How to Beat Sugar Cravings (Without Crying Into a Donut)

Struggling with sugar cravings? You’re not alone. One minute, you’re minding your business, the next, you’re like a vacuum cleaner on a block of chocolate. Sound familiar? Sugar cravings are biologically programmed, psychologically persistent, and straight-up frustrating. But don’t worry, there’s science-backed hope! Let’s break down why sugar cravings happen and five expert approved ways to stop them.

Why Do We Crave Sugar?

Sugar cravings aren’t just about “having a sweet tooth”, they’re rooted in hormones, brain chemistry, and lifestyle habits. Here’s why you’re suddenly dreaming of chocolate, jelly snakes, and something sweet  at 3 PM:

🍭 Blood Sugar Rollercoaster – When you eat sugar, your blood sugar spikes fast, then crashes, leaving you desperate for another hit (Lustig et al., 2021). It’s like riding a sugar-fuelled rollercoaster, except way less fun.

🍪 Dopamine High – Sugar lights up the brain’s reward centre, giving you a temporary high (Wang et al., 2023). Translation? Sugar is playing mind games with you.

🍩 Emotional Eating – Stressed? Bored? Sleep-deprived? Your brain remembers that sugar made you feel better before, so it nudges you toward that cupcake (Dallman et al., 2017).

🚫 The result? You feel like you need sugar when, in reality, your body just wants balance.

5 Proven Ways to Beat Sugar Cravings (Without Feeling Miserable)

1. Balance Your Blood Sugar Like a Boss

Cravings thrive on blood sugar spikes and crashes, so keeping levels steady is key. Here’s how: ✅ Prioritise protein & healthy fats – Eggs, salmon, nuts, and avocado keep you full and satisfied.

✅ Load up on fibre – Chia seeds, flaxseeds, psyllium husks, whole grains, legumes, and veggies slow sugar absorption (bye, rollercoaster).

❌ Avoid ultra-processed junk – White bread, white foods, sugary cereals, ‘healthy looking smoothies and coffees” and soft drinks send your blood sugar into chaos.

Science-backed tip: Eating a high-protein breakfast reduces sugar cravings later in the day (Leidy et al., 2019). So yes, eggs > sugary cereal.

2. Fix Your Sleep to Curb Sugar Cravings

🚨 Did you know sleep deprivation increases sugar cravings?

😴 Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep.
🚫 Avoid late-night Netflix binges and doom-scrolling TikTok (blue light messes with melatonin and your Leptin hormone) We love leptin as it signals to the brain satiations.
🍵 Try magnesium-rich foods like almonds or a calming rooibos tea before bed.

Why it works: Sleep deprivation boosts hunger hormones, making you crave high-sugar foods (Greer et al., 2020). That explains why you want a muffin the size of a doorstop after a rough night.

3. Stay Hydrated—Because You Might Just Be Thirsty

Fun fact: Mild dehydration can mimic hunger, tricking you into craving sugar when your body just wants water.

💦 Start your day with a big glass of water.
🍵 Swap sugary drinks for herbal tea or infused sparkling water.
🍉 Snack on water-rich foods like cucumber and watermelon.

Science says: Even mild dehydration leads to poor food choices (Popkin et al., 2018). Try drinking water before reaching for sugar—you might just be thirsty.

4. Lower Your Stress Levels (So You Don’t Eat Your Feelings)

Cortisol (your stress hormone) fuels sugar cravings because stress makes your body crave quick energy. The fix? Lower stress before it tricks you into inhaling a doughnut.

🧘 Try meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.
🚶 Take a 10-minute walk in the sunshine.
🎧 Listen to music or a podcast (preferably not about cake).

Science-backed tip: Chronic stress increases emotional eating and sugar cravings (Tomiyama et al., 2019). Managing stress isn’t just for mental health—it’s a sugar-craving defence strategy.

5. Swap Sugar for Smarter Sweet Treats

Let’s be real—sometimes you just want something sweet. The trick? Smart swaps that satisfy cravings without the sugar crash.

🍓 Swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa).
🍎 Choose fruit, Greek yoghurt, or cinnamon instead of sugary desserts.
🥜 Go for nut butter + banana instead of sugar-laden spreads.

Why it works: Natural sugars (like those in fruit) don’t cause the same blood sugar spikes as refined sugars (Stanhope et al., 2020). Choose wisely!

Final Thoughts

Beating sugar cravings isn’t about willpower - it’s about understanding your body and setting yourself up for success.

✅ Balance your blood sugar.
✅ Prioritise sleep.
✅ Stay hydrated.
✅ Manage stress.
✅ Make smart swaps.

💡 Cravings aren’t failures—it is biology. Stop beating yourself up.  The better you nourish it, the less it’ll beg for sugar.

References:

1. Lustig, R. H., Schmidt, L. A., & Brindis, C. D. (2021). The toxic truth about sugar. Nature, 482(7383), 27-29. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12111

2. Wang, G. J., Volkow, N. D., & Fowler, J. S. (2023). The role of dopamine in sugar addiction. Current Neuropharmacology, 21(2), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159X209992103091118

3. Leidy, H. J., Ortinau, L. C., Douglas, S. M., & Hoertel, H. A. (2019). Beneficial effects of a high-protein breakfast on appetite control and satiety. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 109(4), 1132-1141. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy326