It is 21:30. Dinner was two hours ago, you are on the sofa with a series on, and suddenly you "need" something. A few squares of chocolate. A handful of Zweifel chips. Then a few more. Is that hunger? Or is it something else?
In Switzerland we have built snacking into our day: Znüni at 9, Zvieri at 4, and often a little something after Feierabend. We are also among the world's biggest chocolate lovers, at around 10.3 kg per person per year [1]. None of this is a problem in itself. But learning to tell real hunger from a craving can make a big difference to how you eat, how you sleep and how you feel.
Here is what the science says, what I do myself, and how a structured break like our reSET can help you notice the difference.
What is hunger?
Hunger is your body asking for energy. Researchers call it homeostatic hunger: it is driven by an empty stomach, falling energy stores and hormones such as ghrelin, which rises before meals and falls after you eat [2]. Real hunger builds slowly, it can be satisfied by almost any food, and it goes away once you have eaten enough.
What is a craving?
A craving is an intense desire for a specific food, often sweet, salty or fatty. Researchers call this hedonic hunger: wanting food for pleasure rather than for energy [2]. Cravings tend to come on suddenly, are linked to a place, time, mood or activity, and usually do not go away when you eat something else.
Hunger or craving? 5 ways to tell
| Hunger | Craving | |
|---|---|---|
| How it starts | Builds gradually over hours | Appears suddenly, often triggered by a cue |
| What you want | Almost any food will do | One specific food (chocolate, chips, cheese) |
| Where you feel it | In your stomach: rumbling, emptiness, low energy | In your head: a thought or image of the food |
| Timing | Usually 3 to 5 hours after a meal | Can appear right after a full meal |
| After eating | You feel satisfied | You may want more, or feel guilty |
A simple test: ask yourself, "Would I eat a bowl of vegetable soup right now?" If the answer is yes, it is probably hunger. If only the Zweifel chips will do, it is probably a craving.
Why do cravings happen?
1. Habits and cues
Cravings are partly learned. When we repeatedly eat a certain food in a certain situation, the situation itself starts to trigger the desire. A meta-analysis found that when calorie intake was reduced over several months, cravings for sweet, fatty and fast foods decreased rather than increased. The authors suggest this supports a "de-conditioning" model: cravings fade when the habit is interrupted [3].
2. Eating while distracted
Eating in front of a screen makes it harder to register what and how much you have eaten. A systematic review found that distraction during a meal was linked to eating more, both at that meal and later in the day [4]. The sofa and the series are a classic craving cue.
3. Too little sleep
Short sleep shifts appetite hormones. In a well-known study, healthy young men who slept only 4 hours had higher ghrelin, lower leptin and more appetite, especially for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods [5]. Late nights and late snacks often go together.
4. Stress and emotions
Boredom, stress and tiredness are some of the most common triggers for hedonic eating. The food brings a moment of comfort, which is exactly why the habit sticks.
5. Your gut
Researchers have proposed that the trillions of microbes in your gut may influence what you crave, for example via signals to the brain [6]. This is still a hypothesis rather than proven science in humans, but it is one more reason to feed your gut well with fibre-rich, plant-based foods. Our gut health diet plan is a good place to start.
My own guilty pleasure: snacking in front of the TV
I will be honest: I am not immune. My weak moment is the evening, in front of the TV. I am not hungry. I have had a good dinner. But the sofa, the screen and the snack have become a package in my head.
What helps me is not willpower, it is changing the setting. Instead of the TV, I read in bed, which is a place I simply do not associate with food. Or I go to a late yin yoga class with my friend and our Eat by Alex partner Sarah Malär of Yoga Trapeze Zurich. On Tuesday evenings, for example, I like to join her in person for her yin session in Zurich. I love that her classes work both in the studio and online, so there is no excuse on a rainy autumn evening. By the time I get home, the craving is gone and I am ready for bed.
And when I notice that I really cannot break the TV and snack loop, I take it as a sign that it is time for a reSET week. Five days with every meal and snack already planned keeps me accountable, and there is simply no room for snacks at night.
7 Swiss-friendly ways to manage cravings
- Eat proper meals. A balanced lunch with protein, fibre and healthy fats makes a 16:00 Zvieri craving less likely.
- Make your Znüni and Zvieri count. Swap the Gipfeli or biscuits for a handful of nuts, an apple with almond butter or hummus with vegetables.
- Don't ban, time it: chocolate right after dinner. Banning a food tends to backfire: in one study, people who went without chocolate craved it more and ate more once it was allowed again [8]. The Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE) suggests one small portion of something sweet per day [7], so make it count. Enjoy a few squares of extra dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more) right after dinner, at the table, as the end of your meal. Dark chocolate has been found to be more filling than milk chocolate and to reduce the desire for sweet, salty and fatty foods afterwards [9]. Then the kitchen is closed, and the sofa stays snack-free.
