Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are They?CausesWhen They StartCraved FoodsFood AversionPicaWhen to Seek Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are They?
Causes
When They Start
Craved Foods
Food Aversion
Pica
When to Seek Medical Care
Pregnancy cravings are harmless and temporary. You may find yourself nauseated at the sight of foods you used to love while craving foods you disliked. However, if you’re experiencing intense cravings for nonfood substances, such as dirt or chalk, you may have a condition calledpica.
This article discusses everything you need to know about pregnancy cravings, including causes, common food cravings, and when to see a healthcare provider.
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What Are Pregnancy Cravings?
Contrary to what some may think, pregnancy cravings are natural and more common than you realize. Studies suggest 50% to 90% of pregnant women in the United States experience food cravings.
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What Causes Pregnancy Cravings?
Studies also suggest thatmalnourishedpregnant people are more likely to experience food cravings than well-nourished people. Similarly, pregnant people who do not have a balanced diet or who skip meals may be more likely to crave junk food.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the increased demand for calories and certain nutrients during pregnancy can affect your sense of smell and taste, causing cravings. However, there is no solid evidence confirming this.
When Do Pregnancy Cravings Start?
Pregnancy cravings can start at any time during pregnancy. However, they are most likely to begin in the first trimester, peak in the second trimester, and decline in the third trimester.
What Foods Do Pregnant People Crave?
Other popular pregnancy cravings include:
Craving strange combinations like candy bars and cured meat, or apples and ketchup, is also relatively common.
Everything You Need to Know About Pregnancy Cravings
What Happens If You Ignore Pregnancy Cravings?If you’re consuming a well-balanced diet and eating the right amount of calories, ignoring cravings is unlikely to be harmful. Some studies suggest that frequently giving in to cravings, especially for fast foods and sweets, can lead to excess weight gain during pregnancy.However, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally giving in and enjoying the foods you desire.
What Happens If You Ignore Pregnancy Cravings?
If you’re consuming a well-balanced diet and eating the right amount of calories, ignoring cravings is unlikely to be harmful. Some studies suggest that frequently giving in to cravings, especially for fast foods and sweets, can lead to excess weight gain during pregnancy.However, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally giving in and enjoying the foods you desire.
What Is Pregnancy Food Aversion?
Additionally, cultural beliefs can play a role in food aversions. For example, women of India tend to avoid foods likebananas, papaya, leafy greens, meat, and eggs. In some cultures, these so-called hot foods are believed to heat the mother’s body, leading tomiscarriage.
Signs of Pica in Pregnancy
If you suddenly urge to consume nonfood items like toothpaste or dirt, you may have a condition called pica. Pica is more common in young children, affecting up to one-third of children under 6. However, it can also happen during pregnancy.
People with pica may eat:
To meet the criteria for a pica diagnosis, symptoms must last for at least one month.
An underlying mental or physical illness may also cause pica cravings.
Risks of Pica in Pregnancy
When to See a Healthcare Provider About Your Pregnancy Cravings
You should contact your healthcare provider if you find yourself craving nonfood substances during pregnancy, even if it’s just ice.
A healthcare provider can review your medical history and perform testing to determine if certain mineral deficiencies are present. Treating mineral deficiencies such asiron deficiency anemiawith supplements may resolve pica.
Your healthcare provider may also teach replacement behaviors, such as chewing sugarless gum, taking a short walk, or chewing fruit juice cubes instead of ice when a craving strikes.
Summary
Intense food cravings during pregnancy are very common. The desired foods can vary and range from fruit to strange combinations like peanut butter and pickles. For the most part, it’s OK to give into pregnancy cravings occasionally and treat yourself as long as you eat a balanced diet and avoid bingeing on foods. If you find yourself craving nonood items like dirt or ice, contact your healthcare provider, as it may be a sign of a mineral deficiency or another underlying health condition.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fikrie A, Yalew A, Anato A, Teklesilasie W.Magnitude and effects of food cravings on nutritional status of pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross sectional study.PLoS One. 2022;17(10):e0276079. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276079Meule A.The psychology of food cravings: The role of food deprivation.Curr Nutr Rep. 2020;9(3):251-257. doi:10.1007/s13668-020-00326-0Orloff NC, Hormes JM.Pickles and ice cream! Food cravings in pregnancy: hypotheses, preliminary evidence, and directions for future research.Front Psychol. 2014 Sep 23;5:1076. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01076National Health Service.Pregnancy faqs.Hill AJ, Cairnduff V, McCance DR.Nutritional and clinical associations of food cravings in pregnancy.J Hum Nutr Diet. 2016;29(3):281-289. doi:10.1111/jhn.12333Orloff NC, Flammer A, Hartnett J, Liquorman S, Samelson R, Hormes JM.Food cravings in pregnancy: Preliminary evidence for a role in excess gestational weight gain.Appetite. 2016;105:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.04.040Yalew A, Tekle Silasie W, Anato A, Fikrie A.Food aversion during pregnancy and its association with nutritional status of pregnant women in Boricha Woreda, Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia, 2019.Reproductive Health. 2021;18(1):208. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01258-wNguyen PH, Kachwaha S, Tran LM, et al.Maternal diets in india: Gaps, barriers, and opportunities.Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3534. doi:10.3390/nu13103534American Pregnancy Association.Pica cravings during pregnancy.MedlinePlus.Pica.Bedanie G, Tikue A, Thongtan T, Zitun M, Nugent K.Pica/pagophagia-associated hyponatremia: Patient presenting with seizure.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9330. doi:10.7759/cureus.9330American Academy of Family Physicians.What is pica?
