News You Can Use

Fight food-craving urges with healthier alternatives

University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Dustin Barnes
April 7, 2004

STARKVILLE, Miss.—We want it, but know we don’t need it. An hour after finishing a meal, many Americans often find themselves munching on that leftover chicken or cheesecake.

For persons who want or need to end ’tween-meal eating, a Mississippi State nutrition specialist has some good news: eating even when not hungry is a habit that can be changed, says Melissa Mixon.

“But, it is important to remember that any change takes time,” adds Mixon, a human sciences professor at the university. “Occasionally, you’ll backslide and give in to the urge, but you can fight food cravings.” The secret for success, she emphasizes: “Don’t give up.”

An equally bad eating habit is the skipping of regular meals. “The body is a machine and needs a constant source of fuel,” Mixon observes. “Studies show people who skip a meal eat 25 percent more at the next meal.”

To avoid this temptation, avoid keeping unhealthy snacks around the house or apartment. “If you find it difficult to resist a particular food, don’t bring it into the house,” she adds.

Other Mixon healthy-eating tips include:

—Consuming food less often and in smaller portions, rather than considering a particularly food item completely off-limits.

—Replacing high-calorie treats with healthier items of similar taste. Some examples: fruit or low-fat yogurt rather than a high-sugar sweet; eating only one cookie, followed by some fruit.

Because it usually takes 20 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain that it’s full, consider replacing less-healthy snacks with fruits, vegetables and other high-fiber choices. They tend to give a sensation of fullness and trigger a quicker message to the brain.