Halloween is just two days away, and it seems like there’s candy everywhere I go.

While I’m all for occasional indulgence, eating a nibble here and a nibble there can add up to unwanted extra pounds pretty fast. Not to mention worsen diet quality, which may mean poorer health as we head into cold & flu season.

So what’s a sugar lover to do?

My own plan is to adhere to the following five tips, as often as possible.

5 Tips to Help Curb Sugar Cravings

1. Eat regularly. Waiting too long between meals may worsen sugar cravings, since your body will be looking for foods that quickly curb your hunger (a.k.a. sugary and fatty foods). Eating before you’re ravenous boosts the likelihood you’ll make healthy choices, so plan meals and snacks accordingly.

2. Include protein at every meal and snack. Protein is a very satisfying nutrient, and when eaten alongside high-fiber carbohydrates, helps increase the feeling of fullness for longer. Make sure that protein, fat and carbohydrates are represented every time you eat (e.g. an apple with nut butter instead of an apple alone, or a scrambled egg on toast instead of just toast).

3. Eat more healthy fat. Avoiding fat may increase your body’s desire for sugar, since fat really boosts satisfaction. Incorporate avocado, nuts, organic cheese, coconut, organic whole milk yogurt, etc. into meals and snacks so you take in more nutrients and less sugar.

4. Keep healthy snacks in plain sight. And hide the candy! You’ll eat whatever you see, so make sure you have healthy stuff conveniently placed and ready-to-eat.

5. Indulge a little. Plan for indulgences, rather than just indulging whenever you see a sweet treat that looks good. If you like dessert after dinner, save that piece of candy you grabbed earlier in the day for nighttime. If you plan ahead and save your sugar calories for whatever you really love, your sweets intake won’t get out of control.