Fruit cravings during pregnancy

Have you found yourself craving lots of fruit in pregnancy? Many women are the same! But what do you need to know about fruit cravings? Is it OK to allow yourself to eat unlimited amounts of fruit? What is your body trying to tell you through fruit cravings, and what fruits are the best to eat? Here is our take on fruit cravings during pregnancy.

One common theory is that the foods you crave while you are expecting a baby tell you something about any nutritional deficiencies that your body might be trying to correct. If you are craving ice cream, you might suffer from a calcium deficiency, which is important to heal in pregnancy. If you crave red meat, it might be iron you need. If this theory, which has never been scientifically proven (though it certainly makes sense to me, any way!) is true, what might fruit cravings be telling you about the needs of your body and and growing baby? Fruits are all full of vitamins and fibers. In addition, they are full of sugar, and many women crave sweet foods in pregnancy.

While too much fruit is not very good for your blood sugar levels and may cause you to feel more rather than less hungry, fresh fruits are certainly better for you than processed sugary foods like cookies or candy. You might want to consider staying away from fruits that are also natural laxatives, such as plums, because they can cause contractions later in pregnancy. If you are craving fruit, there is no problem with satisfying that wish. Fruit is not unhealthy, after all. But making sure you get plenty of foods from other foods groups such as protein and dairy is also important. Make eating fruit into a snacking habit, rather than substituting eating fruit for eating regular meals.