If it was just about planning our meals, none of us would have a problem sticking to a diet. It’s usually the snacks that do us in.

I mean, there you are, in between meals, minding your own business, when suddenly an intense chocolate craving swoops down on you, grabs you and does not let you out of its grip. Or you just innocently walk by the kitchen and a bag of crisps goes straight for your lap. You never stood a chance.

Between-meal snacking is one of the major ways we tend to sabotage ourselves. But how to prevent overdoing it? Are we really helpless in the face of the mighty predator? No, we are not. Here are 4 natural ways to either stop the cravings or make the snacks your ally in weight loss.

1. Let’s start with good news: dark chocolate! No, you can’t have the whole thing. But when the chocolate monster attacks, you can placate it by savouring one or two pieces of 70% cocoa chocolate.

It’ll work to lower your cravings because the bitter taste signals the body to decrease your appetite. The steric acid in dark chocolate also helps you feel fuller, longer.

2. Apples - they are filled with soluble fibre and pectin that contribute to a feeling of satiety. In addition, they regulate your glucose levels and boost energy.

They also demand quite a bit of chewing; it slows you down and gives you time to realise you may not be starving at all.

3. Mint Tea – who doesn’t like mint tea? Not only is it tasty, but as scientists have discovered, it works to suppress appetite. A study found that people who sniffed peppermint every two hours were not as hungry as non-sniffers - they consumed 2800 fewer calories in a week!

Mint tea is a great solution for those times when you’d eat out of boredom or while procrastinating. Find it in our Daily Kick and Sleep Tight Teas!

4. Green Tea – it’s practically made for weight loss. The catechins help inhibit the movement of glucose into fat cells. This slows the rise of blood sugar and prevents high insulin (and therefore fat storage). When your blood sugar is more stable so is your hunger!

A Swedish study showed that people who sipped tea with their meals reported less desire to eat their favourite foods even two hours after sipping the brew!

Our Daily Kick and Sleep Tight Teas come with both, mint to keep the evening cravings at bay and green tea, to keep you going through the day.