When I was pregnant with Hailey I had cravings. Most memorable are popcorn with Texas Pete, pepperoncinis, cottage cheese, Olive Garden salads (which I’m not sure I ever got to satisfy) and occasional handfuls of chocolate chips. I remember being confused about the cravings. Was I just using pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted? Or did I really need them?
Being that I‘m not a person that usually has strong cravings, the sensation was new and strange. Afterwards, I found it hilarious that my body truly begged for certain foods, so I promised myself that I’d embrace the cravings on my next go ‘round.
I actually ate more healthy and wholesome foods this first trimester than I could stomach with Hailey, but it doesn’t mean some crazy cravings didn’t sneak their way in.
It’s so hard to explain how a first trimester craving feels, but for me, they came on fast and furious. I could be sitting there, not even hungry, them WHAM, out of nowhere I felt a desperate need for French Onion dip. Like I said, it’s very strange.
Here’s a closer look at some of the foods that the first trimester begged me to eat…
The Good:
Salads! I remember not wanting to touch greens with Hailey, but I seriously craved salads this time. Of course, I preferred the lazy route of not making them myself and became hooked on several local selections.
We have a spot called Field of Greens that is a custom salad place. I’d always get romaine, tomatoes, green peppers, feta and pepperocinis with the Greek dressing. Eventually the lady knew my order as soon as I walked in the door. I’d get it to-go and sit in my car outside and eat it, enjoying the few minutes of peaceful quiet.
Brooklyn Boys pizza never sounded good to me, but their Greek salads did! I’d call and order one to pick up and get a confused, wait, is that all? on the other end of the line.
In the epitome of laziness, I ended up buying several salads from Fresh Market just to keep in my fridge. It was an expensive habit, but my motto was just to survive those tough first trimester days. That’s what savings accounts are for, right??
And some days I’d actually give in and make my own.
The Bad:
I’d get random BBQ cravings. One day I gobbled up Brunswick stew and another I stopped at Carolina Ribs on the Run for a pulled pork sandwich and mashed potatoes. Hit. The. Spot.
One of the funniest cravings I had was for Chick-fil-A chicken biscuits. I couldn’t tell you the last time I had one before pregnancy, but I probably ate 6-7 during the first trimester. I’d grab one and a orange juice and it would make my morning happy. Salty+ sweet+ heaven.
This craving came out of left field. I think I let myself get too hungry and suddenly needed spinach and artichoke dip. I picked it up curb-side from Chilis, downed it in the car, then immediately threw it all up. Oops. I guess I ate too much and it sat too heavy on my sensitive stomach.
The Ugly:
In my defense, it only happened once. You see, baby just needed salt. There was nothing else around. Eh, screw it. They were delicious. Eating McDonalds once every 5 can’t hurt too much right? 😉
Do you normally have cravings? For what?
If you’ve been pregnant, what was your strangest craving?
Thanks Jenn for hosting WIAW!
Jessica (burlap and butter knives) says
I am about 11 weeks right now, and I seem to constantly crave sweets and cheese. and also A LOT of fruit, thank heavens!
I miss field of greens SO much!!! SO jealous!
There is an awesome greek restaurant near my dr so when I go for appts I also get an amazing greek salad! 😀
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes says
At 13 weeks I notice my cravings are slowing down a lot, but I can’t seem to gets enough cheese! That and flaming hot cheetos are going to be the death of me!
Katie D. says
Salty foods! Last night I almost threw up on the first bite of my favorite chicken, but the baked potato (with sour cream, butter and green onions) hit.the.spot!
I find that something sounds good (mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, etc) and then once it is made, I’m gagging it down.
Madeline @ Food Fitness and Family says
Umm I lived on McD’s french fries and hash browns my first trimester. Zero guilt haha.
Lee says
I really haven’t had too many but in the first trimester, I was all about bagels and cream cheese. After that, really my only thing was a Frosty from Wendy’s, which I’ve given into a few times.
Regina says
Both pregnancies I had STRONG cravings for McDonald’s french fries. Something I NEVER eat when I’m not pregnant. I actually swore that this time around I wouldn’t feed this poor child McDs…and then I was slammed with MS from 5 weeks through 17 weeks and when nothing sounded good (or stayed down) but McDs I found myself guiltily in the drive through line (the first time, in my defense, was after spending 7 hours in the ER to get fluids because I was leaking keytones I was so dehydrated). I guess it’s not strange then that both babes turned out to be boys 🙂 Maybe there’s a little man on your horizon too! (I’m 18 weeks today and we just found out the gender yesterday).
