Cravings During Pregnancy

How common are pregnancy cravings and what do they mean?

© Brenda Lane

Sep 15, 2006
Do cravings means that you are lacking nutrients in your diet? What are some healthy foods to snack on? Find out the facts on cravings.

Nearly every expectant mother has at least one food craving during her pregnancy. Stories abound of mothers requesting late-night trips for pizza or ice cream or even early morning runs for a cheeseburger.

Some have suggested that if a mother craves pickles and ice cream, perhaps she needs some nutrient or vitamin from those food items in her diet. It is very unlikely that she would need either sodium or sugar since the typical American diet is chock full of both!

It's a good idea to pay attention to what you crave. If your cravings during pregnancy are for healthy food items, it may be your body's signal to get more of that in your diet. Just as your body tells you to drink when you are thirsty or to eat when your blood sugar drops, your cravings during pregnancy can in fact be signaling you to eat more green vegetables!

My husband watched me chop vegetables for a salad at 10:00 pm one night as I headed into my second trimester. I had been unable to eat many vegetables during weeks 6-12 of my pregnancy since morning sickness affected my appetite. I was finally feeling better and my craving for vegetables kicked in. I simply had to have a salad, no matter the hour of night!

What should we do if our food cravings during pregnancy consist of essentially junk food? The last thing pregnant mothers should do is fill up on empty calories, fat and sodium-laced foods and not have any appetite left for healthy foods. Here is a list of not-so-healthy popular food cravings during pregnancy and some healthier alternatives:

    Salty, Snack Foods (chips, Doritos) try instead Nuts, Popcorn, Trail Mix

    Fried foods (chicken, french fries) try instead Baked Fries or Chicken

    Ice Creamy, Milkshakes try instead Nonfat frozen yogurt or Sorbet

    Mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese try instead Baked Potato w/chives or Pasta w/light tomato sauce
Some mothers have reported that their favorite cravings during pregnancy were also popular with their toddler when they began to eat table foods. It is quite possible that some of the flavors of foods you are craving may be carried into the amniotic fluid and sampled by your unborn baby!

If you find that you are craving non-edible food items such as clay, dirt or laundry starch, or even ice, baking powder during pregnancy, it is called pica. Women with pica often have low iron in their blood so it's a good idea to talk with your Primary Health Care Provider should you notice these cravings during pregnancy since you might need an iron supplement as well as guidance about what you should be eating.

What did you crave? Share your cravings on the forum.

See Anemia During Pregnancy for information about low iron and symptoms of anemia. For all of your questions about eating healthy, see the articles on pregnancy nutrition including Pregnancy Diet Plan and Organic Foods and Pregnancy.


The copyright of the article Cravings During Pregnancy in Pregnancy & Childbirth is owned by Brenda Lane. Permission to republish Cravings During Pregnancy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.




