Tell anyone you’re pregnant and one of the topics that’s bound to come up pretty quickly is ‘have you had any weird cravings?’ Many of us don’t, perhaps experiencing a dislike of various foods, but for those of us who do crave certain types of food, there’s more in it than just taking a fancy.

Cravings in all humans, pregnant or not, signify the body’s need for a certain mineral or vitamin. The obvious ones are citrus fruit for vitamin C, and red meat for iron, but it goes a lot deeper than that. The pressures on a woman’s body during pregnancy are immense, not just because of the extra weight she carries but also because of her increased blood volume, the demands on her resources from the baby (sugar and iron especially) and the high levels of hormones being released into her blood. Just some of the foods that women regularly report craving during pregnancy include peanut butter, apples and eggs, so we’re going to tell you what they might mean your body is lacking and how you can cater to those cravings in a variety of ways. After all, who wants to be eating the same snack or meal every day for nine months?

What Your Body Needs, and What Will Satisfy It

Protein - found most abundantly in eggs and meat, but also dairy products, nuts, bread, pasta, pulses and beans

Magnesium - found in broccoli, nuts, okra, fish, spinach and soy milk.

B Vitamins - found in oats, avocado, eggs, meat, nuts, yeast products such as vegemite and - the big one - chocolate!

Potassium - found in avocado, melon, milk, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, spinach and prunes.

Sodium - found in meat, milk, cheese, leafy greens, beet-root and - the one you’ve been waiting for - pickles!

If you’re craving junk food and anything that you know will make you put on weight then you’re not just being greedy, your body may be craving fat. Your baby needs to put on fat in order to grow, but the most important thing is that this is healthy (polyunsaturated) fat. Polyunsaturated fats are found in leafy greens, fish, cheese, seafood, nuts and seeds.

Some women suffer from a strange medical condition during pregnancy known as Pica. It’s characterized by the desire or craving for non-edible substances, and while the cravings themselves aren’t dangerous, actually indulging them can be. At first scientists thought the cravings indicated a deficiency, but the intense desire carried on once any deficiencies were ruled out, indicating the problem is more likely to be psychological. If you find yourself suffering from Pica that’s really disrupting your daily life and leaving you feeling constantly unsatisfied we recommend you visit your health visitor, midwife or doctor. Some Pica cravings can be satisfied just by chewing or licking (e.g. if you have cravings for ice). In her book ‘Minus Nine to One’, Jools Oliver tells readers about her love of anything rubbery during her first two pregnancies, and how she loved to chew anything made of the substance. This is safe, providing you ensure there are no chemicals or treatments on the material.

How to Satisfy Your Cravings

Eating the same thing day in day out might be great if you’re craving it badly, but nine months is a long time and you’ll get tired of it at some point. Try and find some recipes that include your craved foods abundantly, but remember that these are best if the foods are as raw as possible. If you do need to cook the foods (e.g. french beans and broccoli) then it’s best to steam them as this keeps as much of the nutrients in the food as possible.

Listen to your body and ask your midwife about any cravings you have as they may indicate a deficiency, but most importantly have fun with it. There’s nothing wrong with getting up in the middle of the night for a pickled onion sandwich, and this is the perfect opportunity to learn some quick recipes for after the baby’s born.

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