by Ashley Acornley, RD, LDN

We all have food cravings. What are some of your favorite foods that you love to indulge in on special occasions? For me, it is without a doubt dark chocolate and peanut butter swirl ice cream! Many times, our strongest cravings come at times when we are trying to make healthy lifestyle changes by transforming our diet and exercise routines, or when we are trying to lose weight and keep it off for good. We often view the foods that we crave as "bad" foods; the culprits for making us overeat and gain weight in the first place. However, I'd like to emphasize that whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain weight, or become fit, cravings are normal and we should include a little indulgence in our lives. In fact, depriving yourself of your favorite foods is a dieting myth that needs to be corrected. Deprivation of your favorite foods can almost always lead to overeating, bingeing, and can definitely lead to feelings of guilt and shame.

In order to conquer our cravings and feel more content with our diet, it is best to identify the foods that we crave, and find a way to consume this food in moderation (keeping portion size in consideration). For instance, if you enjoy ice cream, choose an evening to have a ½ cup of low-fat chocolate ice cream, and add a few strawberries on top to make it resemble a sundae. By including your favorite foods into your diet, you are no longer depriving yourself of what you enjoy, so the "temptation" of sneaking in a few scoops of ice cream is no longer there.

Another idea to conquer cravings is to choose a healthy, delicious alternative when your cravings seem uncontrollable. This can make eating healthy easier to manage, but you still need to watch your portion sizes. Try these low calorie, low-fat options for a healthy snack to curb that craving!

For more information and suggestions, visit www.cravingconverter.com