{"id":1471,"date":"2026-05-14T18:01:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T18:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471"},"modified":"2026-05-14T18:01:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T18:01:31","slug":"food-cravings-at-345-pm-arent-random-heres-what-your-body-may-be-warning-you-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471","title":{"rendered":"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren’t random, here’s what your body may be warning you about"},"content":{"rendered":"

That mid-afternoon urge to reach for something salty or sweet isn’t just a lack of willpower \u2014 it’s something many Americans experience every day.<\/p>

Read more How does a runoff election work in Texas?<\/a><\/p>

Surveys have found that people report an average of two cravings daily, with urges peaking at about 3:45 p.m.<\/p>

There are a few reasons why, health experts<\/u> told Fox News Digital.<\/p>

6 HEALTHY FOODS THAT COULD SECRETLY SPIKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR, AND WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

<\/div>

“Most of us can relate to the afternoon crash or slump<\/u>, and it’s tied to a couple of key factors,” North Carolina-based science communication consultant Megan Meyer, Ph.D., told Fox News Digital.<\/p>

A light lunch,<\/u> or skipping one altogether, can lead to a spike and drop in blood sugar, Meyer said, which “signals to the brain to seek out food \u2014 usually salty or sweet snacks \u2014 to stabilize blood sugar.”<\/p>

Add in a natural dip in circadian rhythm and widespread sleep deprivation \u2014 both linked to increased cravings for high-calorie foods \u2014 and the late-afternoon snack attack<\/u> starts to make sense, she said.<\/p>

But cravings aren’t just about biology.<\/p>

THE WORST FOODS TO BUY IN THE SUPERMARKET AND THE BETTER CHOICES INSTEAD<\/u><\/strong><\/p>

“Food is<\/u> so inherently personal and tied to experiences and emotion,” Meyer said.<\/p>

Stress, routines<\/u> and even what’s within arm’s reach can shape what \u2014 and how often \u2014 we crave.<\/p>

“I’ve also noticed that my environment really shapes my eating patterns,” she said. “If I am surrounded by less healthy food<\/u> options, I often crave those foods. When I remove them, those\u00a0cravings\u00a0tend to go away.”<\/p>

Read more 11-year-old dead after being hit by truck outside Clute Intermediate School<\/a><\/p>

Rather than viewing cravings as something to fight, they can be useful signals, South Carolina-based registered dietitian nutritionist Lauren Manaker told Fox News Digital.<\/p>

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

FILE: Woman eats snack while working on the computer. (Credit: Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

“Cravings are a natural part of how our bodies communicate with us, often signaling a need for energy, comfort or specific nutrients,” Manaker said.<\/p>

“Rather than resisting them entirely<\/u>, it’s helpful to approach cravings with balance and acknowledge them without judgment.”<\/p>

Instead, planning “satisfying, nutrient-dense meals<\/u> and snacks throughout the day can help reduce the intensity of cravings, especially during that mid-afternoon slump,” Manaker said.<\/p>

Still, modern food culture can complicate things.<\/p>

“There’s a lot of unhealthy expectations around food,” Meyer noted, pointing to the pressure of social media and so-called “influencer-worthy” meals.<\/p>

A healthier approach is less about perfection and more about awareness.<\/p>

“Remember, honoring your hunger<\/u> in a mindful way is an important part of maintaining a healthy relationship with food,” Manaker said.<\/p>

Peter Burke is a lifestyle editor with Fox News Digital. He covers various lifestyle topics, with an emphasis on food and drink.<\/p>

Read more FBI, Everman police to announce \u2018significant development\u2019 in search for Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez<\/a><\/p>

Find more updates on this story at FOXNews.com.<\/i><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That mid-afternoon urge to reach for a snack isn’t just a lack of willpower \u2014 it’s something many Americans experience every day. Here’s why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,21,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-drink","category-health","category-u-s"],"yoast_head":"\nFood cravings at 3:45 pm aren't random, here's what your body may be warning you about - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren't random, here's what your body may be warning you about - Houston Moving Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"That mid-afternoon urge to reach for a snack isn't just a lack of willpower \u2014 it's something many Americans experience every day. Here's why.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Houston Moving Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-14T18:01:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b67b242c3853d40a14acc7405c9032ef.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"932\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"524\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba\"},\"headline\":\"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren’t random, here’s what your body may be warning you about\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-14T18:01:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471\"},\"wordCount\":509,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Food and Drink\",\"Health\",\"U.S.\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471\",\"name\":\"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren't random, here's what your body may be warning you about - Houston Moving Journal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-14T18:01:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?p=1471#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren’t random, here’s what your body may be warning you about\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Houston Moving Journal\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/houstonmovingjournal.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren't random, here's what your body may be warning you about - Houston Moving Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren't random, here's what your body may be warning you about - Houston Moving Journal","og_description":"That mid-afternoon urge to reach for a snack isn't just a lack of willpower \u2014 it's something many Americans experience every day. Here's why.","og_url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471","og_site_name":"Houston Moving Journal","article_published_time":"2026-05-14T18:01:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":932,"height":524,"url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b67b242c3853d40a14acc7405c9032ef.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba"},"headline":"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren’t random, here’s what your body may be warning you about","datePublished":"2026-05-14T18:01:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471"},"wordCount":509,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp","articleSection":["Food and Drink","Health","U.S."],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471","url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471","name":"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren't random, here's what your body may be warning you about - Houston Moving Journal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-14T18:01:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/de6322627b2068e0e347498961750761.webp","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1471#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Food cravings at 3:45 pm aren’t random, here’s what your body may be warning you about"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/","name":"Houston Moving Journal","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e51740aab7bd577378c5f91b003a39ba","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com"],"url":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}