During pregnancy our bodies go through massive changes as our baby develops and grows inside of us, but our changing shape is not the only difference we experience – many women also have changing taste buds too!

From feeling a strong aversion to a food that you normally love, to the opposite end of the scale where you experience strong cravings for foods that you would never normally eat, pregnancy is certainly a time when our tastes can really change.

If you’ve been hankering after some unusual food combinations, then you’re not alone, a survey of 1400 mums-to-be by Pregnacare found that 67% of women experienced cravings during their pregnancies.

The Weirdest Pregnancy Cravings

In the survey Pregnacare asked mums-to-be what their weirdest pregnancy cravings were – and they certainly didn’t disappoint! There’s a real mixture of foods here, and some certainly sound more eye-watering than mouth-watering!

  1. Gummy sweets
  2. Boiled eggs with horesradish
  3. Garlic mushrooms dipped in custard
  4. Dry chocolate powder
  5. Grated carrot mixed with ketchup
  6. Cold toast with marmite
  7. Cold rice pudding
  8. Banana and ready salted crisp toastie
  9. Potato salad and spaghetti hoops

The UK's Top Ten Pregnancy Cravings

The results are in and prove that not all pregnancy cravings are of the strange variety. Here are the top ten foods most craved by the pregnant women surveyed; have you had strong cravings for any of these during pregnancy?

  1. Chocolate
  2. Fruit
  3. Ice lollies
  4. Cake
  5. Fizzy drinks
  6. Ice cream
  7. Spicy food
  8. Biscuits
  9. Desserts
  10. Chips

Why do pregnant women experience food cravings?

According to the NHS, pregnancy cravings are caused by the hormonal changes happening in your body, these changes affect your sense of smell and taste. This is also the reason that some mums-to-be experience strong aversions to foods and drinks that they would normally enjoy. Common aversions in pregnancy include meat, tea and coffee, milk, onions, garlic and eggs.

However weird and wacky your cravings may be, the most important thing is to ensure that you are eating a balanced diet and getting all the essential nutrients you need to keep both yourself and your baby healthy. Pregnacare supplements contain the exact levels of folic acid and vitamin D recommended for pregnant women by the UK Department for Health.

Craving non-food items in pregnancy

Rarely pregnant women crave non-food items during pregnancy, such as soil or ice. Experiencing unusual cravings like this could be due to a potentially dangerous condition known as pica. If you are experiencing unusual cravings you should contact your GP or midwife to double check that your cravings aren’t cause for concern.

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