What it means to crave sweets after dinner

Do you crave sweets after dinner and wonder if you have a sugar addiction?

Evelyn Tribole, co-founder of Intuitive Eating, was recently a guest on a podcast. The hosts asked Evelyn to tell them more about Intuitive Eating and revealed their own history of disordered eating. At one point, one of the hosts said “I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to sugar. I crave sweets everyday after dinner".

Well, according to her definition, I also have a sugar addiction. And whether I do or I don’t by textbook definition, I don't consider myself to be addicted to sugar, like at all! Having dessert after dinner takes up no mental energy, for me anyway.

But she certainly isn’t the only one to feel this way. I once had a client who told me she had a problem because she always craved sweets after dinner. 

Is craving sweets after dinner really a problem?

Firstly, are we really pathologizing wanting some chocolate after dinner?!

Secondly, is craving sweets after dinner really a “problem” to be fixed? 

The answer depends on who you ask, and their beliefs and philosophies. Including my own. 

And since you’re here reading my (anti-diet) blog I’ll tell you what I think, if I haven’t made it obvious already. And that is…

No, I don’t believe craving sweets after dinner means you’re addicted to sugar! 

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with desiring sweet foods. Like seriously, sweets are so pleasurable to eat. What is life if not lived enjoying sweet foods some of the time? 

Diet and Wellness Culture

The thing is, diet and wellness culture like to demonize foods, like placing them into "good" and "bad" categories. 

So if you eat or crave foods from the “bad” category, it must mean that there’s something wrong with you because “good” people don’t do “bad” things. 

And eating sugar is "bad". Sugar is evil. And your health problems are your fault because you eat too much sugar!!

Or you’re addicted!

And you’ll hear all sorts of explanations about why you crave sweets after dinner including hormonal imbalances, boredom, stress, or habit. 

And, sure, there's truth to all of these explanations. Yes, eating sweets after meals is a habit for many. Yes, people eat sweets out of boredom, or during certain hormonal periods (no pun intended), or blood sugar fluctuations.

I'm not saying that eating a lot of sweets is just fine for your health. And I'm certainly not recommending you eat sweets all the time. Your relationship to food, including sugar, is personal to you and neither I nor a wellness influencer can tell you how much sugar you should or shouldn't eat.

But there are many reasons why a person may overindulge in sweets, including:

• dieting and other forms of food restriction

• restricting sugar

• undereating

• anxiety and stress

• diagnosed binge eating disorder, or other eating disorders

• many others

I googled “craving sweets after meals”

And all of the article titles end with something along the lines of

 “...and how to stop it”, 

“...what to do about it”, 

as if eating sweets after dinner were something that needed stopping. This is diet culture.

The real reason we fear sugar

But if we’re going to be totally honest, the reason most people feel bad about their evening sweets is due to fear of weight gain.

And fear of weight gain is a product of diet, beauty, and wellness culture. It's something society teaches us to fear and avoid at all costs!

Intuitive Eating challenges this, including the belief that craving sweets means you have a sugar addiction.  

And let me suggest this very abstract concept... 

What if your desire for sweets after dinner simply meant that you just want a f***ing piece of chocolate?! A little endorphin pleasure. Why is that so bad?

I bet you engage in many health promoting behaviours, including your food choices in general.

We cannot make conclusions about our health by singling out ONE food or food group.

So to wrap up, let me offer you some suggestions:

🍦 If you’re feeling bad or guilty about craving sweets after dinner, ask yourself what exactly you feel bad about. Try and identify it. What is the root of the guilt? 

🍦 If you believe it’s habit based, or it feels mindless, ask yourself if it’s a habit that you really care to break, or are those efforts best directed somewhere else? If you decide it’s a habit that does not serve you for reasons personal to you, work towards changing that habit. Just make sure those reasons aren't based in restriction, or it may backfire.

🍦 Please give yourself a break in the winter months. Consider chocolate eating a form of hibernation. It’s so much easier in the summer to go out for after-dinner walks, or do other things.

🍦 Lastly, I don’t want to dismiss hormonal imbalances. If you are experiencing them in whatever shape or form, see a qualified healthcare professional. But I bet any symptoms associated with them are much worse than a craving for cookies. But do take them seriously. 

In the meantime, don't beat yourself up for desiring sweets after dinner. There's nothing wrong with you. Eating sweet foods is a basic, normal, natural human experience.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have concerns about your health please speak to a qualified health professional.