Food cravings during pregnancy

What are food cravings?

A food craving is the intense urge to eat a specific food. The desire to eat is not necessarily related to hunger and can be very hard to resist.

Often the types of food you crave are carbohydrate-dense and protein-dense foods. Commonly reported food cravings include:

• biscuits
• bananas
• nuts
• pickles
• ice cream
• potatoes

Sometimes you might want to eat unusual food combinations or even foods that you don’t normally like.

Most women who have food cravings will have them their second trimester (week 13 to 27 of pregnancy).

Do all women get food cravings?

Food cravings are a real experience and affect many people during pregnancy. Interestingly, pregnant women in different parts of the world report different food cravings. For instance:

• in Nigeria, pregnant women most often crave fruits and vegetables
• in Japan, pregnant women most often crave rice
• in the United States, pregnant women most often crave chocolate

These differences may be due to foods being both familiar and available in those countries.

Why have I got food cravings?

Nobody really knows why food cravings develop. Some studies suggest that food cravings might be related to nutrient deficiencies. For example, while pregnant you may crave:

• oranges for extra vitamin C
• milk for extra calcium

However, this link is not consistent across all studies.

Many pregnant women also develop a sudden dislike for certain foods that are:

• strong tasting
• strong smelling

Most often, people report an increased sensitivity to the bitter flavours that are found in vegetables and coffee. These can trigger morning sickness.

You can read more about food aversions during pregnancy.

Food cravings and sudden food dislikes may be related to the effects of pregnancy hormones. Hormones can change the way some foods taste and smell.

The hormone neuropeptide Y increases in pregnancy. This hormone is also linked to increases in hunger.

Are food cravings bad for me or my baby?

Women who have pregnancy food cravings have a slightly higher energy intake than those women who don’t have cravings. However, food cravings are not consistently linked to:

• diet quality
• changes in body size
• changes in body weight
• the development of pregnancy complications — like gestational diabetes

Pregnancy food cravings also don’t seem to be linked to:

• the size of your baby at birth
• your baby’s taste preferences
• your baby’s behaviours

Overall, food cravings seem to have little to a modest impact on your health or that of your baby.

However, it’s a good idea to try to continue to eat a good variety of healthy foods.

Generally, a healthy weight gain during pregnancy is 5kg to 18kg, depending on your starting weight.

Your doctor or midwife can tell you more about healthy weight gain.

Can food cravings predict the sex of my baby?

No, food cravings can’t predict the sex of your baby — this is an old wives’ tale that isn’t supported by science.

What can I do about food cravings?

There are things you can do to help manage food cravings while pregnant, such as:

• eat regular, healthy meals — this can help prevent sudden feelings of hunger
• drink plenty of water
• remain physically active
• get plenty of sleep
• keep your pantry stocked with balanced, nutritious snacks

If you have cravings, you can eat healthy, low glycaemic index (GI) alternatives, like:

• unsweetened rolled oats (porridge)
• wholegrain breads
• baked beans
• fresh fruit
• dairy products

These foods can keep you full for longer. If you would like to learn more about nutritional needs during your pregnancy you can see a dietitian.

What foods should I avoid while I’m pregnant?

When you are pregnant, there are a few foods that you should avoid.

Some foods may trigger morning sickness. You can try avoiding foods such as:

• fatty foods, like takeaway foods
• rich foods, like chocolate
• spicy foods, like curry

You should also avoid:

• raw or unpasteurised dairy products
• soft cheeses — for example, brie and goat cheese
• sushi
• raw eggs
• pate, meat spreads and smoked seafood
• ready-to-eat sliced deli meats
• undercooked food — especially meat

These foods may contain harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria or toxoplasmosis.

Make sure you prepare and store foods safely.

You can read more about the foods to avoid during your pregnancy.

What about drinking alcohol?

There is no safe level of alcohol that you can drink during your pregnancy. Alcohol can harm your unborn baby and cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Not drinking is the safest option, no matter whether you are:

• planning a pregnancy
• already pregnant
• breastfeeding

Non-food cravings

Some pregnant women develop a craving to eat substances that are not food, such as:

• soap
• clay
• earth
• ice
• chalk

These substances don’t have any nutritional benefit for you or your baby.

This is an eating disorder called pica. Pica has been linked to iron deficiency in pregnant women.

If you develop cravings for non-food items, speak to your midwife or doctor.

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Resources and support

If you are concerned about food cravings talk to your doctor or midwife or make an appointment with an accredited dietitian.

Check out our handy guide to food and drink during pregnancy (infographic) that you can print off to stick on your fridge or keep in your bag.