From croquettes and sticky cake to liters of buttermilk: many women crave certain foods during their pregnancy. Where do these pregnancy cravings come from? And is it harmful to indulge in them?
85 percent of women experience an uncontrollable craving for a certain product during their pregnancy. This is also called a craving. A food craving is different from a binge. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you devour jars of pickles, for example, it is mainly a very strong urge for that food. Why pregnant women can crave specific foods so much is still unclear.
“During pregnancy, there are an awful lot of changes in the body. Your hormone balance is constantly changing. Your immune system changes, there is more pressure on your abdomen, emotions can play a greater role, and your sense of smell and taste increase. All things that can influence your eating behavior and taste preferences,” says Ralph Moorman, expert in the field of nutrition and hormones and author of The Hormone Factor.
Because so many factors play a role, the cause of the craving is difficult to investigate. “We cannot point to a specific substance and say: that causes the craving for pickles, donuts or orange juice.”
Variety in diet is extremely important
The craving can be for both healthy and unhealthy food. What if you constantly have an uncontrollable craving for unhealthy food and give in to it? “That is primarily bad for your own health,” explains Moorman. “You create an increased risk of gestational diabetes. But it also has a negative health effect on your child. For example, gestational diabetes can result in a baby with an increased birth weight.”
“An unhealthy lifestyle also increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in your child later in life. And if your intestinal flora is out of balance as a result, your child will also have a poorer foundation in the area of intestinal bacteria. This in turn has a negative impact on his or her immune system.”
Iris Groenenberg, expert in nutrition and health at the Nutrition Center, adds: “You are literally building a baby in your belly. You are laying a health foundation for the rest of your child’s life. Certain deficiencies in your diet can have a negative effect on the bone structure, growth and brain development of the child. That is one of the reasons why variety in your diet is important; this reduces the chance of deficiencies.”
According to Groenenberg, healthy nutrition during pregnancy is eating according to the Wheel of Five. Points of attention during pregnancy are: fish twice a week and sufficient products with calcium, iodine and iron. “And don’t forget the folic acid and vitamin D supplements.”
Think about healthy alternatives to your favorite snack
Resisting cravings is therefore wise. According to Moorman, it is first of all good to enter pregnancy fit and healthy. “If you eat healthily, you will have less severe peaks and troughs in your blood sugar levels. This will also make you less likely to crave sugary foods.”
Still suffer from unhealthy cravings? “Then make sure you always eat enough healthy food, so that you simply feel less hungry and are less likely to give in to bad snacks,” advises Moorman. Groenenberg: “Also make sure that unhealthy snacks are out of sight or not in the house at all. Then you are less likely to be tempted.”
Groenenberg also advises making some agreements with yourself. “When do you often suffer from that urge for unhealthy food? Is that, for example, in the evening in front of the TV? Agree with yourself that you will then have a piece of fruit. Or do you eat out of boredom? Make sure you have something to do. For example, take a walk. Also think about healthier variants or alternatives to your favorite snacks and get them at home.”
Both experts want to emphasize that it is not bad to occasionally give in to your cravings. Groenenberg: “Deal with it in a relaxed way and don’t feel guilty if you occasionally eat something unhealthy.” Moorman: “It’s all about balance.”