbalance in the community of microorganisms in the gut, or microbiome. This ultimately leads to inflammation and diseases.

The Cheat Sheet

Craving salty foods means that your body is dehydrated and lacking in minerals like potassium and magnesium. “A craving for chips, fries, and processed foods is largely an indicator of a sodium imbalance, which also causes stress or fatigue, as adrenal glands regulate sodium levels,” explains Wahi. 

Sodium is an essential nutrient that aids in maintaining the body’s fluid balance (blood and tissue volume) and helps with nerve and muscle function. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and heart health issues and less sodium can trigger symptoms like nausea and vomiting, low blood pressure, loss of appetite, stress, and fatigue.

Healthier alternatives: Fermented foods like pickles, kimchi, homemade vegetable chips, lemon water, sprouted lentils, and buttermilk are great picks for those late night salt cravings. “Lime water with a pinch of jaggery and a pinch of pink salt sipped throughout the day can be an effective way to curb the cravings,” adds Chawla.

If you crave carbs…it could indicate a blood sugar imbalance, serotonin deficiency, lack of fibre, or stress. When blood sugar levels drop, the body loses energy and craves foods high in carbohydrates that will help replenish it. Secondly, carbohydrates also stimulate the happy hormone known as serotonin, which helps regulate your mood and reduce stress—hence you crave it when you’re stressed! “It could also stem from the fact that your gut must be under the control of a fungal infection,” explains Chawla. “Those bugs are now hungry and grow and get energy through high-carb meals.”

Healthier Alternative: Complex carbs such as whole wheat i.e., brown rice, corn, barley, and oats, millets i.e. jowar, bajra and ragi, buckwheat, quinoa, and boiled eggs. “Balancing your meals with protein, fibre, and healthy fats, helps curb carb cravings,” adds Wahi.

A craving for sugar means you have low sugar levels, a lack of healthy fats, a chromium or magnesium deficiency, and stress. Chromium is essential in the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and glucose, and is known to regulate blood sugar levels. Magnesium, too, helps regulate blood sugar levels, along with maintaining blood pressure. “Sugar is the food that your gut’s bugs cherish and live for,” says Chawla. “They will multiply and command your body to crave more sugar.”

Healthier Alternative: Fruits, dates, raw honey, coconut water, and yoghurt will help balance sugar levels naturally without hindering health.

If you crave something chocolate-y…this could entail a magnesium deficiency, low energy levels, low levels of serotonin and dopamine, and hormonal fluctuations.

Healthier Alternative: 80 per cent dark chocolate as it is rich in antioxidants and low in sugar, cocoa smoothie, bananas and peanut butter—these all add a natural sweetness and also help regulate mood.

Your craving for spicy or sour foods, could be a sign of poor gut health, a vitamin C deficiency, low levels of electrolytes, and low metabolism. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient and is responsible for collagen production in the body. It also helps with healing wounds and scar tissue, boost the immune system, and prevent the body from experiencing oxidative stress.

Healthier Alternative: Amla, fermented vegetables or drinks such as kefir or kombucha, citrus fruits, homemade pickles and chutneys, leafy greens, and roasted nuts. These will help balance gut health while maintaining levels of electrolytes.

Craving greasy foods like burgers, fries, pizza, and other deep-fried snacks, could be an indication of a lack of essential fats, proteins and fibres, and low energy levels. “It also shows that your body’s sodium levels may be dropping,” adds Chawla. 

Healthier Alternative: Healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds, roasted proteins such as fish and chicken, and coconut-based dishes are great alternatives. You can also consume some baked quinoa chips, jowar or brown rice khakra to curb the cravings.

If you crave fizzy drinks…the kryptonite for many, this could be an indication of calcium deficiency and dehydration. It’s a craving combination of sugar and carbs.

Healthier Alternative: Lime juice with a pinch of salt, jaggery, and mint leaves, coconut water, sparkling water with lemon, and fresh fruit juices. These will help maintain the body's hydration and give a natural energy boost.

Lead image: Pexels

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