Our site uses cookies to make your experience on this site even better. We hope you think that is sweet.

Yes, I am okay. Know more
Planning for a baby?
Already Pregnant?
Have a Baby?
Have a Toddler?
Positive Parenting
Baby Names
Child Safety
Cord Blood
Life Skills
Premature Baby
Twins

Top 8 Ways To Deal With Food Cravings During Pregnancy

4 min read

An intense desire to eat some specific foods is experienced by almost all women during their period of pregnancy. During pregnancy, some of us may even develop a strong feeling of dislike towards some food that we enjoyed before. These food cravings and aversions vary from person to person and have also been seen to change during different pregnancies/or stages of the same pregnancy of the same person.
pregnant woman craving pickle

What Causes Food Cravings During Pregnancy?

Some of the experts studying pregnancy cravings point hormonal changes during pregnancy as an important reason behind these overwhelming urges. According to this theory, a woman’s sense of smell and her ability to taste sharpens during the first trimester of pregnancy when her body is loaded with pregnancy hormones, creating aversion or fondness towards some specific foods and smells.
Some researchers believe that the taste buds can understand our body needs and they relate craving with deficiency. That is, if your body is in need of sodium you will crave for salty foods and so on. The same way a woman who used to drink alcohol before getting pregnant, develops repulsion towards it once she gets pregnant. Except that this theory does not support any dangerous craving during pregnancy.
Some mothers-to-be are found to crave for non-food things like mud, soap, hair etc. which is a dangerous condition called pica. Although cravings are comparatively innocuous and bearable, unhealthy cravings and cravings for same food daily will affect your balanced diet which should not be allowed. If you are craving for foods that result in empty calories will null nutritional value, you will just gain more weight and expose your body to toxins. It is very important to get rid of or control such cravings.

What Food Cravings Should Be Avoided During Pregnancy?

No matter how intense your cravings are, these food cravings should be cleared off for good.

  • Alcohol
  • Cigarettes and drugs
  • Non-food items like mud, soaps, dirt etc.
  • Eggs, meat, and fish which are not properly cooked

Putting some effort and having some knowledge about food and nutrition will help you to overcome the challenging food cravings you experience during pregnancy.
Pregnancy craving

Top 8 Ways To Deal With Food Cravings During Pregnancy

Let’s find 8 healthy and satisfying ways to deal with food cravings in pregnancy.

    1. Recognize the reason for your craving: Craving may be an indication of the need of vitamin and minerals that your body needs. Sudden urge to have dairy products might be an indication for the need of more calcium. Craving for meats may be an indication for the need of more protein. Try to find out the reason behind your craving. If it is because of some deficiency, then solving that deficiency will definitely help you overcome your craving
    2. Eating at regular times: Always remember not to skip your breakfast. A healthy breakfast will help you to avoid midday cravings to an extent. Dropping in blood sugar level may trigger your cravings for sweet. So take small frequent meals so that your blood sugar level will remain intact
    3. Find an alternative in a healthier way: Substituting the high-calorie food that you crave with a food with the similar property but lower in calorie is another way to deal with food cravings during pregnancy. You can always choose frozen yoghurt or frozen fruits bars over a calorie rich ice-cream. Same way selecting salted nuts instead of potato chips when you crave for salty short-eats. Choose baked food instead of fried ones. Always try to find a healthy alternative and have it when the craving strikes you
    4. Controlling the portions: If you badly want to eat a food which can’t be replaced or substituted, don’t torture yourself by not having it. Go ahead and have it, but only take a small portion of it. And even if you crave for it every day have it once in a while. Like you can fix the frequency yourself as once in a week or so on. Just make sure you won’t have it every day. If you like to have a chocolate bar, go for a smaller bar which will satisfy your crave and not hamper your health
    5. Eat balanced diet: Always have a balanced diet every day which is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and dairy products which supply required amounts of all the essential nutrients and dietary fibre the body needs when you are pregnant. Taking a small portion of not so healthy food, for what you craved, after a well-balanced diet won’t affect the development of your baby
    6. Emotional support: Mood swings and the ebb and flow of emotions are found to be another reason that will trigger cravings. This is a proven fact that the emotionally unstable mind will try to find comfort through the process of eating food. All you need is a hug and emotional support from your loved ones to overcome your cravings. Ask your family members for any help that you might need and talk your fears and apprehensions out

Pregnant woman craving food

  1. Distract yourself from cravings: Try to distract yourself when the craving hits you. Move out of the places where you store food, chat with your mother or sister or friend over the phone, and start talking. Reading a book, watching a movie, taking a stroll outside etc. might help you to distract yourself from the thought of food
  2. Physical activities: Physical activities like going for a walk and regular exercise that is allowed for you will help to control the craving. If you feel tired drink plenty of water which will again delay your craving

Small cravings that are not bothering you is a good experience that will make you smile when you recollect it later in your life. It is always fun to remember and tell your child how your loved ones ran in search of the food you craved when he was inside your womb. Enjoy the pregnancy and have some good fun every once in a while.

