Latest news with #foodcravings
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
McDonald's Snack Wrap is returning to U.S. menus. Here's what to know.
McDonald's Snack Wrap, a gone-but-not-forgotten customer favorite, is returning to the fast-food chain's restaurants in the U.S. after a nine-year hiatus. The popular sandwich will reappear on menus starting July 10, according to an announcement by the company on Tuesday in which Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, stated simply, "It's back." Consisting of a white-flour tortilla filled with chicken, shredded lettuce and cheese, the Snack Wrap was introduced nearly two decades ago. However, the item was removed from McDonald's menus in 2016 because it was too complicated for its kitchens to prepare. Customers have been calling for the Snack Wrap's return ever since. In announcing the Snack Wrap's return, the company included a link to a webpage called which it describes as a "content hub for the most anticipated menu item of the decade." Featuring Snack Wrap wallpaper as its background, the promotional webpage includes various large folders users can click into. A folder entitled "Fandom," for example, houses screenshots of social media posts from Snack Wrap fans expressing their love for the food and asking when it would be returned to McDonald's menus. In one email, entitled "Snack Wraps for this Pregnant Lady," a McDonald's customer named Carli writes "my biggest craving is something I can't have. I am due July 14th, 2025. Will snack wraps be back before then? Please just give me a hint." "I've waited years and I'm getting mildly impatient" wrote another fan called "loyal snack wrap lover." Another, more proactive display of loyalty included a petition to bring back the Snack Wrap. The petition garnered nearly 19,000 signatures. Bringing back the wrap was a "years-long process," Erlinger told The Associated Press. In its revived form, the Snack Wrap will feature fried chicken and come in two flavors: Ranch and Spicy. This is a departure from the original version, which included a choice of grilled or fried chicken and sauce options like honey mustard and sweet chili. The simplified recipe is to ensure faster service, according to the company. The company has not revealed how much the Snack Wrap will cost, only that prices will vary depending on location. McDonald's also posted on the Snack Wrap's on its X account, thanking ardent fans for resurrecting the long-lost menu item. Breaking the fourth wall, the social media manager behind the McDonald's account addressed followers directly, reminding them that "social media managers don't control the menu," but rather its the fans who are to thank for the Snack Wrap's revival. Stated the post, "you created a movement. a movement so powerful that you finally won." Sneak peek: Where is Jermain Charlo? Hegseth orders Navy to rename USNS Harvey Milk, Jeffries calls it "a complete and total disgrace" FEMA, Trump administration react to sources saying chief did not know U.S. had a hurricane season
CBS News
6 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
McDonald's Snack Wrap is returning to U.S. menus. Here's what to know.
McDonald's Snack Wrap, a gone-but-not-forgotten customer favorite, is returning to the fast-food chain's restaurants in the U.S. after a nine-year hiatus. The popular sandwich will reappear on menus starting July 10, 2025, according to an announcement by the company on Tuesday in which Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, stated simply, "It's back." Consisting of a white-flour tortilla filled with chicken, shredded lettuce and cheese, the Snack Wrap was introduced nearly two decades ago. However, the item was removed from McDonald's menus in 2016 because it was too complicated for its kitchens to prepare. Customers have been calling for the Snack Wrap's return ever since. In announcing the Snack Wrap's return, the company included a link to a webpage called which it describes as a "content hub for the most anticipated menu item of the decade." Featuring Snack Wrap wallpaper as its background, the promotional webpage includes various large folders users can click into. A folder entitled "Fandom," for example, houses screenshots of social media posts from Snack Wrap fans expressing their love for the food and asking when it would be returned to McDonald's menus. In one email, entitled "Snack Wraps for this Pregnant Lady," a McDonald's customer named Carli writes "my biggest craving is something I can't have. I am due July 14th, 2025. Will snack wraps be back before then? Please just give me a hint." "I've waited years and I'm getting mildly impatient" wrote another fan called "loyal snack wrap lover." Another, more proactive display of loyalty included a petition to bring back the Snack Wrap. The petition garnered nearly 19,000 signatures. Bringing back the wrap was a "years-long process," Erlinger told The Associated Press. In its revived form, the Snack Wrap will feature fried chicken and come in two flavors: Ranch and Spicy. This is a departure from the original version, which included a choice of grilled or fried chicken and sauce options like honey mustard and sweet chili. The simplified recipe is to ensure faster service, according to the company. The company has not revealed how much the Snack Wrap will cost, only that prices will vary depending on location. McDonald's also posted on the Snack Wrap's on its X account, thanking ardent fans for resurrecting the long-lost menu item. Breaking the fourth wall, the social media manager behind the McDonald's account addressed followers directly, reminding them that "social media managers don't control the menu," but rather its the fans who are to thank for the Snack Wrap's revival. Stated the post, "you created a movement. a movement so powerful that you finally won." contributed to this report.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This 'Bad' Habit May Help You Lose Weight, New Study Suggests
