When a craving strikes, what you actually want might not be the healthiest option for your body.  Understanding what your body wants can pave the way to finding and enjoying a healthy AND delicious alternative.

If you’re like me, you can tell time by that chocolate run every day at 4PM.  You’re really craving carbohydrates because our bodies still think like the hunter gatherers we once were:  it wants to stock up on carbs in case food becomes scarce later.  Then, fruit was the main source of carbs and were hard to find. Now, with Whole Foods or Shop Rite just around the corner and online grocers just a click away, we don’t need to store so much. We value taste over our next source of fructose.  

Maybe you’re craving a salty snack. This could mean that you’ve just become accustomed to a lot of salt and like it!  But did you know that craving salty foods can also be a symptom of adrenal exhaustion, especially in people who live fast-paced, stressful lives?  Ever want to grab a fat bag of pretzels on the way home from a crazy work day?  But you could also be craving salt because your body needs the additional minerals found in natural salt. These minerals have been filtered out of our regular table salt. In this case, eating salty food will only satisfy your craving temporarily until your body realizes it is still missing the extra minerals.

So, what to do?  Many foods in the grocery store are over-processed and include chemicals that are unhealthy for us. A processed food is anything that’s been changed from its natural state. This includes chopping, cooking, or going as far as changing its chemical composition. The more a food is processed the more it loses nutrients and may make it harder for our bodies to digest and use. So, whether you crave something sweet, or something salty, the best thing is to pick up a fresh piece of fruit or nuts.  But if the real thing simply won’t satisfy, check out our “almost” natural suggestions  and respective calories per serving, that both your taste buds and your body will enjoy.

 

1 Not natural: Slice of Apple Pie- 292 kcal
    Nearly Natural: Musselman’s Applesauce- 70 kcal
    Nearly Natural:  Funky Monkey Applemon Chips- 100 kcal

    Natural: Apple- 100 kcal

2 Not natural: 4oz Vanilla Ice-cream- 120 - 190 kcal
    Nearly Natural: Brown Cow Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt- 150 kcal
    Natural: Horizon Skim Milk- 85 kcal

3 Not Natural: Doritos Tortilla Chips- 150 kcal (12 chips)
    Nearly Natural: Pop Chips- 120 kcal (20 chips)
    Natural: Corn on the Cob-  90 kcal

4 Not Natural: Peanut Chew- 150 kcal
    Nearly Natural: Brad's Peanut Butter- 190 kcal (2 Tbsp)
    Natural: raw peanuts- 225 kcal (1/4 cup)

5  Not Natural: Coconut Cream pie-  200 kcal (1 bar)
     Nearly Natural: O.N.E. Coconut Water with Pineapple- 79 kcal (11 oz)
     Natural: fresh coconut water- 46 kcal (1 cup)

6  Not Natural: french fries- 271 kcal (small size)
    Nearly Natural: Alexia Potato Nuggets- 150 kcal (9 pieces)
    Natural: Baked whole potato- 128 kcal (small potato)

7  Not Natural: Cranberry Juice- 137 kcal (8 fl oz.)
    Nearly Natural: Newman’s Own Cranberries- 130 (40g)
    Natural: Fresh cranberries - 44 kcal (95g)

8  Not Natural: strawberry syrup- 100 kcal (2 tbsp)
    Nearly Natural: Brad’s Organic Strawberry Fruit Spread- 70 kcal (2 tbsp)
    Natural: fresh strawberries- 46 kcal (1 cup)

9  Not Natural: honey flavored pretzels- 110 kcal (28g)
    Nearly Natural: Go Natural Organic Hard Candy Honey- 60 kcal (4 pieces)
    Natural:  Honey- 64 kcal (1 tbsp)
    
10 Not Natural: black bean chili- 242 kcal (1 cup)
    Nearly Natural: Amy’s Organic Black Bean Chili- 200 kcal (1 cup) 
    Natural: fresh black beans- 140 kcal (1 cup)