Pregnancy cravings and healthy alternatives

QUEZON City, Philippines (August 26) – When you’re beginning to get curious why your mom says she wants chocolates, ice cream, pickles and crispy bacon all in one serving and asks if you can bring it to her immediately, then there’s just one reason for that.

Your mommy’s pregnant!  And she’s having pregnancy cravings – those seemingly unquenchable longings for oftentimes eclectic combinations of foods that you might never otherwise even dream of eating! And because she’s craving for something really, really weird then you got to be right there for her to run for her errands.

But what’s behind these mysterious food fantasies, and can they ever be harmful? Doctors say the answers depend a lot on what you are craving.

Here is the list of top 20 cravings that pregnant women face:

18. Crazy combinations

19. Comfort food

20. Non-edible food

But then with those top 20 cravings mentioned above, nutritionists and doctors says there’s an alternative food a pregnant woman can have to ensure mommy and her baby remains healthy:

If you crave                                        Try eating

Ice Cream                                           Nonfat frozen yogurt, sorbet, or sherbet

Cola                                                    Mineral water with fruit juice or lime

Doughnuts/pastry                             Whole-grain bagel with fresh fruit jam

Cake                                                   Low-fat banana or zucchini bread

Sugar-coated cereal                          Whole-grain cereal or oatmeal, with brown sugar

Potato chips                                      Low-sodium, low-fat chips, popcorn, or pretzels

Sour cream                                       No-fat sour cream or non-fat plain yogurt flavored with herbs

Sundae toppings                             Fresh berries or bananas

Canned fruits in heavy syrup        Fresh fruit, frozen unsweetened fruit, fruit packed in water, juice

Lunch meats                                    Low-fat or fat-free meats, turkey or soy Bologna, beef hot dogs

Whipped cream                               Ice cold no-fat milk whipped with a hand-held immersion blender

Pregnancy is a period of considerable changes in a woman´s body. These changes, affecting virtually every part of the body, are all geared towards growing and delivering a healthy baby, without harming the mother. While some pregnancy cravings can certainly seem a bit odd, in most instances, they don’t represent any real threat to mother or the baby. This, however, can change dramatically, when the craving is for a nonfood item. The condition, known as pica, can lead to an overwhelming desire to consume any number of substances, some of which can be extremely harmful to both mother and baby.

What do food cravings mean?

The answer depends on whom you ask.

Some nutritionists and healthcare practitioners believe that certain cravings are meaningful. For example, cravings for ice and bizarre substances such as laundry starch and cigarette butts (a condition called pica) have been linked to an iron deficiency – even though none of those items contain significant amounts of iron. A number of the moms we surveyed reported consuming large quantities of ice, which they had never craved before, during their pregnancies.

(written by Joana Joyce Tan Marcaida, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)