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RDA new study suggests that eating the foods you're craving may help you lose weight. Participants were advised to include foods they were craving as part of their meals. Study participants were also able to keep weight off longer when they satisfied you'd like to lose weight, you may be at a loss for where to start. Everywhere you turn, there's another ad, product or program promising big results. But the truth is, no one method works for everyone. Many variables come into play, and just as many obstacles pop up that need to be overcome. One of them is cravings. While we may think of cravings as something that's 'all in our heads,' that's not quite true. Cravings are a real biological phenomenon defined as 'strong and intense desires or subjectively non-resistible urges to consume a specific food or type of food, that often undermine efforts to maintain dietary changes.' So, having cravings or giving in to them is not a sign of weakness. It's your brain and body's way of telling you something. And cravings can be measured to some extent. With that in mind, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign decided to examine food cravings and see if they could actually help you lose weight. Sound counterintuitive? They recently published their findings in the journal Physiology & Behavior. Let's break them down. Related: 5 Mediterranean Diet Foods to Stock Up On to Lose Weight, According to Dietitians The purpose of this study was to determine the change in food cravings and their relationship with weight loss outcomes during a one-year dietary weight loss program followed by another year of weight maintenance. The goal was for participants to lose 5% of their body weight. Researchers recruited 30 participants with an average age of 53 at baseline; about 77% of them were women. The average BMI at baseline was 36—BMI over 30 is considered obese, and 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, though it's important to note that BMI does not take into account what the weight is made up of, including muscle and bone. To help level this out, waist and hip circumferences were also measured, as was body composition, which takes into account the amount of lean mass to fat mass. Food cravings were measured using two validated scales when the study began and after 12, 18 and 24 months. At baseline, 54% of participants reported experiencing food cravings ranging from sometimes to daily in the past month; the remaining 46% reported rarely having cravings in the past month. Participants received several online nutrition education sessions during the first 12 months, plus three individualized online advising sessions and weekly feedback emails from nutrition coaches. The goal of the education sessions was to educate participants about basic nutrition principles to empower them to make informed decisions on what to eat. Part of this was encouraging a higher intake of protein and fiber, and how to create a small calorie deficit to encourage weight loss. They also learned strategies for managing food cravings, including storing commonly craved foods in less accessible spaces, and using distraction strategies (i.e., going for a walk when feeling a craving coming on), as well as establishing a consistent daily eating pattern. Participants were also encouraged to follow the inclusion strategy. This involved incorporating small portions of their favorite foods as part of a well-balanced meal, instead of avoiding and excluding these foods or food groups (as a restrictive weight loss diet might suggest). Each participant received a Wi-Fi-enabled scale that transmitted information to researchers via an app. They were instructed to weigh themselves each day before breakfast. During the 12 months of maintenance, there was minimal contact with the research team, other than a 15-month check-in with a registered dietitian. At the end of the study period (24 months), researchers split participants into two groups: those who lost more than 5% of their body weight, and those who lost less than 5%. Twenty of the 30 participants made it through the whole 24 months, which was just enough to allow a meaningful statistical analysis. At baseline, there were no differences in craving traits between the two groups. But the group that lost at least 5% of their body weight showed consistent improvements in craving traits over the first 12 months, which was sustained through 24 months. The other group, however, showed no significant change in craving trait scores throughout the entire study period. Participants who used the inclusion strategy—allowing for small portions of their favorite foods—lost significantly more weight than those who didn't use the strategy. Plus, strategy users also experienced a significant reduction in overall cravings, especially for sweets, carbs and high-fat foods, compared to those who didn't use the strategy. Previous research suggested that cravings happen as a result of weight loss and emptying fat cells, which essentially triggers cravings to fill the fat cells back up. But this new research challenges that belief. 