- Change the setting, not your willpower. If the sofa is your trigger, move. Read, take a walk along the Limmat in Zurich or the Rhine in Basel, or do a short stretching or yoga session.
- Close the kitchen after dinner. A cup of herbal tea can act as a signal that the eating day is over.
- Protect your sleep. Fewer late nights may mean fewer late-night cravings [5].
- Wait 10 minutes. Cravings tend to come in waves. If it is still there after a glass of water and 10 minutes, eat a small portion mindfully and move on, without guilt.
How reSET can help you break the snacking loop
reSET is our 5-day fasting-mimicking program, inspired by the research of Prof. Valter Longo and made locally in the canton of Zurich. Every breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack is prepared for you, and you can learn more about the research behind it in our article on the science of fasting-mimicking.
Here is why it can be a useful tool if you want to work on cravings:
- It interrupts the habit. For five days, your eating is fully structured. There is no "just one more" from the cupboard, which may help weaken the link between a cue (the TV, the office biscuit tin) and a snack [3].
- It teaches you what real hunger feels like. Many people notice the difference between a genuine hunger signal and a passing craving for the first time. One of our customers, Rike, put it well: "I was only eager for protein sometimes, never really hungry."
- It is designed to keep you going. The small sweet and salty snacks are part of the plan. As Franziska wrote in her review: "I never felt hungry." Some people do feel hungrier around days 2 and 3, which is normal and usually passes.
- It is plant-based and fibre-rich. In animal studies, cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet changed the gut microbiota and supported intestinal regeneration [8]. Human research is still emerging, so we see this as a promising direction rather than a promise.
- It can change what comes after. Many customers tell us the week makes them more mindful. Laurie shared: "I am continuing to eat healthy and am more conscious about my portion sizes!"
After reSET: a satisfying dinner that keeps evening cravings away
When I want something warming that keeps me full for the whole evening, I make my red Thai pumpkin curry. It is perfect for Swiss autumn, when pumpkins are everywhere at the market, and the combination of fibre from the vegetables, protein from the tofu and healthy fats from the coconut milk makes it really satisfying. For the best flavour, use my homemade red Thai curry paste.
Red Thai pumpkin curry (serves 3 to 4)
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin (about 800 g to 1 kg)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 100 g red Thai curry paste or a homemade one (red Thai curry paste)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 peperoncino, finely chopped (optional)
- 250 ml light coconut milk
- 200 g tofu, cubed
- 2 large handfuls of chopped kale
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- Fresh coriander to serve
- Optional: 60 g basmati rice or quinoa per person
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Halve the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into 2 cm cubes.
- Roast the cubes on a tray lined with baking paper for about 15 minutes, until soft but not mushy.
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and peperoncino for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, tofu, cherry tomatoes, kale and salt. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the roasted pumpkin, serve in deep bowls and top with fresh coriander.
Listen and learn more
If you want to go deeper into the biology of sugar cravings, this episode of the Huberman Lab podcast is worth a listen:
Controlling sugar cravings and metabolism with science-based tools.
The bottom line
Hunger is your body asking for fuel. A craving is usually your brain asking for a familiar reward in a familiar setting. Both are normal. The goal is not to never snack again, but to notice which one you are feeling and choose consciously. Change the setting, eat proper meals, protect your sleep, and when the loop feels stuck, a structured week like reSET can be a practical way to start fresh.
Disclaimer
reSET isn't suitable for everyone, including if you are pregnant, underweight, taking medications, or managing diabetes, a thyroid condition, or another medical condition. Please consult a doctor or dietitian before starting. For more information, refer to our reSET FAQ page.
Sources
- Chocosuisse. Annual media release 2025: Swiss chocolate industry.
- Lowe MR, Butryn ML. Hedonic hunger: a new dimension of appetite? Physiology & Behavior. 2007;91(4):432-439.
- Kahathuduwa CN, Binks M, Martin CK, Dawson JA. Extended calorie restriction suppresses overall and specific food cravings: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2017;18(10):1122-1135.
- Robinson E, Aveyard P, Daley A, et al. Eating attentively: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013;97(4):728-742.
- Spiegel K, Tasali E, Penev P, Van Cauter E. Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004;141(11):846-850.
- Alcock J, Maley CC, Aktipis CA. Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms. BioEssays. 2014;36(10):940-949.
- Swiss Society for Nutrition (SGE). Swiss food pyramid: sweets, salty snacks and alcohol.
- Rangan P, Choi I, Wei M, et al. Fasting-mimicking diet modulates microbiota and promotes intestinal regeneration to reduce inflammatory bowel disease pathology. Cell Reports. 2019;26(10):2704-2719.