The Dutch Nutrition Center warns against food cravings: what is it and how can you prevent it?

From the supermarket and the sports club to social media: unhealthy eating is forced upon us everywhere these days. And the Netherlands Nutrition Centre believes this needs to change. They're therefore introducing the new term "food cravings" to make consumers more aware of the consequences of this on our food choices.

According to the Nutrition Centre, food cravings are so common that we're not even aware of them anymore. Think, for example, of countless TikTok ads promoting a new food fad or ads for well-known fast-food chains on a bus shelter. Or how about that flashy sign at that snack bar?

According to the Nutrition Centre, the food industry's influence on our dietary choices is still too great, and that needs to change. "Food pressure hinders a healthy society," explains director Petra Verhoef.

Growing up healthy is no longer a given for children. And that's a societal problem. The abundance of unhealthy food is making us sick. Many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, would be much less prevalent in an environment where healthy and unhealthy food are in balance.

According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, research clearly shows that consumers and experts are well aware that an unhealthy diet can be detrimental to your health. Yet, they rarely connect this to the environment , even though the Netherlands Nutrition Centre believes this plays a significant role in eating behavior. They argue that it's simply become normal that food is accessible everywhere and at all times these days.

"Food cravings tap into the primal brain; we have an innate preference for fatty, sweet, and salty foods," explains behavioral expert Liesbeth Velema of the Nutrition Centre. "These things indicate (a lot of) calories and therefore survival. As soon as high-calorie food is nearby, people crave it. When it comes to food, our brains make many choices automatically, which saves mental energy."

According to Velema, we think we have freedom of choice, but an abundance of unhealthy options, advertising, and special offers often leads us to buy unhealthy products . This hinders a healthy society. According to the Nutrition Centre, it would be much fairer if everyone who sells food also offered more healthy options.

The organization also believes the government should ensure that fruits and vegetables become more affordable and that child marketing should be banned. They emphasize that unhealthy food doesn't need to be banned, but that healthy and sustainable eating should simply be normalized. "It's about restoring the balance between healthy and unhealthy food. Offering you fair choices," says the Nutrition Center.

Because it may take some time for such changes to be implemented, the Nutrition Centre is sharing some helpful tips. These recommendations can help you become less susceptible to food cravings and make healthier choices.

• Prepare for food cravings: try to identify when you're easily tempted. And ask yourself what choice you'd really want to make in that situation.
• Create an "if-then plan": prepare your brain to recognize the situation and react differently. For example, if you're used to eating a lot and letting go of all inhibitions at a birthday party, you could agree to only have a small piece of cake and nothing else from now on. And if you travel a lot by train and often indulge in unhealthy snacks at stations, you can prevent that by bringing something healthy yourself from now on.
• Make sure you have plenty of healthy food at home and less unhealthy food. Do you find it difficult to avoid unhealthy food once it's at home? Then you can also make a pact with yourself to stop buying it altogether.
• Are you susceptible to peer pressure? Try making a pact with your friends or family to make healthier and more sustainable food choices together more often. Or ask for support: for example, say you want to eat less sweets and ask others to help you.