The Cravings Code Self-Assessment — Natalie Mallia, RHN
Natalie Mallia, RHN  ·  Free Self-Assessment
Find Out What's Really Driving Your Cravings

The Cravings Code
Self-Assessment

Answer each statement honestly — there are no right or wrong answers, only truthful ones. Add up each section total, circle your highest score, then flip over to discover your primary Craving Driver.

Natalie Mallia, RHN Natalie Mallia
RHN

How to score: For each statement, circle the number that best reflects how often it applies to you. Then add up your total for each section.

0 = Never 1 = Rarely 2 = Sometimes 3 = Often 4 = Almost Always

Your highest section total reveals your primary Craving Driver. Flip over to read what it means.

1
Your Body
1. I feel ravenous, shaky, or irritable if I go too long without eating.
0
1
2
3
4
2. My meals are small or light because I’m trying to eat less.
0
1
2
3
4
3. I often skip breakfast or eat very little in the morning.
0
1
2
3
4
4. I crave carbs, sugar, or salty snacks most intensely in the afternoon.
0
1
2
3
4
Section 1 Total
=
/ 16
2
Your Energy
5. I wake up tired even after a full night’s sleep.
0
1
2
3
4
6. My cravings get significantly worse when I’m stressed or under pressure.
0
1
2
3
4
7. I experience brain fog, low mood, or difficulty concentrating regularly.
0
1
2
3
4
8. I reach for sweet or high-carb foods when I’m exhausted or overwhelmed.
0
1
2
3
4
Section 2 Total
=
/ 16
3
Your Relationship with Food
9. I have a mental list of foods I “shouldn’t” eat or try to avoid.
0
1
2
3
4
10. When I decide a food is off-limits, I think about it constantly.
0
1
2
3
4
11. I eat more of a “forbidden” food once I start than I intended to.
0
1
2
3
4
12. Being “good” with food during the day leads to overeating at night.
0
1
2
3
4
Section 3 Total
=
/ 16
4
Your Patterns
13. I reach for food at predictable times — 3pm, after dinner, while watching TV.
0
1
2
3
4
14. Certain places or activities automatically make me want to eat something specific.
0
1
2
3
4
15. I eat while doing something else — scrolling, watching TV, working — and often don’t remember finishing.
0
1
2
3
4
16. I find myself in the kitchen looking for something to eat without feeling physically hungry.
0
1
2
3
4
Section 4 Total
=
/ 16
5
Your Feelings
17. I eat to cope with boredom, loneliness, anxiety, or frustration.
0
1
2
3
4
18. After a hard day, food is my primary way to feel better or decompress.
0
1
2
3
4
19. I eat past fullness when I’m upset, numb, or trying to avoid a feeling.
0
1
2
3
4
20. I feel guilt or shame after eating in response to emotions.
0
1
2
3
4
Section 5 Total
=
/ 16
Step 2 — Compare Your Section Totals & Circle Your Highest
1
Your Body  / 16
2
Your Energy  / 16
3
Relationship with Food  / 16
4
Your Patterns  / 16
5
Your Feelings  / 16
My Highest Section
= My Primary Driver

Highest in one section? That’s your primary driver. Two sections close together? Read both on the back — having more than one driver is completely normal.

↩ Flip over to read your results
The Cravings Code  ·  Your Results

Your body has been sending signals.
Here’s what they mean.

Find your highest section below to read your result. If two scores were close, read both.

1
Your Body
2
Your Energy
3
Relationship with Food
4
Your Patterns
5
Your Feelings
1
Highest in Section 1 — Your Driver is Fuel
Physical Hunger & Underfueling

Your body isn’t getting enough food, protein, or calories to meet its actual needs — so it pushes hard for more, especially quick-energy foods. This isn’t a lack of discipline. It’s biology doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Many women in their 40s have spent years undereating in the name of “being good.” The cravings that feel out of control are often just ignored hunger finally demanding to be heard.

Start here: Add a protein-rich breakfast within one hour of waking
2
Highest in Section 2 — Your Driver is Depletion
Sleep, Stress & Nutrient Gaps

When your body is running low on sleep, nutrients, or resilience after chronic stress, it looks for the fastest available energy and reward. That usually means sugar, salt, or fat — not because you want them, but because your system is depleted.

Chronic fatigue, brain fog, and relentless food thoughts are signs of depletion at the root — not a motivation problem.

Start here: Prioritize magnesium-rich foods and consistent sleep
3
Highest in Section 3 — Your Driver is Restriction
Mental & Physical Deprivation

The moment a food becomes off-limits, it becomes louder. Restriction — whether physical or mental — creates a scarcity mindset that makes “forbidden” foods magnetic. The more rules you carry, the louder the cravings get.

If you think about food more when you’re “being good,” this driver is almost certainly at play.

Start here: Remove one food rule this week and notice what shifts
4
Highest in Section 4 — Your Driver is Habit
Conditioned Cue & Reward Loops

Not every craving is about hunger or emotion. Some are simply about context. Your brain builds associations between time, place, activity, and food — and then fires automatically. The craving feels urgent and real, but it was triggered by a cue, not genuine need.

Recognizing the cue is the first step to interrupting the loop — and it’s surprisingly liberating once you see it.

Start here: Identify your top two cue-craving patterns this week
5
Highest in Section 5 — Your Driver is Emotional
Mood, Stress & Comfort

Food is one of the fastest, most reliable ways to shift how we feel — and there is nothing shameful in that. For many women, especially under chronic stress, food has quietly become the primary tool for managing difficult emotions: boredom, loneliness, anxiety, frustration, or simply the need to feel something good after a hard day.

This isn’t a character flaw. It’s a coping strategy that worked — until it stopped working. And it can be gently, compassionately replaced once it’s understood.

Start here: Name the emotion before you eat — just notice, no judgment

Now that you know your driver — imagine actually resolving it. That’s exactly what we do inside The Cravings Reset, my private 1:1 coaching program for women who are ready to stop cycling and finally get to the root.

A discovery call is free, private, and completely no-pressure. Let’s talk about what’s keeping you stuck.

Book a Free Discovery Call
nataliemallia.com
Natalie Mallia  ·  Registered Holistic Nutritionist The Cravings Reset  ·  nataliemallia.com