Using food to celebrate good news or to comfort yourself when you're feeling down is common. The issue arises when these emotional triggers cause cravings that lead to overeating. If you find it hard to control emotional eating, try these tips.

Identify it

The first step to managing emotional eating is to identify your triggers. When cravings start, pause for a moment and evaluate what’s happening. Are you feeling happy, sad, or stressed? Did something happen before you felt hungry, like a stressful work meeting or an argument with someone you care about?

Recognize true hunger

Once you identify the cause of your food craving, evaluate your hunger level. How long has it been since you last ate? Is your stomach growling? True hunger usually occurs about four hours after a healthy, balanced meal or snack. If you are genuinely hungry, eat something. Choose a meal or snack that balances protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates. If you can't resist a sugar-filled treat, limit yourself to a few bites. The goal isn’t to deprive yourself but to slow down and maintain control over your food choices, which can prevent you from eating an entire bag of chips or a box of cookies. Often, just a taste is enough to satisfy a craving and help you avoid overeating.

Get distracted

If you realize that your hunger and cravings are linked to an emotional trigger, the best move is to distract yourself. Reply to the email in your inbox, run an errand, or take a 10-minute walk. If you can shift your focus away from the situation that caused the craving, even briefly, you can often avoid the urge to snack.

Find healthy substitutes to satisfy cravings

If you can’t seem to curb the cravings caused by emotional triggers, make a healthy list of substitutes you can keep nearby. Do you crave salty foods when you're stressed? Try lightly salted, air-popped popcorn. Need a sweet treat to celebrate? Have one square of dark chocolate or make a natural frozen yogurt. Vegetables with hummus are perfect for crunchy cravings, or try a slow-cooked oatmeal for something rich and creamy.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.