Text: Sally-Ann Creed. Article from the February 2013 issue of Living and Loving Magazine.
In pregnancy, your body undergoes big changes.You may be surprised at what you’ll want to eat!
My mother chewed stones and bricks while pregnant with my brother and we all thought she’d lost it until our doctor laughed and explained that it was a perfectly normal reaction. I’ve even known women to lick paint off walls and suck hard cement surfaces.
While some of these are extreme, most moms will experience cravings – known as pica – of one kind or another at some time during their pregnancy.
A woman’s taste and smell alters greatly in the early months owing to hormone changes. Some moms crave strange mixtures, such as chicken dipped in chocolate or blue cheese with ice cream. Other common cravings that are quite bizarre are chewing cigarette butts and even craving laundry detergent.
What causes cravings?
Experts suggest that hormonal changes are the cause. Professor Michael Chapman, consultant obstetrician at St George Hospital in Kogarah, New South Wales, says there’s no evidence to support mineral deficiency.
“The rise in the hormones oestrogen, progesterone and hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) – and the central effects these have on the brain – are a more likely cause,” he says.
Although no hard evidence seems to exist for mineral deficiencies, there’s no harm in eating, for example, foods rich in magnesium when you have a chocolate craving: beans, nuts, seeds, green vegetables and some whole grains. It can only be good for you and your baby and may lessen cravings.
Some cravings also appear to be linked to an omega-3 deficiency too.
Common cravings and corresponding deficiencies
An ice craving – shortage of iron
Chocolate – magnesium
Peaches – betacarotene
Watercress – folic acid.
Common cravings
A recent survey found the following to be the most common, but weird cravings:
Ice- Laundry
- Coal Soap
- Toothpaste
- Matches
- Sponges
- Starch
- Mud
- Rubber
- Chalk
Although some of the above stretch the imagination and leave one scratching one’s head, normal cravings include milk, pizza, frozen fruit, ice cream and a number of protein-based meals. If your cravings bother you, consider introducing the following into your lifestyle to ease the problem:
- Nutritional supplements
- Stretching and exercising
- Getting enough sleep
- Eating meals high in lean, cooked protein, vegetables and good fats.
Do the following to help you remain healthy and resist cravings:
- Practise portion control
- Include lean animal protein in your diet
- Choose healthy alternatives over unhealthy cravings
- Never skip breakfast
- Have a healthy high protein breakfast: egg, tomato and wilted spinach
- Eat healthy snacks between meals
- Drink enough filtered water.
What celebrities crave
Victoria Beckham admits she loved tucking into smoked salmon. Tina Fey loved indulging in mini chocolate doughnuts. Minnie Driver enjoyed olives of any kind. Madonna had a huge craving for poached eggs.
Getting the portions right
Use a smaller plate than usual and divide into 50% vegetables, 25% lean protein and the rest as healthy fats and complex carbs. The following amounts are one portion:
- One cup vegetables
- One cup rice, pasta or potato
- 1 slice of bread
- Two thin slices of cheese
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 cup salad greens
- 1 medium baked potato
- 1 medium fruit
- 1/2 cup of fresh fruit
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 60-80g organic red meat
- 80g fish or free-range chicken
- 2 tbsp of nut butter (not peanuts)
- 1tsp olive oil.
How much can I eat?
You may be tempted in the first trimester to eat things which you refrained from before and find that you experience discomfort in the form of bloating or weight gain.
Extra weight also can lead to complications such as gestational diabetes, kidney problems, haemorrhoids, hernias or backache.
If you find it difficult to resist overeating, try to get enough animal protein in your diet. Carbohydrate cravings are less common when a high-protein diet is followed.
Together with your protein (cooked eggs, chicken, fish or organic red meat), include healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds and plenty of fresh vegetables. You’ll feel fuller for longer periods, have balanced blood sugar levels and crave less unhealthy food.
Foods to avoid during pregnancy
- Cold, smoked and raw seafood
- Pre-cooked diced chicken, unless personally cooked
- Paté
- Ham and all processed meats
- Self-service salad bars or packaged salads
- Soft cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert, feta, cottage and ricotta
- Liver
- Fish species high in mercury, such as swordfish, tilefish, tuna and bluefish.
Healthy alternatives
When you feel a craving coming on, try these healthier options instead:
Instead of Try
Ice cream Freeze low-fat yoghurt or fruit smoothies in ice trays
Soft drinks Sparkling/still water with a squeeze of lemon and ginger
Pizza Make your own homemade pizza using veggies
Cake Find a recipe using healthy ingredients such as apple
Potato chips Dip loads of veggie sticks into hummus
Fried fish Grilled fish with lemon and herbs
Chocolate Eat in moderation and choose dark chocolate
Too much dried fruit Freeze berries and munch on them instead.
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