Pregnancy Food Cravings: Top Tips

Pregnant and finding yourself suddenly desperate for spicy potato chips, sour fruits, pickles on everything, and all the carbs? You’re not alone: food cravings during pregnancy are very common! Up to 90% of women experience cravings during the first and second trimester.

It’s absolutely ok to occasionally indulge those cravings (we’re only human, after all). But it’s also important to mindfully manage them so that you’re prioritizing nutrient-dense foods, maintaining stable blood sugar levels, and making sure your body is still getting everything it needs to grow your beautiful baby. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to your cravings, as they could be a sign of something else going on in your body.

Here are my top tips to help you manage your pregnancy food cravings!

1. Focus on Low GI Foods

First things first, what is GI? GI stands for the glycemic index, and it is essentially a scale that ranks foods based on how they affect blood sugar levels. It’s a simple way to tell how much a certain food will raise your blood sugar levels. Foods are assigned a number between 0 and 100, and the higher the number, the faster your blood sugar levels will raise after eating that food.

What does this have to do with food cravings? Foods that are on the lower end of the glycemic index have been shown to help curb sugar and carb cravings. As a bonus, they help with blood regulation (because they raise blood sugar levels more slowly) which in turn can help with other pregnancy issues such as nausea, low appetite, and fatigue.

low GI snack ideas for pregnancy cravings

2. Drink More Water

Drinking lots of water is always important, but particularly so during pregnancy, due to your body’s increased need for fluids to help move nutrients through your body and to your baby.

When a craving hits, that feeling of hunger and an urgent need to eat may actually be a misheard cry for water. Before you eat, drink a glass of water, and then see how you feel.

3. Pay attention to signs of nutrient deficiencies

Studies have shown that cravings for certain foods may be your body’s way of asking for more nutrients. Here are some common cravings and the nutritional deficiencies they may be linked to:

food cravings that may be linked to nutrient deficiencies

4. Know when to seek help

Pregnancy cravings can sometimes be an indication of something more serious. If you find yourself regularly craving and eating non-food items (things like paper, chalk, clay, soap, or dirt), you may have a condition called pica. This involves compulsively eating non-food items. It’s pretty rare during pregnancy, and while not always harmful, it can result in ingestion of substances that can be harmful to you and your baby. If this sounds like you, let your healthcare provider know.


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