Grab fruit for sweet cravings

I have been telling my clients for years that in order to meet those sweet cravings and still lose weight, all they have to do is grab fruit instead. Not only will they avoid the guilt, but they will feel better and be providing healthy nutrients to their body, along with the weight loss, too!

Now there is a study that actually shows this theory to be true.

A group led by Cornell University marketing professor Brian Wansink looked at the eating habits of thousands of people and concluded that the craving for something sweet spans both candy and fruit. The study, published in the journal Appetite, found people who eat candy, cakes and other sweet snacks eat more fruit than people who prefer salty snacks like nuts and chips.

The researchers analyzed self-reported eating habits of more than 14,000 Americans contained in U.S. Department of Agriculture surveys. They also relied on information from 405 people who responded to their own mailed survey.

Now, how valid is this research, really? Well, I would suggest waiting. If more research on the same topic is conducted in the future, and we start to see a trend, then I would feel more confident in saying, ‘research shows…’ For now, however, I will continue to make this suggestion to clients, because I know it works.

How can you use this information to eat fruits instead of sweets? First, the simplest way is to always have fruit in the house that is easy to grab and eat. If you buy grapes, wash them so they are ready to eat. Some people like frozen grapes! Then remember you have the fruit and grab that when you have the urge to grab something to put in your mouth. Another suggestion is to eat fruit after your meals, especially after dinner. If it’s a tasty fruit, it will satisfy that desire for something sweet after your meal. Put berries on cereal in the morning instead of sugar, or use unsweetened applesauce on waffles instead of syrup are a couple more examples of how to increase fruit while cutting down on sugars.