How to Fight Food Cravings, The Youngevity Way

Posted: March 31, 2025 | By: Shanon Peckham

Can’t stop yourself from reaching for the snacks? We’re here to help!

Food cravings always show up at the worse times – when you’re trying to fast or diet, avoid sugar or cholesterol, lose weight, sleep, pay attention during meetings, after the gym, etc. We’ve put together a guide based on our nutritional knowledge and insights to help you fight cravings with confidence and take back your health, the Youngevity way.

Keep scrolling to study up on all of the different ways you can address hunger triggers and snack attacks…

Fill up on fiber and protein

Two of your best options when it comes to warding off the munchies are protein and fiber. Both take longer to move through your digestive system, naturally suppressing your appetite by keeping you sated longer.^1,2,3 You’ll really feel the difference between a bowl of oatmeal, for example, versus a bowl of chips. The average person should be getting about 50 grams of protein (more for those seeking to build muscle) and between 20-30 grams of fiber each day (or more for those with digestion issues).^4,5 Some great sources of lean protein are: yogurt, chicken, seafood, beans, nuts, and egg whites.^1,3,4 You can get the fiber you need from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Making sure you’re getting enough of both will ensure smooth digestion, nutrient absorption, and help keep you away from less healthy snacks.

For specific food recommendations and recipes, we recommend visiting the Recipes tab of our YFast page. If you are participating in our YFast Intermittent Fasting program, make sure you’re getting plenty to eat during your meal windows to avoid unexpected hunger pangs while you’re fasting.

Break up with junk food

Speaking of unhealthy snacks, we have to address the elephant in the room: junk food. As much as we crave our ultra-processed treats, the massive amounts of added sugars, saturated fats, salt, additives, preservatives, and artificial colors/flavors are really bad for our health. Not only do they spike our blood sugar, raise our blood pressure, tank our energy, and make us put on weight while still feeling hungry, they’re also incredibly addictive and offer minimal nutritional value in return.⁶

While it’s totally reasonable to indulge in fried food, chips, sugary snacks, and other comfort food from time to time, as Americans especially, it can be challenging to escape these temptations. With the constant ads at the gym, the unavoidable candy bar section right next to the grocery checkout, donuts at the office, and the many fast-food restaurants a DoorDash or quick walk away, our self-control is really the only thing stopping us from eating these unhealthy items. A first step towards cutting back on junk food is eating a healthier diet (including protein and fiber like we talked about) that keeps you full and setting some small limitations on how much you allow yourself to indulge during the day. Try setting a sugar limit, begin tracking your calories, or save eating out for once a week (also a great money-saver). It helps to have a goal, like weight loss, lower blood sugar, or cleaner eating. Ask yourself: What’s my top health priority?

Click here to read more in depth about how bad snacking can be for you, especially at night: Why You Should Stop Late-Night Snacking

Support healthy digestion

You may not realize it, but a lot of your daily snacking is just you eating your feelings. This is actually pretty common practice here in the U.S. “Little treat culture”, a term popularized on TikTok, is all about treating yourself to a little snack or goodie to reward yourself for hard work during the week or to make up for a bad day.^7,8 In other words, we treat ourselves to small luxuries to cope with our emotions. To some extent, these treats do help us feel better by giving us that dopamine hit we desperately crave,⁹ but they’re ultimately keeping us addicted to spending more than we should, eating unhealthy food, and wearing out short-lived coping mechanisms.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to feel better without snacking our way back to happiness? Good news: you can start looking after both better health and a better mood at the same time by taking care of your digestive system! Step one: identify and address food sensitivities, allergies, and any other digestion issues ASAP. Unhappy GI tract = unhappy human, which can lead to even more “little treat” coping and zapped energy levels, perpetuating the cycle of harm. Digestive enzymes can be helpful, especially for those with deficiencies (think lactase for lactose intolerance). Step two: nurture your intestinal microbiome. Studies show that our microbiome health can actually impact our mental health (and vice versa),^10,11,12 so it’s important we show it extra love. Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics can help your microbiome recover from the harms of ultra-processed food,¹³ supporting better digestion, immune health, and mental health.

Make Compromises

It’s as hard to avoid junk food as it is to quit it cold turkey, especially if your old snacks are sitting there staring at you. Ultimately, you should be able to enjoy the food, drinks, and snacks you love; great food is one of the best parts of life. With that said, we recommend taking diet changes slowly and finding a balance that works well for you. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth, for example, you don’t have to give up sugar 24/7 to safeguard your health. You can invest in products or DIY recipes that use less sugar, zero-sugar sweeteners (like monk fruit or stevia, which won’t spike your blood sugar¹⁴), or cut down your sweet treat serving sizes.

Here are some products we created specifically with this goal in mind! They’re sweet-tooth approved and easy to enjoy on the go:

Limited Edition Chocolate Mint Protein Shake – Savor the classic flavor and creamy texture of your favorite childhood ice cream guilt-free.

Limited-Edition Birthday Cake Protein Shake – Packed with protein, MCT, vitamins, and minerals, this shake is the perfect cravings buster.

Triple Truffle™ Chocolates – Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Enjoy added Reishi mushroom, vitamin D, and calcium with every luxurious bite.

SaXi™ Super Juice + – Quench your thirst with this revitalizing antioxidant and collagen-packed beverage.

If salty, crunchy snacks are more your jam, you can always switch from chips to seasoned popcorn (no or low butter is best) or a low-sugar cereal as you try to cut down. When in doubt, ask ChatGPT or Google to find you a healthier recipe of the item you’re craving. You can also check out some of our Dr. Wallach-recommended foods and healthy recipes on our YFast page!

Here are a few more recipes we think you might like: The Health Secrets of Your Favorite Summer Fruits

Distract Yourself!

We’d be very surprised if you didn’t experience signs of improvement after putting those first four tips to use, but if you’re really struggling, we’ve got a few other tricks you can try when you get that itch! All of these should help distract or sate you long enough to allow the intensity of the craving to settle down.

When the craving comes on, try:

Drinking tea, water, coffee, or a sparkling water (YFast safe!)
Going for a short walk (YFast safe!)
Tasting something bitter, sour, or spicy to distract your hunger triggers
Taking a shower (YFast safe!)
Chewing gum or sucking on a zinc lozenge
Mixing up a protein/meal replacement shake
Engaging in a hobby for 15-30 mins (YFast safe!)

It can take a few weeks for your body to get used to these changes, especially if you’re used to snacking while you watch your favorite show at night, but consistency is key! With the help of a healthier diet and a little self-discipline, you’ll be kicking cravings to the curb like a pro in no time.