Jodi says
Funny post! I never craved heathly food AT ALL w either pregnancy. I survived first trimesters with Burger King coke icees and hash browns. Thankfully we are pretty sure we aren’t having any more kiddos bc BK by our house closed recently…. And Chilis must see a lot if pregnant ladies! I drove to Target one time, parked my car and then reversed when I realized I NEEDED chips and salsa RIGHT NOW, grocery shopping would have to wait. Two bottomless baskets later and I went back to Target! 🙂
Parita @ myinnershakti says
Haha – I love this! I always wonder about pregnancy cravings and how real they really are (says the woman who’s never been pregnant!). From the looks of this post, I’d say they are pretty real, especially because your normal diet looks so different!
I’d say I crave sweet thing on the regular. But based on my habits, I’d also say that the craving is one created out of habit!
Marjorie says
I had major salad cravings when I was pregnant with my son. Zoe’s knew my order! I especially loved any salads with tangy/vinegar-y dressings. Any kind of fruit sounded good to me throughout my pregnancy. I HAD to have orange juice every morning as well. I don’t know if it was in my head, but it seemed to help with the nausea.
I could not stomach meat my first trimester. We got a lot of take-out. I had to get meat in like pasta or soup or something where it was mixed in. And I had to totally avoid the butcher department at grocery stores for those weeks/months. The mere sight of raw meat made me want to up-chuck. Any type of Asian food made me feel nauseous the whole way through. Usually I love Chinese and Thai. Could not even walk in the door of those places.
Those cravings were just like you explained. Not hungry, and then BAM. Out of nowhere, like DYING for chips and cheese dip from a Mexican restaurant. Mexican food was probably my most unhealthy craving. Oh yeah, and ice cream. The ice cream really soothed the wicked heartburn in the 3rd trimester. My indigestion was so bad.
Now that I think about it, I did not really crave any really strange combinations of things, but I know plenty of folks who did!
Christina says
I didn’t have a lot of cravings when I was pregnant. However, once I gave birth, I suddenly needed sweets ALL THE TIME (and I never had a sweet tooth before that – I always preferred salty!). It’s continued to this day (my daughter is now 21 months old). I’ll be curious to see what pregnancy #2 brings 🙂
Jodi says
Christina, I am with you. I was a sweets craving machine after my second kiddo. Me and panera became best friends… scones, cookies, hot chocolate… sometimes ordered all at the same time. I couldn’t get enough. It was kinda embarrassing at times, but I just went with it…:)
Kelli D. says
With both of my pregnancies I craved warm, salty, comfort foods. I typically eat a light cold lunch of salads, fruit, veggies and hummus, etc but that was so unsatisfying to me. I had to eat a bowl of warm soup or something similar!
With my first (a boy) I had no sickness whatsoever! With my second I had was definitely sick and had crazy food aversions! I look back on it now and wonder if I was making it up. It was the strangest feeling not being about to stomach the thought of certain foods. I was mostly adverse to meats… especially beef and sausage. Chicken was okay most days but even the smell of meat cooking would send me running to the bathroom gagging.
Now that I am getting bigger (23 weeks) I have found I don’t have room for heavy foods and have been loving the fact that I’m back on a salad kick. The light crispy, crunchy, freshness of a salad has been wonderful! I hope this “craving” is the one that lasts! 🙂
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
I’m not one to have super strong cravings either, but during my pregnancy it definitely happened! I would crave mashed potatoes (preferrably REALLY salty and buttery!), chips and salsa, French fries, and baked potatoes. But then all of that suddenly sounded terrible to me. It was so strange! I so badly wish I craved salads during my 1st tri – I don’t know if I ate one green thing those first couple months!
Lauren B. says
These are so great! I had to laugh when you said that you had a craving for Olive Garden salads, bc I did too with Jackson! And like you, it went unfulfilled. 🙁
I’m right there with you on the wanting salads but not wanting to make them myself. Our grocery bill this week was half of what it normally is because of that very reason and the idea of making dinner is a little gross, so I have done quite a few take out meals! I am craving anything salty right now… Chips, salsa, tomato soup, pizza, cheese, etc. And now that you mentioned a Chickfila Chicken biscuit with orange juice, I may just have I make a run! 🙂
Like with my last pregnancy, sweet things are quickly becoming stomach-turning, which is highly unusual because I normally have a big sweet tooth!
Lindsey says
I do usually crave random things here and there. In pregnancy it was no different really, I had more aversions the first 13 weeks than anything.
I also crave sweets lol.
Jen says
I’m jealous you craved salads! I was so sick in the first tri that I wanted nothing but bagels and cream cheese. Lately all I crave now is pulled pork sandwiches and turkey burgers. I rarely want meat so I’m thinking this means I need eat? I’ve been making these at home though so that means it’s healthier, right? Ha.
