I’ve always had a sweet tooth and when I really crave sugar, I take a deep breath and I say to myself: “ok, cravings are good. My body is trying to tell me something here. What is it? Perhaps I need more sweet flavours in my meal”. Then, instead of grabbing something that would alleviate my sugar craving for only a few minutes, like a cookie or a “healthy” protein bar, I think about the best my body can have at this moment: sweet vegetables. 

 

It’s totally normal to crave sugar, but instead of bingeing on the first thing we see full of sugar why don’t we add naturally sweet foods to our daily diet to control our sweet tooth?

 

As most sweet vegetables are root vegetables and not only they can help us combat sugar cravings, they also give us a feeling of “grounding” which helps us to feel more in balance and satisfied after ingesting, meaning we feel fuller for longer.

 

The recipe below is one of my favourites!

 

Sweet Potato and Avocado, with Pumpkin Seeds

 

You only need a few ingredients and it will take you approximately 20 minutes.

 

You can have it as a snack or as a complete meal with the addition of more protein, animal or vegetable, and a salad on the side. In this recipe I boil the sweet potato but you can experiment with different cooking methods, such as: steaming, roasting and stir-frying. 

 

 

Sweet Potato and Avocado with Pumpkin Seeds

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 Sweet potato
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 Handful of pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil 
  • Himalayan salt
  • Chilli flakes
  • Parsley

Instructions
 

  • Cut the potato in thick slices
  • Boil the slices until they become soft
  • Add cut avocado in small pieces on the slices
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and dress with oil and salt

 

Here is a list of other sweet vegetables that can help you combat sugar cravings if you don’t like sweet potatoes:

 

Sweet Vegetables: Beetroot, Carrot, Winter squash, Yam, Corn, Onion (these vegetables taste sweet when cooked)

 

Semi-Sweet Vegetables: Parsnip, Turnip (these have a subtly sweet taste when cooked)

 

Other vegetables: Green Cabbage, Daikon, Red radish (these don’t taste sweet but have a similar effect on the body, maintaining blood sugar levels, reducing sweet cravings, and breaking down animal proteins in the body)

 

If you experience sugar cravings, please check my video in the Nutrition Library on SHAPES STUDIO: Cravings. There I explain why cravings are important signs we need to listen to. It’s free to view as part of a trial membership.

 

If you would like to talk more about cravings and have a free health consultation with me, please contact me for booking.

 

I hope this helped you and I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Paola x