A strong craving is no weakness, it usually indicates your body is low in a specific nutrient, vitamin or mineral. So what are your cravings really trying to tell you? Here are a few of the most common cravings and the nutrients your body may be lacking.

#1 Chocolate

What you really need: Magnesium
Healthier alternatives: Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits

#2 Sugary Foods & Sweets

What you really need: Chromium
Healthier alternatives: Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
What you really need: Carbon
Healthier alternatives: Fresh fruits
What you really need: Phosphorus
Healthier alternatives: Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains
What you really need: Sulfur
Healthier alternatives: Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous, vegetables, kale, cabbage
What you really need: Tryptophan
Healthier alternatives: Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach

#3 Bread, pasta & other carbs

What you really need: Nitrogen
Healthier alternatives: High protein foods like fish, meat, nuts, beans

#4 Oily & fatty foods

What you really need: Calcium
Healthier alternatives: Mustard, and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

#5 Coffee or tea

What you really need: Energy
Healthier alternatives: Green Smoothies (If you still want some caffeine, try Green Tea or Matcha Smoothies)
What you really need: Phosphorus
Healthier alternatives: Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes
What you really need: Sulfur
Healthier alternatives: Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous, vegetables
What you really need: NaC1 (Salt)
Healthier alternatives: Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)
What you really need: Iron
Healthier alternatives: Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

#6 Soda and other carbonated drinks

What you really need: Calcium
Healthier alternatives: Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

#7 Salty foods

What you really need: Water. Probably you’re dehydrated. A craving for salt, which helps your body retain water, could mean you aren't drinking enough or you are losing water (through sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting) faster than you're ingesting it.

What you really need: Chloride
Healthier alternatives: Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt

#8 Acid foods

What you really need: Magnesium
Healthier alternatives: Raw nuts, and seeds, legumes, fruits

#9 If you have preference for liquids than solids

What you really need: Water
Healthier alternatives: Flavoured water with lemon or lime. You will need 8-10 glasses a day

#10 If you have preference for solids than liquids

What you really need: Water
Healthier alternatives: You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavoured water with lemon or lime. You will need 8-10 glasses a day

#11 Cool drinks

What you really need: Manganese
Healthier alternatives: Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries

#12 If you have pre-menstrual cravings

What you really need: Zinc
Healthier alternatives: Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables

#13 General overeating

What you really need: Silicon
Healthier alternatives: Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
What you really need: Tryptophan
Healthier alternatives: Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
What you really need: Tyrosine
Healthier alternatives: Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables

#14 If you lack appetite

What you really need: Vitamin B1
Healthier alternatives: Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats
What you really need: Vitamin B3
Healthier alternatives: Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes
What you really need: Manganese
Healthier alternatives: Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
What you really need: Chloride
Healthier alternatives: Raw goat milk, unrefined salt

#15 Chewing ice

What you really need: Iron
Healthier alternatives: Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

#16 Burnt food

What you really need: Carbon
Healthier alternatives: Fresh fruits