Why you should eat beans to curb a pizza craving (and nuts for chocolate… !)

Craving a scrumptious, delectable, sinful pizza absolutely dripping with cheese or constantly find yourself reaching for that box of Godiva chocolates, shutting up the part of your brain that’s blabbering on about killing your skin and destroying the hard won waistline? I am all for every kind of unhealthy food, especially when one is tucked into bed, late on a Sunday evening, watching the latest episode of The Good Wife.

But for the slightly more sane, it might be interesting to know that these cravings are usually our body’s  way of SOS-ing the need for replenishing its store of vital nutrients. And that most of the cravings can actually be tackled by a healthier alternative, thereby satisfying the urge without the calories and other skin-destroying stuff. Here’s the 101 on decoding the signals.

You are craving: Cheese, pizza, pasta
Your body needs: Carbs, proteins
Try: Lean chicken, whole grain cereals or bread, bean salad, bean chili, baked potatoes, brazil nuts, oily fish, avocados, broccoli

You are craving: Chocolate
Your body needs: Magnesium
Try: High energy foods like nuts, seeds, wholegrain bread or crackers, berries etc.

You are craving: Candy
Your body needs: Chromium, sulphur, trypt0fan, carbon
Try: Beans, kale, broccoli, cabbage, cranberries, grapes

You are craving: Chips
Your body needs: Calcium and protein
Try: Meat, fish, chicken, eggs or pulses

You are craving: Bread, pasta
Your body needs: Nitrogen
Try: Nuts, fish, meat, beans

You are craving: Greasy fries, burgers or fry-ups
Your body needs: Salt
Try: Sushi, almonds, grilled bacon, lemon juice, salad tossed with unrefined sea salt, roasted sunflower seeds

You are craving: Deep fried snacks
Your body needs: Calcium
Try: Sesame, string cheese, legumes, mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale

You are craving: Soda, soft drinks
Your body needs: Calcium
Try: Leafy green veggies, sesame seeds, yoghurt, milk