Sweet & Savoury: Our Food Cravings & What They Mean

There is no single explanation for cravings as it can be both biological and psychological. Foods that we usually find ourselves craving for are sugar, carbohydrates, chocolate, salt and for some, even cheese. We look into the two most common cravings � sweet and salty foods � to try and understand, why our bodies are craving those foods. 

As the 8^th largest sugar consuming nation in the world, we surely enjoy our sweet treats. No meal feels complete without dessert or fruits. Here are some reasons why we may be craving something sweet:

Some people pile on the sweets, others crave for chips, cheese and pizzas. While a small amount of salt acts as an essential mineral to maintain the balance of fluids, the daily salt intake for Malaysians exceeds the normal range by 25 percent. Here�s a look at why we crave savouries:

Whether it�s ice-cream or cake we�ve got you covered with easy non-guilty alternatives to help curb your sweet-tooth cravings the healthy way.

Frozen Banana Crunch Pop: Place a peeled banana on an ice-cream stick. Roll it in the crumbs of one crushed reduced-fat chocolate wafer, cereal crisps or chopped nuts. Wrap it in some waxed paper or cling-wrap and freeze. This creamy and cool alternative is about 200 calories lesser than the real thing!

Flourless Chocolate Cake: It�s chocolate cake minus the flour. The best thing is that this yummy cake requires only 5 nutritious ingredients � unsweetened baking chocolate, eggs, coconut oil, cocoa powder and honey. You can also try your hand in baking flourless tangerine cakes with a dark chocolate (with 70% cacao it contains considerably less fat and sugar) drizzle and honey carrot cakes.

Our bodies and brains are designed to really enjoy the taste of salt, from salty treats to fast-foods and traditional fried rice. Next time you feel that salty craving, try these healthy recipes instead.

Oven-baked Yam & Kale Fries:  Toss one scrubbed yam or sweet potato (both are considered low-fat foods) cut into wedges in one tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and bake till potatoes are golden. In the same way you can also make healthy kale chips. Simply rinse and dry kale leaves and bake in a similar fashion with a spray of olive oil and salt. Home-made, oven-baked yams and kales are the next best thing to satisfy your cravings for French fries!

Smoked Cheddar and Lentils Burger: This meatless burger uses carrots, egg whites, dried lentils, and smoked cheddar cheese to craft a healthy and delicious patty. While this may take a little time to assemble, with 10 grams of fibre and 38% of your daily-recommended protein, this hearty burger will keep you full and satisfied without missing the real deal.

Rice with Steamed Veggies: Combine a cup of cooked brown rice with a cup of chopped steamed veggies (the frozen variety works as well) and splash a dash of soya sauce and Asian sesame oil. Enjoy your healthy fried rice at only half the calories. To add some protein top it with a fried egg.