Possible causes for your cravings--

Physical causes

• Leptin and ghrelin imbalances. An imbalance in these hunger and fullness hormones may cause certain people to experience more food cravings than others.Trusted Source
• Pregnancy. Hormonal changes in pregnancy may influence your smell and taste receptors, in turn, causing you to experience more intensified cravings.Trusted Source
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The changes in the hormones estrogen and progesterone that occur right before your period may intensify cravings, especially for carb-rich foods.Trusted Source
• Lack of sleep. Too little or poor quality sleep can disturb your levels of the hormones responsible for regulating hunger, fullness, and sleep-wake cycles, possibly intensifying food cravings, especially in the evenings.Trusted Source
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• A nutrient-poor diet. Nutrients like protein and fiber can help you feel full. A diet that’s low in these nutrients may cause you to feel hungry or experience cravings, even if you have otherwise eaten enough calories.Trusted Source
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• Poor hydration. Ingesting too little fluids can intensify feelings of hunger or cravings in some people.Trusted Source
• Your gut flora. There is some evidence that the type of bacteria present in your gut may influence the frequency and type of cravings you may have. However, more research is needed to confirm this link.Trusted Source
• Physical activity. An increase in your level of physical activity, even if just by walking more, may help reduce food cravings. Similarly, moving less than you usually do may cause you to experience more food cravings.Trusted Source
• Highly processed foods. There is some evidence that highly processed foods rich in added fat and sugar may cause addiction-like symptoms, in turn, possibly increasing cravings.Trusted Source
• Frequency at which you eat the craved foods. Eating a craved food less frequently may be more effective at reducing your craving for that particular food than eating a small portion of that food whenever you crave it.Trusted SoTrusted So14Trusted Source

Mental causes

• Stress. Stress can increase your levels of the hormone cortisol. High cortisol levels may be linked to hunger, cravings, and a higher likelihood of stress- or binge-eating behaviors.Trusted Source
• Your personality. Some evidence suggests that people who are more impulsive or have higher scores on measures of addictive personality may also have a higher likelihood of experiencing food cravings.Trusted Sou15Trusted Source
• Eating context. Your brain can associate eating a specific food to a specific context — for instance, popcorn and a movie. This may cause you to crave that particular food the next time the same context comes around.
• Your mood. Certain moods may trigger cravings for specific foods. For example, negative moods appear to often spark cravings for comfort foods.

--Healthline

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