Prenatal Nutrition Basics:
Cravings

o give in or not to give in… that is the question.

The response is twofold:

1. Figuring out what is driving the craving.

2. How you satisfy your craving.

What is Driving the Craving?
Cravings likely come from a combination of emotional and physical cues that occur as a result of body and environmental changes during pregnancy.

Pregnant or not, the following can trigger cravings:

• Thirst can manifest as hunger, and/or as a craving for salty foods.

• Too much salt can trigger sweet cravings.

• Fatigue can generate hunger pangs.

• Feeling fat, uncomfortable, scared, bloated, irritated, hot, etc. can trigger the need for comfort, and food can be comforting.

How Can You Satisfy Your Craving?
Taking the above situations into account, the question of satisfying cravings during pregnancy comes down to the following:

Whether or not the food or beverage will actually satisfy or resolve the real issue.

If you are sad, scared, tired, annoyed, thirsty, or bloated, food may not really make you feel all that better. If you’re feeling emotional, try having a chat with someone who can help you sort through your feelings. If nothing is helping, have a glass of water before giving in to a food craving.

Keep in mind that satisfying a craving in the short-term can lay the groundwork for another craving. For example, if you have something salty, will you then need something sweet?

Whether or not satisfying a craving does any potential harm.

For example, having ice cream a few times a week versus a few times a day may mean the difference between being happy and comfortable during your pregnancy and being unhappy from excessive weight gain, along with potentially missing out on necessary nutrients.

(See also Prenatal Nutrition Basics: Answers To Your Questions for answers to your most common prenatal nutrition questions.)