We all have those moments when you get home after what felt like the longest day on earth and all you want in life is food to magically show up in front of you. Those are the days you order takeout. And it’s oh so delicious when you do. But it’s not great to order takeout every night. It’s an expensive habit and can be pretty unhealthy. In my experience, the more I order takeout, the more I crave it. So, I’ve developed some strategies to combat my takeout-ordering problem. If you’re struggling with takeout cravings, I hope these tips will help you, too. 

Keep your kitchen stocked with your favorite treats 

I like to keep fruit cups, chips, even a small stock of candy in my kitchen. Some folks don’t subscribe to keeping sweet treats or junk food in the house, but I keep a few of my favorite treats on hand because if I don’t, I will order takeout in heartbeat.

Prepare food in advance 

Meal prep is the healthiest and the most effective way to curb takeout cravings. Choose some recipes at the beginning of the week, and make several day’s worth of something you find so delicious, you can’t help but gobble it up. You won’t order takeout if you know you have a meal you love waiting for you at home. 

Don't keep food delivery apps on your phone 

Whether it’s GrubHub, Postmates, DoorDash or UberEats, each of these apps has a website version. Delete the apps from your phone so it’s not easy to order from them. When you do have a takeout craving, you’ll have to take several extra steps to log in to the desktop version. Trust me, all those extra steps will have you thinking twice about whether you really want takeout.

Text a friend  

My group chats are fire. So when I’m jonesing for some takeout, texting my friends in the group is an excellent way to redirect my attention. 

Watch YouTube videos 

I love to watch choreography videos to distract myself from my takeout cravings. I am mesmerized by all the talented dancers, and the videos are long, so I end up watching for hours. After a while, I completely forget I wanted to order food. That, or it gets too late and all the restaurants close. Either way, it stops me from ordering.  

Try a food delivery service 

I haven’t use a food delivery service myself, but people rave about them. There are tons of super healthy food delivery services like Blue Apron, Purple Carrot and HelloFresh that will bring pre-portioned food and recipes to your door. When you’ve already spent money on great, healthy meals, you’ll be less likely to order takeout.  

When you do choose to order, split your food in half 

If you do give in and decide to order takeout (it’s okay, we all do it!), before you do anything else, grab some Tupperware, split the food in half and put it away for later. This will help you eat less in one sitting, and you’ll have leftover takeout for the next day — another day you won’t order takeout! 

How do you curb your takeout cravings? Share your tips with us!