Food cravings during pregnancy

A food craving is an 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 (Opens in new tab)-dense and protein (Opens in new tab)-dense foods. Common food cravings include:

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

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

Do all pregnant women get food cravings?

Up to 9 in 10 pregnant women will get food cravings at least once during their pregnancy.

Food cravings mostly happen during the second trimester (weeks 13 to 27 of pregnancy).

Food cravings can feel very different from person to person. Some pregnant women enjoy their cravings while others may find them annoying or worrying. What you crave and how strong you feel your cravings, can be influenced by your:

• culture
• access to food
• past experiences
• emotions

Food cravings

Research shows that food cravings may be caused by a mixture of factors. You may get food cravings because:

• of hormone changes during pregnancy which cause changes in your appetite
• your body needs more energy to support your growing baby
• pregnancy can make you feel tired, stressed and emotional, which can affect your eating habits
• of vitamin (Opens in new tab) deficiencies

The reasons for food cravings can be different for everyone. You might get food cravings and not be deficient in nutrients.

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

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.

Food aversions

Many pregnant women also develop a sudden aversion (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.

If you get a sudden dislike of a type of food that is important to your diet, you can try it again later in your pregnancy.

You can read more about food aversions during pregnancy.

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 (Opens in new tab)
• remain physically active
• get plenty of sleep
• keep your pantry stocked with balanced, nutritious snacks

If you have cravings, try eating healthy, low glycaemic index (GI) (Opens in new tab) alternatives, like:

• unsweetened rolled oats (porridge)
• wholegrain breads
• baked beans
• fresh fruit
• dairy products (Opens in new tab)

These foods can keep you full for longer. If you would like advice about nutritional needs during your pregnancy, you can see a dietitian (Opens in new tab).

When you are pregnant, there are a few foods that you should 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 pre sliced deli meats
• undercooked food — especially meat

These foods may contain harmful bacteria, such as salmonella (Opens in new tab), E. coli (Opens in new tab), or Listeria (Opens in new tab), which cause infection. Or parasites that lead to toxoplasmosis.

Make sure you prepare and store foods safely to prevent food poisoning.

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, when you are:

• planning a pregnancy
• already pregnant
• breastfeeding

What foods can cause morning sickness?

Which foods cause morning sickness will vary from person to person.

Some foods that may trigger morning sickness include:

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

Food cravings seem to have little to a modest impact on your health or that of your baby. However, it's best to try to eat a wide range of healthy foods.

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

Speak to your doctor or midwife about healthy weight gain during pregnancy.

People who have pregnancy food cravings have a slightly higher energy intake than those who don't have cravings. However, food cravings don't always lead to:

• worse 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

Food cravings can't predict the sex of your baby — this is an outdated idea that isn't supported by science.

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 (Opens in new tab). Pica has been linked to iron deficiency in pregnant women.

Speak to your midwife or doctor if you develop cravings for non-food items.

If you are concerned about food cravings talk to your doctor or midwife or see an accredited dietitian (Opens in new tab).

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

The NSW Government has an easy-to-read factsheet about what foods to eat or avoid during pregnancy (Opens in new tab).

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

The Queensland Government has helpful information about eating healthy food during your pregnancy (Opens in new tab).