Shannon says
I would love to know how/if our cravings come about and if they actually affect pregnancies! I’m 24 weeks now and had a fair amount of nausea during the first trimester. My cravings were definitely for anything carby, salty and comforting. I didn’t always give in to them, though that was more out of laziness than guilt! I had my fair share of CFA – #1 with iced tea! – unfortunately that’s now way too heavy for my stomach which is becoming increasingly squished by my little guy every day 🙂 I didn’t want any vegetables at all, whereas I normally could practically be vegetarian. They didn’t turn my stomach or anything, I just didn’t care to prepare them or feel the desire to eat them. The one exception to all the above, and it’s still going strong, is a big taste for CELERY. I don’t think I ever bought a single stalk unless I was making bloody marys or something, and now I MUST have it in my fridge at all times. With PB, hummus, or just plain, it’s my go-to! Loved reading everyone else’s stories, I find this topic so funny!
Paulina says
The weirdest craving I had was salami. I know it’s bad for me and lunch meats are to be avoided while pregnant but on more than one occasion I’d stop by the deli on my lunch break for a salami sandwich. I also craved spinach pie from this local greek place and bagles with cream cheese.
Danielle says
The funniest part of this post is the fact that you ate all this stuff in your car. It’s like you were on a top-secret mission. LOL.
Sabrina says
Loved reminiscing through first trimesterdom with you. this post is hysterical.
with raffi i had to eat bowls upon bowls of cereal in order to not throw up. with ali i HAD to have ice cream sundaes and mozzarella sticks. the cravings were rare but furious.
Sabrina says
Also why is it that while pregnant, making salads is nasty but eating them is just fine?
Rachel says
Omg, McDonald’s fries! I do not like or eat fast food but McD’s fries are SO good. So salty & crispy! Great now I want fries…
christina says
This is so funny to me!! And in a good way. I love the honesty and realness. Obviously the chickfila part was my favorite, but those salads look darn good too!!
Maria says
Uh oh. Why are these all of my normal non-preggers cravings? Kidding. Kind of. I haven’t had McDonald french fries in years and now I want some! Chick Fil A’s waffle fries will have to do I suppose 🙂
Also, there’d be a lot more salads in my life if someone else made them, so I hear ya there!
Lindsay@Fuel My Family says
I threw up twice a day for 20 weeks this time around and I didn’t have cravings as much as I had aversions. I craved whatever I thought woul stay down, usually a bakery bagel (not grocery) or somethig salty (but not fried). Even water made me puke sometimes. Everyone is surprised with my pregnancies that I’m on number 3, but I just love the babies that come from it despite the bed rest, puking, and gestational diabetes. I too ate McDonald’s after I was left with no other options and my 5 year old lectured me about how bad it was for me. At least it came back up so I’m not sure it counts 🙂
Tina @ Best Body Fitness says
Okay, craving salads during 1st tri is a serious accomplishment. I always craved what I like to term “hangover food”. And I, too, had McDs while pregnant. I never even liked it until pregnancy hit. Then, I probably had a double cheeseburger and fries probably once a month with each kiddo. I don’t know where it came from but, man, I wanted it when pregnant. And I did. No biggie at all. 🙂
Ellen says
I feel you on the big salads, but more than that…SOUP. Both my pregnancies, I just can’t get enough soup! Vegetable or broccoli cheese or tomato. OR stewed tomatoes straight from the jar(my mom cans them). I think my husband was totally weirded out to come home from work and see me standing in the kitchen with a spoon in one hand and a half empty jar of cold stewed tomatoes in the other. I guess I just want liquid salt!
Jill says
I didn’t really have any food cravings but during my third trimester I craved the smell of an auto-body shop. I would day dream about the combination of the smells of gas, oil, paint, and tire rubber! It was bad and it totally consumed my thoughts almost every night for weeks! I would try to find reasons to stop at auto shops! I readily volunteered to take our vehicles for their oil changes before the big event! Really weird!
Marie says
I threw up for 40 weeks. Ugh. I lived on saltines – not great, I know and watermelon. My now almost 2 year-old daughter LOVES both. So funny to me. Starbucks decaf iced-tea & lemonade (so cold!) and their blueberry muffins are the only food I could ever manage in the morning. It was a rough pregnancy food wise.
Shannon says
I’m 14 weeks now with my first, and the first trimester was ROUGH. Had way more aversions than cravings, but I loved mashed potatoes, ramen (seriously?!), soda, and bagels with cream cheese. All sweets sounded horrible and I couldn’t touch a vegetable for months. I’m glad I can finally put more normal things back into my system. Pregnancy is so weird.
Avery @Young Aspirations says
So funny how different your cravings were! My cravings weren’t quite as strong and I noticed I usually only craved things after seeing pictures of something or hearing someone talk about. There was quite a few times when I saw a food picture on Pinterest and only then did I feel like OMG I have to have that. Exhibit A: looking at all these salads and now I want a Greek salad. Ha! 🙂
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
I didn’t want to go near any vegetables my first trimester! I wanted all salty and spicy foods. I remember eating wasabi and soy sauce flavored almonds, pickles, and potato chips soaked in vinegar haha!
