Anecdotal, what's been helping me after my doc told me last year I was edging higher with blood sugar but not pre-diabetic yet. The COVID lockdown and super easy food delivery really put me behind!
I used to drink regular soda, semi-sweet iced tea and diet sodas sometimes and would have lots of cravings.
I knew this but just knowing something isn't the same as making changes...also, I underestimated HOW much cravings were being caused by sugars/carbs.
So I switched to unsweet iced tea with truvia (stevia) packets which taste just as good to me, switched to diet sodas temporarily to get myself off of regular sodas, then from there switched to flavored sparkling water....some brands like "Sparkling ice" even have a caffeine one if you need some help waking up.
Cutting out a lot of sugars and carbs (but not all) can take 5 days to 2 weeks to really get over...that's the rough part, but once you get past that, cravings really go away
I also get protein shakes with low carbs, protein power chocolate shake tastes good and I don't crave regular chocolate milk or milkshakes
I also take fiber supplement (gummies in my case) which helps keep me feeling full.
I lost about 25 pounds doing that (from 280 to 255) and that was without even working out much and my health stats are all back to normal, no issues.
I am not a cook, but I do like things like sweet potatoes , it's recommended and relatively healthy. if I get take out, I'll aim for burrito bowl with lots of protein and brown rice or limit how much rice I eat.
I'm starting working out now too, especially doing kettlebell swings which, if you have any ability to do, can REALLY do wonders for fat loss from everything I've read. Walking is also very helpful.