Food cravings and aversions

Suddenly desperate for pickles, or unable to stand the smell of your once-favourite coffee? Cravings and aversions are one of the classic (and stranger) parts of pregnancy, and while they’re the stuff of clichés, they’re very real. Here’s what’s going on and how to handle them sensibly.

Why they happen. No one knows for certain, but shifting hormones and a heightened sense of smell and taste are thought to play a big part, especially in the first trimester when everything is recalibrating. Nausea also shapes what you can face eating. Whatever the cause, cravings and aversions are extremely common and completely normal.

Cravings. These can be for anything — sweet, salty, sour, spicy, specific foods, or odd combinations. Giving in to reasonable cravings is absolutely fine; a pregnancy is no time for a rigid diet. The main aim is overall balance across your week, so enjoy what you fancy while keeping an eye on not living entirely on ice cream.

Aversions. Just as common is going right off certain foods or smells — often meat, eggs, coffee, or strong flavours. If healthy foods you’d normally eat suddenly repel you, don’t force them; work around it by getting those nutrients in other forms (for example, if meat is off, try other iron sources), and know most aversions ease after the first trimester.

When cravings are for non-food things — tell your doctor. Occasionally people crave non-food substances like ice, dirt, chalk, laundry starch or clay — this is called pica, and it can be linked to a deficiency such as iron. If you’re craving or eating non-food items, mention it to your GP or midwife, as it’s worth a check and easily investigated.

Keeping it balanced. You don’t need to eat “for two”, and cravings don’t have to derail healthy eating. Try to honour cravings without letting them crowd out the good stuff — pair a treat with something nourishing, keep easy healthy snacks handy for when hunger strikes, and drink plenty of water. If nausea is limiting you, eat whatever you can keep down for now; variety can come later.

Food safety still applies. However strong a craving, remember the usual pregnancy food-safety rules — some foods (like certain soft cheeses, raw or undercooked items, and high-mercury fish) are best avoided regardless. There’s a separate guide on foods to avoid if you’d like the details.

They’re not a reliable prediction. Despite the old wives’ tales, cravings don’t reliably tell you the baby’s sex or anything about them — they’re just your body and tastebuds doing their pregnancy thing. Enjoy the quirk of it.

Cravings and aversions are a normal, usually harmless (and sometimes entertaining) part of pregnancy that mostly settle as you go. Eat well overall, indulge the odd craving without guilt, work around aversions, and flag any craving for non-food items to your GP. Beyond that, enjoy the ride — few other times in life is a 2am toast craving so completely justified.