What causes pregnancy cravings?

Food cravings are routinely listed as one of the most common signs of early pregnancy, and in many pregnant women’s experiences, this rings true. But while theories for why pregnant women experience cravings abound, science has yet to arrive at a surefire understanding of what causes them.

Current research suggests that pregnancy cravings are the result of neither nutrient nor energetic deficiencies, as many myths suggest. Rather, they may be rooted in culture for two reasons:

• Pregnancy cravings aren’t universal – Many pregnant women in non-English-speaking countries don’t consider cravings to be a symptom of pregnancy at all.
• Pregnancy cravings tend to be culturally specific – While American women might salivate over a double cheeseburger (with a side of pickles), women from Asian countries tend to crave rice

These two findings point to a very important implication for pregnant women who are concerned about dealing with pregnancy cravings: Stress around food—typically experienced as guilt or shame for wanting a certain dish—is suspected to kick cravings into high gear because of the tensile relationship it causes between feelings and food.

Put simply, the more guilty a person feels for desiring that cheeseburger, the more difficult it can be to resist. In this way, learning to respond to cravings can be as much a matter of perspective and emotional self-care as it is developing the healthy pregnancy habits needed to maintain a balanced diet—with room for the occasional Whopper!

Pregnancy Food Cravings: Challenges and Concerns

Overall, cravings can be a normal part of pregnancy when they’re met and managed with care. However, some women find that the cravings or compulsions they experienced before pregnancy can become intensified during pregnancy. Even if you’ve never liked hot dogs your whole life, you could now suddenly be asking yourself, “Can I eat hot dogs while pregnant?”  These new and intense cravings may be worrisome for several pregnancy health-related reasons:

• Gaining too much weight – “Eat for two” is a widely circulated—and erroneous—rule of thumb many women hear when they first get pregnant. Nearly half of American pregnant women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy, which can adversely impact maternal and fetal health in some cases.

Unless your doctor advises otherwise, most women only need around 300 more calories each day to meet their body’s new energetic needs.

• Compromising prenatal nutrition – While your energetic needs don’t differ much from your pre-pregnancy ones, your nutritional needs are a world apart. Cravings can make it more difficult for many pregnant women to achieve their prenatal nutrition goals, particularly with respect to key nutrients like folate, calcium, and vitamin D nutrient deficiency.
• Accentuating disordered eating – A history of disordered eating or simply learning to feel comfortable in your skin can make the shape-shifting intrinsic to pregnancy difficult for many women. Hormone-driven emotional mood swings can accentuate these healthy pregnancy battles even further, and it’s also common for expecting mamas to feel guilty about struggling with their bodies when they “should” be focusing on their baby’s well-being.

If you’re concerned pregnancy cravings might reactivate or exaggerate struggles you’ve had around food or your body, one of the best things you can do is to open up to your doctor or therapist. They can help you explore avenues for maintaining your recovery during pregnancy and knowing what foods to eat when pregnant.

• Activating other addictive behaviors – In some cases, the same psychology behind food cravings could crop up to spur other compulsions, such as gambling, exercise, and even alcohol. If you’re concerned about managing intense craving flare-ups—particularly those that could harm your baby—consider talking to your doctor. They can help you come up with a cravings “tool kit” that can provide immediate and long-term healthy food relief.

Tips for Making Friends with Cravings During Pregnancy

Learning to ride the waves of pregnancy cravings can be its own journey in the greater journey of pregnancy. Every woman will experience cravings differently, whether in intensity, onset or her healthy snack cabinet kryptonite of choice.

Before trying any of these craving management tips and pregnancy tips for first-time moms, it may help to keep a journal to track what you’re craving, when, and how you’re feeling in the moment. This can help you identify your intense craving triggers so you can anticipate and navigate them compassionately when they arise.

#1 Maintain Blood Sugar Levels

Some cravings, particularly those of the sweet-tooth variety, may be an indicator of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. This nutritional deficiency can occur if you’ve waited too long to eat between meals.

