Why do I get a sweet tooth after dinner and how do I stop it?

If you find yourself standing in front of the fridge at 9 PM, debating whether to eat that last cookie (spoiler alert: you will), you’re not alone. Post-dinner sugar cravings are ridiculously common, and—let’s be honest—sometimes feel impossible to resist. But why does your brain suddenly demand a brownie the moment you put your fork down? Let’s dive in.

1. Your Blood Sugar is Playing Tricks on You

If your dinner wasn’t balanced—maybe it was all carbs and not enough protein or fibre—your blood sugar might take a little nosedive. And what’s the quickest way to bring it back up? Sugar. Your body isn’t plotting against you; it just knows that a cookie will get the job done faster than a bowl of broccoli.

2. “Pairing” – A Fancy Way of Saying You’ve Trained Yourself

Ever noticed how peanut butter just goes with jelly? Or coffee with mornings? Your brain loves routines, and if you’ve been treating yourself to dessert after dinner for years, guess what? Your brain expects it. It doesn’t care if you’re full—it’s simply following the script: Dinner → Sweet Treat → Happiness. Sometimes even sitting on the same side of the couch can trigger that Tim Tam feeling OR you may even pair stopping at the ‘servo’ on the way home from work with a chocolate bar if you do it often enough.

3. Night time = Vulnerability Mode

Once the day is winding down, you’re more likely to let your guard down. You’re cosy, relaxed, and scrolling your phone while convincing yourself one little bite won’t hurt. The problem? That “one bite” turns into three cookies, a spoonful of ice cream, and—oh look!—you’re raiding the pantry like a ravenous raccoon. We are so busy during the day, prioritising our work or family that sometimes we subconsciously restrict our food intake and not eat enough, only for it to come back and hit you in the face when you finally sit down for the day.

4. Emotional Comfort—Because Adulting is Hard

After a long, stressful day, you want a reward. Some people meditate or do yoga; others (ahem, us) reach for chocolate. Sweets trigger a dopamine release, making us feel good, even if it’s just for a moment. It’s basically self-care… but with sprinkles.

So, What Can You Do?

Instead of fighting the reactive craving, try to be proactive and employ these simple tips:

1.     Consume a balanced Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with protein, fibre and low GI carbs focusing on smaller frequent meals.

2.     Always have an afternoon tea – preferably high in protein like a high protein greek yoghurt and a piece of fruit.

3.     Drink 2L water every day

4.     Delay and distract – Try and break up your routine and environment slightly.

-       Sit on the other side of the couch

-       Fold some washing and watch TV (helps keep your hands busy)

-       Exercise before dinner – even a 15 min walk can be enough

-       Clean your teeth straight after dinner and consume 2 glasses water

-       15 mins of delaying the craving can be enough to surf that urge down to safety

-       If after 15 mins you still feel like something, go for a small portion of a sweet treat like a Tim Tam or 3 squares of chocolate

Health Management Dietitians are experts in helping you unlock the secrets to success and help you live a healthy, happy life. We look at every scenario as individual and it’s about coming up with strategies to help solve the different nutrition problems people face on a daily basis.