As the pregnancy went on, I still wanted a lot of salty things. Especially hamburgers. But I also wanted milkshakes. So we went to several burger places and got hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes. I didn’t do it “often,” but probably once a month. It was glorious. 🙂
Ashley@cupcakesncrunches says
When I was pregnant I craved spicy okra straight from the jar. We should have bought stock in that stuff! I ate so much of it. In general, I craved a lot of salty foods & most sweets sounded awful. That was strange for me because I am a huge sweet tooth.
Now that I’m no longer pregnant, I pretty much crave baked goods around the clock. Ha
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast says
So funny! It was all sweet cravings with my daughter (especially in that last month)… never anything salty. But those cravings can be powerful. It’s so fun to hear what everyone else craved!
Sara @ lifebetweenthemiles says
You crack me up! Unfortunately, I didn’t have one craving when I was pregnant with my son and I had no food aversions either (which I am thankful for.)
I don’t know if you addressed this in an earlier post, but are you guys keeping the sex a secret again?
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
Haha! I haven’t had McDonald’s fries in ages, but I must admit…they do sound kind of good. I wonder if they would taste as good as I think they would or if I wouldn’t like them as much since I started eating healthier?
Tiffany says
Haha – love seeing other people’s pregnancy cravings! In the 1st tri with both kiddos (now 23 weeks with #2), I did not have cravings, but major aversions. Salad was one of the things that sounded good the first time around and this time I still don’t want to eat them! I used to eat eggs every single day for breakfast, but they taste really weird to me and that has not gone back to normal still. I didn’t have that with my daughter, but this time it won’t go away!
Other cravings though – BBQ! I love that you said that too. This time is also MAJOR sweets cravings. Anything out of the ordinary that has come home from the grocery store is usually something sugary we never have in our house (i.e. cupcakes, ice cream, candy). I try to be good and so far my weight gain has been pretty much the same as last time, but gees…not healthy!!
Lauren says
I’m on week 15 too and it makes me feel so much better to read stories about moms who have overpowering cravings also. Only one person in real life that I know experienced the same thing, others think I’m crazy! I’m jealous of all of your veggies though… I just started introducing those back in. I didn’t touch anything green for 3 months :/
Ali says
I craved french fries, cheeseburgers and lemon pudding like it was my job. I also really loved Mexican food in the first trimester, but usually threw it right back up. Salads eventually made themselves back in, but not until the second trimester and then I loved them. I actually had bizarre cravings throughout my entire pregnancy. One day in the third trimester, I had to have carrot sticks with ranch dressing which I typically don’t even like ranch. Other than pregnancy, I never have strong cravings like that either.
Kadee-Cat says
I’m in my second trimester and all I want is green beans and sushi. At the same time even. Other than that I haven’t craved anything really specific but I am definitely hungry more often. =p
Matt @ Runner Savvy says
No pregnant cravings here 😉
Lani says
It’s more like aversions than cravings for me, but now I am craving McD’s french fries. Lol! I also like cheese and cold(!) foods like yogurt, apple sauce, etc.Basically I go from really wanting to eat something like pizza, to never wanting to look at it again. At 14 weeks, I thought the nausea was pretty much over, but I got hit with it again yesterday. When I am feeling better, I do make a point of eating my greens, though.
Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says
With both of my pregnancies I couldn’t stomach chicken, veggies, or sweets for the first 12 weeks or so. I CRAVED hamburgers like no one’s business. Seriously, I could’ve eaten them every day throughout my entire pregnancy. Good hamburgers, not fast food.
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
HA HA AH! At least you’re craving SALAD – Throw a few french fries on top and you get the best of both worlds 😉 If I ever get pregnant, I fear the extinction of salmon will be near… Nearer than it currently is with my salmon eating habits, LOL!
Heather says
Those salads look delicious! I craved doughnuts. I was never a big doughnut eater except for on occassion, but everyday I woke up and all I wanted was a doughnut. I only indulged the craving a few times, but man were they delicious when I did get them. I also craved fruit, no specific fruit just fruit in general.
Chantal says
I had this terrible craving for McDonald’s chicken nuggets. I ate the 20 piece box all by myself! I also craved ice cream, and had it every night until she was born, and then I didn’t want ANY for months.
Mrs FF says
I had chicken craving for about a week – think chicken sandwich for lunch then chicken wrap for dinner and then chicken fold over for snack and after that week the sight of chicken made me gag!!! After that was hot chili, every meal had to have chili to the point where my family couldn’t eat anything I cooked even though it still tasted mild to me and after that I craved bean soup!!! The only craving that lasted until 36 weeks was ice-cubes