You have probably heard about pregnant women craving pickles and ice cream and the truth is not really that far off. Food cravings during pregnancy are normal. Most women do not crave really strange things. Cravings for sweets, dairy products and salty foods tend to be common and cravings for healthy foods is very common.
Many doctors and specialists believe that pregnancy cravings are nutritionally based. That is, the pregnant woman tends to crave what her body needs most.
If a pregnant woman is craving sweets, however, she probably does not need cookies and brownies, but rather things like fruit, which is naturally sweet, yet provides large amounts of healthy and necessary antioxidants that benefit both the mom and the baby. Some women report cravings for such things as red meat, which could indicate a need for more iron or more protein, both of which are crucial to the development of the baby.
Food Cravings During Pregnancy
The majority of pregnant woman do report having cravings and it is a completely normal part of pregnancy. However, occasionally people, including pregnant women, develop a craving for unnatural foods, such as dirt or clay. This is not normal and could indicate a severe deficiency of vital nutrients. If you are craving something other than normal food, you should consult with your doctor
One thing to be conscious of, if you are pregnant and experiencing cravings, is to satisfy your cravings with healthful, nutritious foods. A craving for sweets could be satisfied with a sweet mango, some frozen grapes or a juicy pineapple, all of which will be more nutritious than a brownie or a giant candy bar. If you still have the craving after you have eaten some sweet fruit, you may have to have the candy bar, just make sure it is the miniature size.
You need to fill up on nutritious fare, and not junk in order to give your baby the best possible nutrition and to keep yourself healthy as well. The baby will take the best of the nutrients first, so it is important for you, the mother, especially to eat nutritiously. If you satisfy all of your cravings with junk, you may also end up gaining too much weight, which can make the delivery harder and losing the baby weight afterward harder also.
Pregnancy Cravings
There are ways to control your cravings or at least manage them to your own benefit. First off, make sure and eat a good breakfast. There is a reason why breakfast is called the most important meal of the day. Your body has not had any for 10 to 12 hours, essentially, when you wake up you are running on empty so you need to refuel the tank by eating a healthful and nutritious breakfast.
You can also make sure that you eat the healthiest alternative for your cravings. For example, if you are craving ice cream you could have frozen yogurt or whole-fruit sorbet. If you are craving chocolate don’t get a huge bar but just a 1 oz serving of rich dark chocolate that is 70% or so cacao. That way you are getting important antioxidants in addition to satisfying your cravings. Be careful of excessive sugar cravings as gestational diabetes can become a serious issue if you develop it.
Cravings are a normal part of a healthy pregnancy so just be smart about it. Make smarter choices, limit your portion sizes and keep everything in moderation.