'This basically debunks the hungry fat cell theory, a longstanding hypothesis that fat cells become starved for energy and trigger cravings, causing dieters to eat and ultimately regain what they lost,' says Manabu Nakamura, Ph.D., the study's lead author, in a press release. 'But that is not the case. As long as you stay at a healthy weight, your cravings will remain low.' Results also suggest that those who established a consistent eating pattern also lost more weight. 'The popular myth is you have to have a very strong will to fend off temptation,' says Nakamura, 'but that is not the case. Fluctuations in eating patterns, meal times and amounts trigger cravings, too. You have to be consistent.' A limitation of this study is that it cannot establish causation, just correlation. In other words, it cannot be said that the inclusion strategy caused more weight loss and reduced cravings, just that there is an association between them. This study also does not mention other factors that can influence weight, like physical activity, sleep and stress. So it's unknown if the participants who lost more weight engaged in other healthy habits besides the strategies mentioned here. Plus, with only 20 participants completing the program, this study offers a limited picture of what weight loss may look like for various people. Related: The #1 Surprising Exercise for Reducing Visceral Fat, According to Experts This study supports our philosophy here at EatingWell—that all foods fit in a varied, balanced eating pattern, even when trying to lose weight. And that consistently fueling your body helps prevent dramatic blood sugar highs and lows—and consequently that hangry feeling that brings you to an irritable, brain-foggy, ravenous state, looking for anything to eat to help you feel better. Other recent research supports these findings, too. For example, one study found that those who participate in fasting—including intermittent fasting—were more likely to experience food cravings and binge eating. These studies suggest that cravings are your body's way of telling you that it needs something, like fuel or nutrients, and are not related to some lack of willpower. Our bodies are designed with many backup systems to warn us when they need something. When we don't eat enough, for example, our bodies and brains assume we're starving and trigger biological processes to make sure we eat. These processes include food cravings and food thoughts—aka food noise and constantly thinking about food. Related: 5 Foods You Should Be Eating for Dinner for Weight Loss You can help calm your brain—and cravings—by making sure it has what it needs—fuel. The brain's primary and preferred source of fuel is glucose, found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. And as this study suggests, including small amounts of foods that you would normally avoid when you're trying to lose weight may not only reduce cravings, but also aid weight loss. It's also important to consider other areas of health that not only support healthy weight, but also health in general. Be careful about focusing solely on calories, and make sure you're eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need. You can meet a calorie goal with one or two foods, but it's difficult to get the wide range of fats, proteins, carbs, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals your body needs by restricting what you eat. You can also lose weight and, in the process, lose a lot of muscle and bone mass if you're not eating enough protein and including strength training in your routine. You can restrict certain foods and food groups and lose weight, and end up an anxious, irritable mess because you're not eating enough calories to sustain you. This, in turn, increases stress, which can also affect your sleep (not to mention your relationships). If you'd like some guidance for your weight loss journey, making an appointment with a registered dietitian can help individualize your approach. Or if you just need some tasty ideas of what to eat, we've got lots of meal plans to choose from, like our 30-Day No Sugar Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan for Weight Loss. If you're on a GLP-1, check out our Simple 7-Day GLP-1-Friendly Meal Plan for Beginners. All of our meal plans are designed by registered dietitians, so you know that they're not only delicious but also nutrient-dense. Related: 7 Foods You Shouldn't Cut Out If You're Trying to Lose Weight, According to a Dietitian This study suggests that following a few simple strategies, like including small portions of your favorite foods with balanced meals and maintaining a consistent eating pattern, can help with weight loss and reduce food cravings. Barring food allergies or sensitivities, cutting out whole foods and entire food groups is rarely beneficial. Also, beware of only focusing on calories and weight. Take a whole health approach by engaging in regular physical activity for a stronger heart and muscles (not just weight loss), managing the things that stress you out, getting plenty of quality sleep and spending time with loved ones. All of these factors work together for your overall health, including disease prevention and longevity—and that's more important than hitting a specific number on the scale. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Sudden diet change could be 'first symptom' of early-onset dementia - striking before classic signs of the condition, doctors warn
Bizarre changes in eating habits—such as a lifelong vegetarian suddenly craving meat—could be an easily missed sign of dementia, a top doctor warns. Unusual food cravings may also point to the condition, particularly in early-onset cases, which affect those under 65. In a TikTok viewed almost 30,000 times, University of Southampton dementia expert Dr Kellyn Lee said changes in dietary habits can come as a shock to loved ones. 'When we think about food, quite often we have known that person for a long time,' she said. 'We know what they eat, we know what they like and what they don't like. But when the brain isn't work as it used to... tastes change.' The psychologist added: 'For example, somebody who has always loved fish and chips now does not like them. 'Somebody who has always enjoyed a roast beef lunch, absolutely no way will they eat it. 'The texture of food can feel different [so people might think] something that used to be okay in my mouth is no longer okay.' Dr Lee's warning is backed by charities who also warn that changes in diet can be an early sign of a specific form of dementia that most commonly strikes younger people. Dementia charity, The Alzheimer's Society, say a person suddenly craving sweet, fatty foods can be a potential sign of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This is a rare form of the disease that affects behaviour and personality, rather than memory. FTD accounts for two per cent of cases of the condition in the UK. However it's seen in around 12 per cent of early-onset dementia cases—defined as diagnosis before 65. These food-related behaviours are far more common in FTD than in Alzheimer's, studies show, with many patients experiencing increased appetite, binge eating or loss of table manners. Experts say such changes are among the most distinctive—yet often overlooked—early symptoms of the disease. The Alzheimer's Society also said that more generally, dementia patients can undergo challenging changes to their dietary preferences that can be distressing for families to deal with. For example, patients with dementia who have never eaten any meat or specifically pork for religious reasons might suddenly not consider this a problem. Commenting on Dr Lee's video a number of users detailed how dementia had changed how and what their loved ones ate. 'My mum was a vegetarian for 35 years. Now, with FTD, and recently having to move to full time care, she eats everything and plenty of it,' one wrote. Another said: 'My husband says food causes his tongue to tingle/burn. Very difficult to find things he will eat now.' A third, who worked in dementia care, added: 'A resident came in, family said she is a strict vegetarian, resident didn't like vegetarian meals but started to choose meat meals. Family was not happy.' As part of her video Dr Lee added that another food-related challenge that can arise with caring for people with dementia is that they often forget that have just eaten and request more food. 'You may have just had lunch and then give it half an hour and you might be sat in the lounge and the person says, "Ok, so are we having lunch now?", or, "When are we having lunch? We haven't had lunch yet."' 'Then you might say to the person, "We have had lunch, we've had lunch already." That can then escalate into either an argument or anxiety for the person because they can't recall having that.' Instead, Dr Lee recommended using what is called a distraction task, essentially reassuring a person they would eat soon and using an activity, like turning on some music, to re-focus their attention elsewhere. 'So, it may be a case of that you say, "Ok, we can have lunch in a moment," and then you use a distraction task,' she said. Around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, while the figure is thought to be around seven million in the US. A recent analysis by the Alzheimer's Society estimated the overall annual cost of the dementia to the UK is £42billion a year, with families bearing the brunt. An ageing population means these costs—which include lost earnings of unpaid carers—are set to soar to £90billion in the next 15 years. While dementia can be caused by multiple health issues its most commonly triggered by Alzheimer's disease. Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which worsen over time. Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer.