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fikrie A, Yalew A, Anato A, Teklesilasie W.Magnitude and effects of food cravings on nutritional status of pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross sectional study.PLoS One. 2022;17(10):e0276079. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276079Meule A.The psychology of food cravings: The role of food deprivation.Curr Nutr Rep. 2020;9(3):251-257. doi:10.1007/s13668-020-00326-0Orloff NC, Hormes JM.Pickles and ice cream! Food cravings in pregnancy: hypotheses, preliminary evidence, and directions for future research.Front Psychol. 2014 Sep 23;5:1076. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01076National Health Service.Pregnancy faqs.Hill AJ, Cairnduff V, McCance DR.Nutritional and clinical associations of food cravings in pregnancy.J Hum Nutr Diet. 2016;29(3):281-289. doi:10.1111/jhn.12333Orloff NC, Flammer A, Hartnett J, Liquorman S, Samelson R, Hormes JM.Food cravings in pregnancy: Preliminary evidence for a role in excess gestational weight gain.Appetite. 2016;105:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.04.040Yalew A, Tekle Silasie W, Anato A, Fikrie A.Food aversion during pregnancy and its association with nutritional status of pregnant women in Boricha Woreda, Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia, 2019.Reproductive Health. 2021;18(1):208. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01258-wNguyen PH, Kachwaha S, Tran LM, et al.Maternal diets in india: Gaps, barriers, and opportunities.Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3534. doi:10.3390/nu13103534American Pregnancy Association.Pica cravings during pregnancy.MedlinePlus.Pica.Bedanie G, Tikue A, Thongtan T, Zitun M, Nugent K.Pica/pagophagia-associated hyponatremia: Patient presenting with seizure.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9330. doi:10.7759/cureus.9330American Academy of Family Physicians.What is pica?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Fikrie A, Yalew A, Anato A, Teklesilasie W.Magnitude and effects of food cravings on nutritional status of pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross sectional study.PLoS One. 2022;17(10):e0276079. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276079Meule A.The psychology of food cravings: The role of food deprivation.Curr Nutr Rep. 2020;9(3):251-257. doi:10.1007/s13668-020-00326-0Orloff NC, Hormes JM.Pickles and ice cream! Food cravings in pregnancy: hypotheses, preliminary evidence, and directions for future research.Front Psychol. 2014 Sep 23;5:1076. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01076National Health Service.Pregnancy faqs.Hill AJ, Cairnduff V, McCance DR.Nutritional and clinical associations of food cravings in pregnancy.J Hum Nutr Diet. 2016;29(3):281-289. doi:10.1111/jhn.12333Orloff NC, Flammer A, Hartnett J, Liquorman S, Samelson R, Hormes JM.Food cravings in pregnancy: Preliminary evidence for a role in excess gestational weight gain.Appetite. 2016;105:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.04.040Yalew A, Tekle Silasie W, Anato A, Fikrie A.Food aversion during pregnancy and its association with nutritional status of pregnant women in Boricha Woreda, Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia, 2019.Reproductive Health. 2021;18(1):208. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01258-wNguyen PH, Kachwaha S, Tran LM, et al.Maternal diets in india: Gaps, barriers, and opportunities.Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3534. doi:10.3390/nu13103534American Pregnancy Association.Pica cravings during pregnancy.MedlinePlus.Pica.Bedanie G, Tikue A, Thongtan T, Zitun M, Nugent K.Pica/pagophagia-associated hyponatremia: Patient presenting with seizure.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9330. doi:10.7759/cureus.9330American Academy of Family Physicians.What is pica?
Fikrie A, Yalew A, Anato A, Teklesilasie W.Magnitude and effects of food cravings on nutritional status of pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross sectional study.PLoS One. 2022;17(10):e0276079. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276079
Meule A.The psychology of food cravings: The role of food deprivation.Curr Nutr Rep. 2020;9(3):251-257. doi:10.1007/s13668-020-00326-0
Orloff NC, Hormes JM.Pickles and ice cream! Food cravings in pregnancy: hypotheses, preliminary evidence, and directions for future research.Front Psychol. 2014 Sep 23;5:1076. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01076
National Health Service.Pregnancy faqs.
Hill AJ, Cairnduff V, McCance DR.Nutritional and clinical associations of food cravings in pregnancy.J Hum Nutr Diet. 2016;29(3):281-289. doi:10.1111/jhn.12333
Orloff NC, Flammer A, Hartnett J, Liquorman S, Samelson R, Hormes JM.Food cravings in pregnancy: Preliminary evidence for a role in excess gestational weight gain.Appetite. 2016;105:259-265. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.04.040
Yalew A, Tekle Silasie W, Anato A, Fikrie A.Food aversion during pregnancy and its association with nutritional status of pregnant women in Boricha Woreda, Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia, 2019.Reproductive Health. 2021;18(1):208. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01258-w
Nguyen PH, Kachwaha S, Tran LM, et al.Maternal diets in india: Gaps, barriers, and opportunities.Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3534. doi:10.3390/nu13103534
American Pregnancy Association.Pica cravings during pregnancy.
MedlinePlus.Pica.
Bedanie G, Tikue A, Thongtan T, Zitun M, Nugent K.Pica/pagophagia-associated hyponatremia: Patient presenting with seizure.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9330. doi:10.7759/cureus.9330
American Academy of Family Physicians.What is pica?
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