Savory Addict

So I've noticed a lot of people here mostly have issues overcoming their sweet tooth and reducing carbs from their diet. Me, on the other hand, could go on the rest of my life without a dessert but I could not go on if someone took away my cheese. Or meat. Or butter, oil, nuts, beans, etc. Does this mean my body is wired differently than most? If so, how will it affect my metabolism? Are there any other fellow "savory" addicts out there with any advice on how to reduce the cravings?

Its not as much as a curse as you make out! Beans and nuts are good sources of protein lean meats also. As far as your metabolism is concerned i doubt it would affect it very much but it depends on your age and weight. If you're finding it such an issue to deal with your cravings then you may not be getting enough of a certain nutrient, but if you're eating slightly more unhealthy savoury foods you could substitute by eating low fat cheese or lentils and olive butter but really its better than craving sweet foods that would raise sugar levels to an unhealthy amount and end up as fat stores so you've got it better than most

My mum is like this, she really doesn't have a sweet tooth at all but craves a lot of savoury and salty stuff. She basically gets around it by snacking on loads of raw veggies (carrots, tomatoes, sugar snaps, cabbage), and she eats a lot of dark rye crispbread as a snack (instead of potato chips) - her latest addiction is rye crispbread with pickled ginger.... apparently it's delicious. But yeah, there's a lot of savoury stuff you can eat that's low-cal and nutritious, but obviously nuts and seeds are also great in moderation. Also, I highly recommend toasted chickpeas. Or boil some edamame beans and eat with a little salt. Rice crackers and tomato salsa is another option. Or air-popped popcorn (without butter if you're worried about the calories - just use some mixed spices instead) But I don't see that you'd need to cut out salty, high-fat snacks completely either, just have a little bit once in a while.

As for reducing cravings, I don't know. Maybe it's a sign you need more salt? I start to crave salt if I drink too much water. Honestly though, I've no idea where the cravings for savoury stuff come from. But there is so much healthy stuff you can snack on if you prefer savoury to sweet foods.

I have a savory tooth too!

Cheese is my bane.

I just make sure to have one serving of cheese every day and it calms me down. If I denied myself, I'd binge. Often I will put a half cup of lowfat cottage cheese on my salad or 1/8 cup parmesan or mozzarella on my salmon.

Nutritional yeast is great. You can put it on anything (even popcorn) and it has a savory cheesy flavor plus it is PACKED with vitamins (especially B's). I put it on my veggies.

My favorite food is veggies with cheese (or anything with veggies and cheese!!!) and I have to cut that out b/c cheese is so fattening and it is easy for me to go overboard. I have also had to cut out fried eggs and potatoes and the big avocado sandwiches I used to make for myself...Shepard's pie with siracha... my favorite Indian restaurant...

But, there are still many things that satisfy my savory palette on my diet and special occasions when I can eat those other things...

I think mainly you just have to tell yourself it is worth it to eat a more balanced diet and not to eat as if every meal were your last.

 

That's me! I am MUCH more tempted by meats, cheeses and olive oils than sweets. I Buy ice cream MAYBE twice a year. I would much rather a chicken wing than an ice cream cone... Much rather hot sauce than chocolate syrup... I definitely have to moderate my consumption of these items because I'm not trying to increase my cholesterol levels or blood pressure!

I LOVE SAVORY!!!!! Give me olives over anything sweet any day! I too crave meat! :) YUM! If anything eating more protein because you crave it, is GOOD for your metabolism! And olive oil, macadamia nut oil, hemp seed oil, flax seed oil and coconut oil are all VERY healthy so it's good you're "addicted" to them! ha ha.

Consider it a blessing!!

i'm exactly the same - except i don't like meat at all. sometimes i think i can live on toast and good cheese forever.

what i do to overcome the craving for crunchy savoury snacks is;

- i have no control with cheese, so i buy the smallest pack of mozzarella or brie possible, as when i start i don't stop until it's finished. that saves me extra calories. 

- for late night cravings, i eat slices of organic cucumbers, sometimes squeeze a bit of lemon on it.

- i keep a box of melba toast in the cupboard, which is in itself divided into packages of 5 toasts (80 cals). when i crave for potato chips, i pop a 5-pack and sometimes put cucumber or avocado slices on top. satisfying and way better than greasy chips.

- of course, baked potato chips! if you dip the thin slices in apple cider vinegar before baking then you have the savoury taste too :) still, potatoes come with calories even when baked, so 1 potato each time is enough for a snack.

Here here! I am not huge on dessert at all. But man I could chomp on cheese and salami and olives and all that salty goodness all day long!