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Comments
Sep 5, 2008 4:20 PM
Guest :
I crave coffee grinds... :-S
Sep 19, 2008 2:48 PM
Guest :
during my early first trimester... i've been craving for ice cream, then to milkshakes/ frappuccinos. For my second trimester... fishes... specially Mackerel! Grrr.. tastes so good. LOL. I'm aware that it is high in mercury but they are referring about King Mackerel. I am not sure yet if the one I've been eating is king mackerel. They just label it Black Mackerel. Have to show this to my doctor next week! ;-)
Sep 22, 2008 10:36 PM
Guest :
I crave all sorts of things here and there but the one thing i crave the most over all would have to be gravy. i know weired eh.
Oct 18, 2008 7:42 PM
Guest :
humous and pita mmmmmmm.... and hubby loves dipping pizza in icecream, what a wierdo.
Oct 30, 2008 4:02 AM
Guest :
im craving pineapple at the moment, must be fresh, not canned lol.
Usually dont eat pineapple but crave it so badly with this pregnancy
Nov 2, 2008 3:21 AM
Guest :
i am at week 29 and craving for clay and soapstones,
i nomally have problems swallowing tablets-multi vitamins
advise
Nov 4, 2008 8:18 AM
Guest :
I am 21 weeks now and in my first trimester I craved pickles, sour kraut (ate it out of the jar). Beginning of the second trimester I craved yogurt - one day I ate 5 yogurts. I could have eaten a 5 gallon pail full. Carbs would be the biggest thing - all the pasta and bread I could get. Oh ya and garlic - I have made caeaser salad late at night ( one day I had a family size salad) acouple of weeks ago I had two pieces of garlic toast and 20 dill [pickles for supper.
for the first 3 months I couldn't eat veggies unless they were on pizza. Oh ya this baby loves hot peppers - on pizza, assorted subs anything I can get them on.
Nov 7, 2008 1:45 AM
Guest :
Craving mexican food, carbs like noodles/pasta...
Also Ice Cream, pickles orange juice, CHOCOLATE tons of it...
and tater tots.
Dec 3, 2008 6:09 PM
Guest :
Ive been craving mostly pickles and banana peppers. I also occasionally crave ham and dorito sandwiches.
Dec 25, 2008 1:19 PM
Guest :
i crave baking powder and the funniest thing is im actually anemic but wonder what it will do to the baby
Dec 28, 2008 4:35 PM
Guest :
i craved watermelon in my third trimester
Dec 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Guest :
ok- so before this pregnancy hit I was vegetarian... but now i'm uncontrollably craving red meat- like steak- and chocolate- lots of chocolate- I'm ok with that part at least lol :)- oh- and potato skins :)
Feb 24, 2009 11:10 AM
Guest :
am also craving watermelon, but mostly have an aversion to most foods i usually eat, so when i find 1 thing i actually feel like stomaching that is all i can eat the whole day.
Mar 4, 2009 1:12 PM
Guest :
i crave baking powder, it's so hard not to eat any. Even though i kno it's prolly not good for my baby. I try ta stop eating it but i cant.
Mar 10, 2009 6:14 PM
Guest :
I craved bowls of lemons and mexican food.. I loved italian food before pregnancy but during I couldn't touch it.
Jun 2, 2009 10:21 AM
Guest :
I hear a lot of you craving baking powder and it says that you need and iron supplement. If you can't take pills, try it naturally with organic foods high in iron and avoid calcium, which slows down/blocks absorption. I craved ice BIG TIME. I was always munchin on the stuff. Come to find out, I was iron deficient. The docs know what they're talkin' about. This time around I'm going to try and eat the right things so I don't have to resort to the iron pills (yuck! and I got constipated!)
Aug 9, 2009 3:02 PM
Guest :
I'm in my second trimester and what I can stomach each day is different. What I want one day is completely different from the next. It makes it very difficult to plan meals in advance. I did notice that fresh fruits and vegies have become more of a regular occurrence. I also LOVE bagels with cream cheese!!
Aug 19, 2009 7:49 AM
Guest :
From the start, I radically needed to increase my intake of milk products: yogurts, milkshakes, cheese. I have to have at least 2 yoghurts a day. The only other food I am craving for is eggs, any style, but poached egg are my preference now, although I never ate a lot before. And I had no morning sickness ever, not a single day with a bad stomac. I am at week 15.
Aug 22, 2009 6:43 PM
Guest :
During this pregnancy all i crave is veggies or McDonalds mcchicken sandwiches and side salads wiht ranch dressing. Im never really this crazy about salads....3weeksand6days :)
Sep 21, 2009 1:14 PM
Guest :
So far I've craved potato salad,pickles,anything with hamburger meat and fruits. I can not stand hotdogs anymore :( I'm 7weeks today. My 1st pregnancy I craved pizza,pies, pickles and fruit. my son loves all those. my 2nd pregnancy it was watermelon,salads,vegtables especially mixed veggies,arby's roast beef with extra cheddar and sonic's route 44 strawberry limeades extra strawberries. had to have one everyday.
Oct 15, 2009 1:29 PM
Guest :
I am craving McChicken sandwiches too. I just had a huge meatball sub yesterday and now today, I had the chicken tenders from Burger King. I need heavy things. I love salads but they only fill me up for a half hour. Is this bad?
Oct 20, 2009 4:29 PM
Guest :
I am 18 weeks pregnant and have a huge craving for mashed potatoes! I also crave apples and apple juice. I haven't been able to eat much of anything so to actually crave something is funny. I cannot stand andthing fried, like McDonalds, and meat or fish either.
Oct 24, 2009 12:36 PM
Guest :
Cheese!! I need cheese.....and salad! All the time......sometimes olive garden everything.....
23 Comments