To keep your blood sugar in check, be sure to eat healthy food regularly and keep some no-fuss, protein-rich healthy snack selections on hand to nosh on in a pinch.

#2 Experiment with Healthier Alternatives

There are countless ways to indulge your appetite while still maintaining a healthy diet. For instance, you might try:

• Using an air fryer – With this appliance, you can enjoy the same crispy, decadent taste of traditional fried foods without introducing highly fatty oils into your diet. Plus, you can even save money on takeout and scale back food waste by frying up almost any vegetable you can find in your fridge!
• Implementing the “one swap” rule – It’s okay to cave on cravings from time to time, but if you have a constant hankering for one dish in particular, consider exchanging one ingredient for a more holistic alternative. For instance, if you’re craving BLTs every day for lunch, you might swap your bacon for lightly fried smoked tempeh.

Indeed: it’s tempting to fill up on a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips instead of salads. But with some inventive approaches to giving your cravings a makeover, you can achieve satisfaction while ensuring your kale doesn’t wither in the fridge (salt and vinegar kale chips, perhaps?).

#3 Distract Yourself

Often, cravings can be intensified (or even introduced) if the food you desire is visible or easily within reach. In these moments, it may be helpful to simply distract yourself or delay the craving to see if it dissipates.

Whatever distraction you create, be sure it’s as enjoyable as it is attention-grabbing—whether that’s scrolling through TikTok, sinking into a juicy book, or tuning into your favorite comfort comedy series.

#4 Prioritize Sleep Hygiene

Pregnant or not, getting less or low-quality sleep is associated with having more difficulty regulating appetite. Not only is extra rest crucial for your body when you’re pregnant, but it’s equally important for helping to regulate the emotions and stress that contribute to cravings.

#5 Eat with Others

There’s no harm in chowing down solo sometimes, but eating habits can become problematic if you frequently eat alone. When possible, consider inviting a pal out for a meal or making dinners with your partner. Eating with others can assist with mollifying intense cravings and turn sharing food into a connected, nourishing social occasion.

#6 Indulge Your Other Senses

If your cravings are running amok, try diverting them by tapping into your other senses. You might find satisfaction in these other activities instead:

• Taking a long shower or bath
• Self-massaging with a scented lotion
• Listening to your favorite album or podcast
• Lying down with a hot water bottle and cozy blanket
• Lighting incense or a scented candle
• Taking a prenatal exercise class
• Stretching or performing yin yoga
• Brewing up homemade ginger tea (this doubles as a home fragrance)

#7 Don’t Stress Over It

While it’s probably not advisable to indulge your black-and-white milkshake cravings every time they occur, reducing feelings of stress or guilt around food choices may have a significant impact on the frequency or intensity of cravings themselves.

Remember, restrictive thinking surrounding food can often have the “forbidden fruit” effect—and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the proverbial fruit in moderation. So long as the food in question won’t chemically harm your baby, one of the best ways to curb cravings could be the simple act of giving yourself permission to enjoy what you enjoy.

SneakPeek: Learn to Navigate Pregnancy with Confidence

As one of life’s biggest transitions, questions about everything from nutrition to parenting are simply part of the pregnancy package. Gain more insight into motherhood and your future baby by checking out SneakPeek’s Early Gender DNA Test.

With this at-home gender blood test, you can learn your baby’s gender as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy with DNA-based, over 99% clinically proven accurate¹ results. You’ll send your sample to the SneakPeek Test labs, and our team will triple-review your results with complete data protection. We’ll even send you your results on the same day we receive your sample to ensure you don’t have to delay your craving for gender knowledge any longer.

SneakPeek has long been OBGYN’s #1 recommended at-home early gender test, with the trust of 1 million moms backing it. Start your journey to motherhood with clarity and confidence by checking out SneakPeek today.