What ARE cravings?

Why we want what we want…to eat

We all find ourselves eating differently, craving different textures, flavors, and types of dishes, depending on the season. Most people instinctively seek out heartier, heavier foods in the winter and fresher, lighter options in the summer; we might chalk this up to wanting to keep warm in the winter and cool ourselves down in hot, humid summer weather, but there is more to it than that… cravings can be driven by emotional conditions (stress, anxiety, euphoria), physical conditions (lack of sleep, hormonal changes), what products are in season and readily available, and many other factors.

Here are types of craving you may experience in the warmer months and some reasons why:

Foods that Cool or Refresh: We may gravitate towards foods that feel hydrating or are served chilled like cucumbers, fruit salad, ice cream and chilled cocktails during the dog days of summer, but there’s actually evidence that eating or drinking something very cold may feel like it cools you off at the time, but actually raises your body’s internal temperature somewhat.
Salty Foods: Sweating causes our bodies to get depleted of one of the electrolytes we have in highest concentration: sodium. Ironically, sodium aids water retention in the body, helping it stay hydrated, so it’s no surprise that we seek out salty things like chips, fries, burgers, etc., when we’re a little dehydrated to try to restore the sodium level in our bodies.
Nostalgia Foods: BBQ foods like burgers & ribs, corn on the cob, ice cream, and picnic staples such as potato salad, chips, pasta salads, etc., are often associated with memories of summer outings and invoke get togethers with friends & family, good weather, and nice scenery. Seafood such as fried fish, crab cakes, and shrimp are also connected with time spent at the beach. Since cravings are often tied to past associations, and these types of foods are largely connected with feel-good past events, they become almost universal American summertime fare.

Light & Quick Meals: Most people tend to consume fewer calories in the summer than in the winter, whether to maintain beach bodies, or simply because they are not driven to store up calories the way we are in winter. Hot weather also makes spending time in the kitchen less appealing– so simple, easy-to-prepare dishes (or take out) become a summer staple: pasta salads, chicken salad, tacos are some summertime favorites.

What do you crave in the summer? We would love to hear about what you and your family gravitate to for your summertime meals!

Below are items from Pinwheel’s current inventory that may help you address those summer cravings quickly & easily:

All Natural Beef Patties

Salmon Burgers

Organic Turkey Fillets (perfect grilled and finished with our Hatch Chile Sauce)

Yuengling Battered Haddock Filets

Chesapeake Bay-Style Crab Cakes

Chicken & Lemongrass Dumplings

Local Corn

Spiced Potato Wedges

Local Sweet Peas

Smokey Mountain Whiskey Glaze