Listen, there are moments of really, really wanting to eat certain foods (like peanut butter cups during PMS — my kryptonite), but there’s no craving like a pregnancy craving. When you chat with any people who are pregnant, and you’re guaranteed to hear at least one story about feeling nauseous on almost everything but eating the same thing every day for an entire trimester — or creating a sandwich filling that most (non-pregnant) people would recoil in horror at the mere thought of.
Why are there certain popular pregnancy cravings? And when do cravings start in pregnancy? We explore all your top pregnancy craving questions, below.
What is a pregnancy craving, anyway?
Between 50 to 90 percent of people who are pregnant experience cravings for everything from ice chips to ice cream. Along with fatigue, nausea, and aversion to certain foods, cravings can be a common early sign of pregnancy. Typically, they peak in the second trimester and start to decline during the later weeks of pregnancy. “The most publicized cravings are the strange ones, but the reality is that most pregnant women crave carbohydrates and are less attracted to red meat,” OB-GYN Felice Gersh, M.D., founder/director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, in Irvine, CA, tells SheKnows. “Sweet foods, like fruit, are also often craved.”
So why do pregnancy cravings happen? Typically, the craving-causing culprit is thought to be the hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy, just like there are during PMS, but there’s not enough data to support this theory. “The truth is that no one truly understands why pregnancy induces food cravings in many women,” says Gersh. But there are many theories — some more interesting than others.
“One theory is that there are survival benefits; the food craved increases the survival of mother and baby in some way,” says Gersh. In particular, the cravings of the second and third trimester help replenish the necessary nutrients that weren’t able to be obtained during the first trimester (due to common nausea and vomiting).
Which cravings are normal?
Literally all pregnancy food cravings are considered normal — yes, even those pizza-with-applesauce combos. “Cravings during pregnancy are very individual,” Patrice Harold, M.D., director of minimally invasive gynecology at Detroit Medical Center’s Hutzel Women’s Hospital, tells SheKnows. “Women may have cravings for salty foods, sweets, sour foods, or combinations of unusual pairings, i.e., pickles and peanut butter.”
Even though any craving goes, there are statistically more common pregnancy cravings in the Western part of the world, according to a small 2022 study. Sweets like chocolate and ice cream and salty foods like chips were the most popular pregnancy cravings among study participants. There are also some old wives’ tales around these food groups: Legend has it that if you’re having a girl, you crave sweet foods or dairy, and if you’re having a boy, you crave salty, sour or spicy foods.
Some experts believe that pregnant women crave chocolate or dessert simply because they’re, well, desserts. In other words, the more “forbidden” a food is, the more we want it. So this could apply to candy, donuts and pretty much anything else that’s packed with sugar. And what about if you like your chocolate with a side of pickles? That could mean you’re low in sodium — or, hey, maybe you just like the crunch.
According to the International Foundation for Mother & Child Health, craving dairy products such as ice cream, milk or cheese, might indicate low levels of calcium. Then again, maybe you just really like ice cream.
Should I give in to my cravings?
If you crave unhealthy foods during pregnancy, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on what you’re eating. “We would recommend that a pregnant person should not eat the entire package of Oreo cookies — maybe just a few, or consider a healthier substitute,” says Harold. She also recommends always drinking an eight-ounce glass of water before eating an unhealthy snack — to make you feel full earlier and help avoid overconsumption.
What can be even more dangerous is craving unnatural items or even harmful non-food substances with no nutritional value — such as paper, chalk, paint or dirt. This is related to an eating disorder known as pica, and is believed to occur due to iron or other mineral deficiencies. “These cravings should be shared with your healthcare provider so that you have a complete understanding of the risks to you and your baby, and tests should be performed to check for mineral deficiencies,” advises Harold.
More research is clearly needed to fully examine pregnancy cravings and their origins. But then again, does their cause really matter? Because if your diet includes plenty of healthy foods and is balanced in general, there’s no harm in enjoying whatever things (food-wise, at least) you’re craving during pregnancy. Besides, nobody would dare question a pregnant woman’s right to eat pizza with applesauce.
Before you go, check out some more pregnancy essentials:
More Stories from Health & Wellness
Leave a Comment