Why Am I Craving Peanut Butter? What It Means and What to Do

It's 9pm. The kids are in bed and you're standing at the pantry with a spoon in the jar. One more, you tell yourself. Then one more.

You're not even hungry. You just want peanut butter, and you want it most nights.

If that sounds like your kitchen, you're far from the only one. Here's why you crave peanut butter, what it usually means, and how to put the spoon down tonight.

Why am I craving peanut butter?

A peanut butter craving is usually caused by habit, a light meal or a long day. It's rich, salty and a little sweet, and it's always in the pantry. That mix is hard to beat at 9pm.

A food craving is a strong urge for one food, even when you aren't hungry. A 2020 review in Current Nutrition Reports found that being low in a nutrient seems to "account for a small fraction of food cravings at most."

• People mostly crave rich, energy-dense foods, and peanut butter is one.
• Cravings can be learned, so the same review says they can be unlearned too.
• If the craving is new or very strong, talk to your doctor.

What does craving peanut butter mean?

Craving peanut butter usually points to the moment you eat it, not to something missing in your body. Find your moment below.

When it hits	Usually means	Try this
A spoon from the jar at 9pm	Routine and an end-of-day reward	Change one part of your evening
Toast with peanut butter at 3pm	A long gap since lunch	A real lunch and a planned snack
Right after a salad	The meal was too light	A more filling lunch
With chocolate or honey	You really want something sweet	A sweet that doesn't count
After you banned it	Cutting one food can make you want it more	Plan a portion on purpose

That last row is real. The same 2020 review found that cutting out one food for a short time "seems to indeed increase cravings for the avoided foods."

Whatever your moment, these five steps take the edge off.

1

Step 1 of 5

Step 1: Ask if an apple would do

The apple test tells hunger from a craving. If an apple or a sandwich sounds fine, you're hungry, so eat a proper snack.

• Yes, anything would do: you're hungry. Eat.
• No, only peanut butter will do: it's a craving.
• Have a glass of water and give it 10 minutes.

2

Step 2 of 5

Step 2: Eat a lunch that lasts

A light lunch makes the 3pm jar louder. If your peanut butter craving hits every afternoon, the fix often starts at noon.

• Eat a real lunch, not a coffee and a salad on the run.
• Have a planned snack before your danger time, not after.
• Write down when the craving hits for three days.

3

Step 3 of 5

Step 3: Move the jar and change the cue

If the craving shows up with the same couch, show or time, change one part of it. The craving often fades with the cue.

• Put the jar on a high shelf, or in the garage.
• Brush your teeth straight after dinner.
• Keep the spoons in a different drawer for a week.

4

Step 4 of 5

Step 4: Don't ban it, plan it

Banning peanut butter tends to backfire. Have it on purpose instead: one tablespoon on toast at breakfast, put back in the pantry before you sit down.

• Buy one jar, not the twin pack.
• Serve it on a plate, never straight from the jar.

5

Step 5 of 5

Step 5: Sip something sweet instead

When the jar is really standing in for something sweet, give your sweet tooth something that doesn't count. That's why we made Kraving Killa, a candy-flavored drink with zero calories.

• How to take it: one scoop in about 500ml (17 oz) of cold water, just before your cravings usually hit.
• Up to two scoops a day, any time. In winter, try it hot.
• No caffeine and zero stimulants, so it won't keep you up.

What do customers say about Kraving Killa?

Kraving Killa reviews come from verified buyers on the product page. Here are three, word for word.

"I have such a sweet tooth after dinner… Not only does it taste devine, but it absolutely helps with any after-dinner cravings!"

Night snacking comes up a lot too.

"it is has successfully kept me from night time snacking."

And so does the 3pm slump.

"I always want snacks after I finish work at 3pm and so Kraving Killa is the perfect go to."

Results vary.

What's in Kraving Killa?

Kraving Killa lists every ingredient and dose in full. Here are three of them, per 2-scoop serving.

Ingredient	Per 2 scoops	What it is
Chromium (picolinate)	200mcg	The mineral your body uses to keep blood sugar normal*
L-theanine	200mg	The calming compound in green tea*
L-tyrosine	750mg	The raw material your brain makes dopamine from*

It's sweetened with sucralose and stevia. It contains no peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, gluten, soy or added sugar.

How much is Kraving Killa?

Kraving Killa costs $60 a tub of 60 scoops. That's 30 days at two scoops a day.

• One tub: $60, or $2.00 a day
• Three tubs: $144, or $1.60 a day
• Six tubs: $270, or $1.50 a day
• Three flavors: Candy Shop, Berry Bliss and Root Beer

The empty-tub guarantee: "Try it for 30 days. If it doesn't kill your cravings, email us and we'll refund you, even if the tub's empty."

It's for the 3pm slump and the after-dinner sweet tooth. It isn't a meal. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or worried, check with your doctor first.

Choose your Kraving Killa flavor