Responses (0)

Please check a captcha
Read this next

Mental Health Tips for New Parents

Becoming a parent is overwhelming. It's often something that we spend a long time looking forward to and preparing for - sometimes, far longer than the 40 weeks of pregnancy. But, no matter how prepared you think you are, when your baby arrives, everything changes. It's never quite what we expect, even when we're welcoming home our second or even third babies. It's more exciting, it's more work, and it's definitely more exhausting. It's just more. New parenthood is like an assault on your emotions, as well as your hormones. You are busy trying to take care of a new life, your hormone levels are off the charts, your whole world is turned upside down, and any hopes of a good night's sleep are long forgotten. It's no surprise that your mental health might take a hit. Here's a look at some of the things that you can do to boost your mental health in those astounding first days of parenthood. Rest When You Can One of the most unsettling elements of being a new parent is the tiredness. You thought you'd been tired before, but not like this. Even if your newborn sleeps well, they'll be up at least a couple of times in the night for feeds and changes, and you are unlikely to get more than....

3 min read

Everybody Look at Your Hands

How to encourage children to wash their hands   Being a parent during the COVID-19 pandemic is incredibly difficult. That’s not exactly a secret: everything from school to social engagements to birthdays has been fundamentally changed in 2020. This year it’s all about keeping our kids safe while at the same time allowing them to have as close to a normal childhood as possible. Other than completely locking down at home, there are few options for keeping them virus-free. Masks are playing a critical role in safety for everyone, adults and children alike. That’s why they’re mandatory at most schools and daycare centers, not to mention on playgrounds and other public areas where large numbers of people gather. The other surefire way to keep kids safe is making sure that they wash their hands whenever they enter our homes, and if they frequently use hand sanitizer in public spaces. This all makes sense on paper, but we all know that kids have minds of their own. It is one thing to tell a child that he or she needs to wash their hands, but that doesn’t always mean that they listen. This sort of limit testing is part of a normal childhood, but in 2020, it can have....

3 min read

Finding Ways to Help Kids Exercise

We all know just how important it is for kids to get their recommended dose of active exercise. It is essential for fundamental development, especially in a child’s early years. Research also has proven that kids who exercise at a young age have a better chance of keeping healthy habits later in their adult life.   Getting enough exercise.   Children have varying degrees of energy. While some have what could almost be called endless energy, others may be more lethargic. This is particularly true today, where there are a range of devices to keep kids sedentary.   From smart phones, tablets, to video games and TV, getting a kid outside can be a challenge. But it’s an important aspect to their wellbeing. Physical activity guidelines outline that children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years should do 1 hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.   Make exercising fun   While these guidelines may seem impossible for some children, you shouldn’t lose hope! There are ways that can help you integrate exercise into your child’s life. One of the best ways of doing this is disguising physical activity as play.   Below....

3 min read

What to Feed the Baby in the First Year

The first year is always critical for the new baby. What will she eat, what will she wear, how to keep her safe, vaccinations… these are common questions all first-time parents ask. Food is, of course, very important because it is directly related to the development and the child’s growth. Babies breastfeeding will take between 8 and 12 feedings in a day. Those on formula foods will need between 6 and 10 feeds a day. Usually, solid foods will be introduced when the baby is around 6 months. Always remember, nutrition is key in the 1st year. Make sure to start a healthy eating habit quickly for your infant. But the feeding must always depend on the readiness of a child because every baby is different.     How Often an Infant Must Feed They are still very small, but they can know when feeling full or hungry. Feed her whenever she feels hungry. Each breastfeeding session is usually between 10-15 minutes. Formula and breastfeedings can be done deep into the night as well if the infant wakes up and cries because she is feeling hungry. Some parents add rice cereals to the bottle to make the baby sleep through the night. This is not recommended because it can easily....

5 min read

Want personalized reading and shopping suggestions for your exact stage of pregnancy?

Come on, sell the idea of signing up with us in two lines so well that they HAVE to sign up.

Sign Up
image

Want curated content sharply tailored for your exact stage of pregnancy?

Sign Up
Load More

165+ Services.

6+ Cities.

60K+ Parents Reviewed.

Explore Local Services.

Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.

Begin typing to search