Making Mealtime Meaningful: Discover how we're giving back with the 12T Cares program →

Do you ever get the urge to eat peanut butter straight from the jar? Or eat an entire container of pasta? Sure, one might argue that both of those things sound delicious, but have you ever taken the time to wonder why you crave those things at the moment? We’ve got some answers for you that may be surprising!

Raw Fish


There’s an interesting reason behind why we crave raw fish. Sure, some of it has to do with the availability in recent years, but more than that, it’s about the texture. Since fish aren’t so much impacted by gravity, they don’t develop the dense muscles that other meat sources do. Therefore, raw fish is smooth, almost creamy in texture, thus reminding us of other comfort foods – even sweet stuff like brownies!

[sc name=”content-ad-horiz-1″]

Oysters


It’s true – oysters are an aphrodisiac, which in and of itself can make it a craving. But oysters also have a lot of zinc, which people often crave if they are stressed out or low on sodium.

[sc name=”content-ad-horiz-2″]

Hot Foods


It seems that people either love hot foods or avoid them like the plague. For those that choose to indulge in the spicy side of life, science shows that eating spicy foods actually releases endorphins in your brain. No wonder Sriracha is so addicting!

[sc name=”content-ad-horiz-3″]

Salty Sweet


What is it about this classic combo that we crave? Whether it’s maple bacon, salted caramel, or trail mix, there’s something about that salty sweet mix that really hits the spot. The reason is probably a lot simpler than you think – it’s just really good. The more complex a flavor is, the more of it we want!

[sc name=”content-ad-horiz-4″]

Peanut Butter


This is a good source of protein, which might be what your body needs when you crave peanut butter. There’s also research that supports the theory that texture has just as much to do with the craving as the food itself. In the case of peanut butter, its smooth and creamy, which makes it easy to gobble up a lot of it at one time.

Carbs


It’s no lie that carbs are addicting. If it feels like the more you eat, the more you want – that’s exactly what’s happening in your body. Especially when it comes to simple carbs like bread, pasta, and potatoes.

Find out the science behind each of these food cravings in the video below!

[media height=”270″ width=”480″ provider=”youtube” type=”iframe” src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/hZt7oLhv0_4?feature=oembed” ad=”true”]

Subscribe to 12 Tomatoes