A study conducted not long ago showed that almost 40% of pregnant women craved for ‘sweet” tasting food. One third of them liked “salty” food, one sixth of them craved for “spicy” food and one tenth wanted foods that tasted sour.
It is no wonder then that ice-creams, pickles, lemon, tomato sauce, tangy oranges, and cheese top the list of popular foods among pregnant women! Women also crave for strange flavors in food, during pregnancy, like cheese with pickles!
Reasons for craving
- Certain hormonal changes during pregnancy
- An emotional need; a wish to eat foods that were favorites during childhood and adolescence
- Lowered sodium levels in the blood
- Nausea during pregnancy is very common; if certain foods quell the feeling and give comfort then the body automatically craves for it
- To help fill the lacunae in nutrition levels experienced during pregnancy
- The fondness for peach during pregnancy may be because of low Vitamin A level
- Craving for sweet foods, like chocolate could be because of lowered Vitamin B levels
- The smell of good cooking
Managing craving
- Always eat a balanced diet
- Opt for healthier versions of the food you crave for
- Eat dried fruits like apricots, walnuts, pistachios and raisins instead of sugary snacks
- Choose a fat-free and pro-biotic ice-cream rather than the creamy sugary version
- Opt for sugar-free chocolate
- Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables when hungry; not only are they filling, they also balance nutrition levels wonderfully
- Drink a lot of fruit juices, especially the fortified type. Fortified cranberry juice is a storehouse of rich nutrients for pregnant women
- Exercise regularly, as per medical guidance
- Avoid giving in to pica craving
What is pica craving?
Pica craving is a desire to eat food that does not have much nutritive value. It is a rare craving for pregnant women Pica in Latin stands for the magpie, a bird that eats everything it can lay its beak on! The materials that are craved for include toothpaste, charcoal, sand, clay, burnt matches, baking soda, corn starch, soap and so on!
Reasons for pica craving
Pica craving could indicate
- An iron deficiency, according to the Journal of American Dietetic Association
- Symptoms of a physical, psychological or emotional health concern
- A need for vitamins and minerals by the body
- However, these materials do no good either to you or the baby and should be shunned.
How to manage pica craving
- Sought the advice of the health care giver and follow instructions
- Get the tests done to check your health parameters. For instance, if the hemoglobin count is low, you will be prescribed iron supplements
- Chew on sugar free gum to ward of pica craving
- Network with friends, relatives to find out how pica craving was successfully managed, when one or some of them of them had it
Blurb: Craving for food is common during pregnancy. There are several causes for it. Craving can be managed by an intake of a balanced diet. Medical guidance is important to ensure that the craving is not because of a drop in nutritional levels. Pica craving should be controlled and managed effectively. Eating strange things like clay and chalk (because of pica craving) endangers the life of the mother and the child.