pregnancy cravings cheat sheet
Learn more about what your cravings are telling you & how to respond accordingly!
What are your cravings telling you?
To be completely honest…early on in my pregnancy I craved chips constantly. When I learned how to identify not what I was craving, but why, nourishing my body accordingly made so much more sense.
I’ve become so passionate about teaching women how to nourish their bodies prior to, during, and post-pregnancy because there is so little info out there outside of being told what “not” to eat.
I hope this gives you some guidance & supports you along the way!
What are your cravings telling you?
starchy foods / dirt / clay: need for iron & zinc — you can support this deficiency with beans, beef liver, beef, red lentils, spinach, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, and tofu.
sugary foods like candy, pop, cereal, cookies: need for protein rich sources (aka blood sugar levels need support) — calculate how much you need for your body specifically (0.8 x bodyweight in lbs = oz per day if moderate - highly active) and increase intake with meat sticks, cheese, greek yogurt, red meat, chicken, turkey, whole eggs, mixed nuts, steak etc!
salty foods like chips, crackers, popcorn: need for water with mineral support — support this by calculating how much your body needs per day and add a pinch of quality sea salt or trace minerals to each bottle. I like ReMineralize by Body Bio.
chocolate / chocolate covered foods: need for magnesium — although chocolate isn’t “bad” you can support this deficiency with pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, cashews, black beans and edamame.
seaweed, oysters, fresh fish: need for iodine or zinc — support this deficiency by adding in seaweed snacks, salmon, tuna, or pumpkin seeds. Typically they say not to consume high mercury fish or anything that could contain listeria so opinions on seafood during pregnancy are mixed, however if you trust the source I am not anti-fish during pregnancy.
Other symptom support:
Constant low energy — need for B-vitamins
Bloating or constipation — check food quality, but a symbiotic+ can be supportive (pre & probiotic)
Low energy or need for constant sleep during first trimester — need for selenium and iodine to support thyroid health
Headaches — need for hydration + minerals
As always, make the best decision for YOU and your body — this is not medical advice, please consult with your doctor if you have any concerns or believe that supplementation is necessary. I highly recommend functional blood testing if you notice persistent cravings and would like to see what deficiencies are present within your body during pregnancy.