It’s been clear for decades that smoking is bad for you. Setting any substance on fire and inhaling the ensuing smoke will lead to harmful effects sooner or later. In particular, smoking tobacco can lead to a bevy of illnesses, conditions, and disorders: emphysema, diabetes, cancer, and more. It’s no surprise that many decide to quit smoking, although this is a difficult task even for the strong-willed.

Fortunately, there are plenty of snacks that can help reduce the urge to light up another cigarette:

1. Hard candy

Hard candies usually take a lot longer to dissolve than mints, and their flavor lasts longer than gum. This means that those looking to quit smoking can take advantage by distracting themselves with the flavor. In addition to that, they make nicotine lozenges which present themselves as a product that is almost identical to hard candy but is clinically demonstrated to be able to help wean smokers off their habit.

2. Gum or mints

In some cases, particularly if a smoker uses menthol cigarettes, the fresh, crisp, sensation which sometimes lingers in a smoker’s mouth can be replicated by popping a few mints. If a smoker trains themselves to become more used to just that minty feeling, than they can leave the cigarettes behind. Gum can provide the same service, but there’s more to it than that. You’ve probably heard of nicotine gum. It’s a product that smokers chew to get their “nic fix” without the need to inhale cancerous smoke. Once a smoker eliminates the muscle memory habits that come with smoking, it’s a simple matter of gradually decreasing the amount of gum (and therefore the amount of nicotine) until you’re home free.

3. Cinnamon sticks

Cinnamon sticks aren’t the most popular snack out there in most places, but they can still be useful for our purposes. Their tubular shape will comfort aspiring ex-smokers, and they can fit comfortably in between two fingers if you want to hold it like a smoke. You can bring the sticks up to your lips and pantomime taking a puff. The muscle memory of smoking is one of the things that makes breaking the habit so difficult, so it might be advantageous to use a cinnamon stick as a replacement. Lots of people chew on them like a cigar. Beyond that, cinnamon used as spice in many baked goods is known to lower blood sugar levels. This makes it a strong effect against diabetes. This is a strong natural advantage for people trying to quit smoking, as, like we already discussed, smokers are at increased risk of getting diabetes.

4. Beef or turkey jerky

Jerky is a food item that involves plenty of hand-to-mouth action, something smokers psychologically crave. It also comes in different forms that may have different benefits. Take jerky chew, for example. This product is usually packaged in a circular tin just like chewing tobacco – but there’s nothing but jerky inside. No tobacco, no nicotine. If you’re used to stuffing a dark clump of something in between your teeth and lips, jerky chew is the perfect product to help you get started quitting.