Diet Culture makes us feel bad about craving sugar and sweet foods at the best of times.

During pregnancy, the guilt and shame around sweet cravings are taken up a notch.

Not only do you have Diet Culture in your head about the usual food rules, but there is the added societal and internal pressure to be rigid and strict with a super ‘healthy’ diet for the baby's sake.

So, what would it feel like to drop that shame and guilt? If you are thinking it would provide an immense sense of relief, then an Intuitive Eating approach to pregnancy sugar cravings might be just what you need.

picture of cookies: Craving Sweets During Pregnancy - an Intuitive Eating Approach

Why Do We Crave Sugar During Pregnancy?

You are first and foremost a human.

And as a human, your biologically preferred fuel source is carbohydrates. The mechanisms and chemical reactions involved in digesting and metabolizing our food are most efficient at extracting energy out of carbohydrate-containing foods.

(Not to mention, our brain and muscles run on glucose - the smallest type of carbohydrate.)

And a lot of carbohydrate-containing foods are sweet-tasting (think: fruit, sweet potato, corn etc. in addition to chocolate, ice cream, candy, cookies.)

So, when you are tired and are not getting enough rest, as is often the case during pregnancy, your body will guide you in the direction of the easiest and quickest way to boost energy…

…eating sweet-tasting carbohydrate-containing foods.

If you are under-eating (intentionally to manage your weight or ‘be healthy’, or because you are experiencing symptoms like morning sickness), or have lower blood sugar levels (especially earlier in pregnancy), your body will be in a heightened state of food seeking to meet its biological needs.

While that can mean craving food in general, for most people, typically this is experienced as a drive or craving for sweeter foods. Again, this is because your body can get a quick source of energy to send to the brain and muscles.

And let’s not forget that in addition to all the other things they impact, pregnancy hormones can also alter our food preferences and aversions. A common preference amongst pregnant people is for sweeter foods.

Sweet Cravings Minus the Fear Mongering

Craving sweets during pregnancy and eating more sweet foods does not mean you are destined to develop gestational diabetes.

One prospective study showed that at 24-28 weeks of gestation, 55% of women with ‘normal’ glucose tolerance (meaning no diabetes) reported sweet cravings compared to only 40% of women with ‘mild’ gestational diabetes.

It was in the third trimester, typically just after being diagnosed, where women with gestational diabetes reported craving more sweets.

This makes sense because we know when we restrict carbs and sweet foods, they suddenly become very desirable and hard to stop thinking about.

And what is the first thing people are told to do after they are diagnosed with gestational diabetes (besides watching their weight)?

Cut back on sugary foods.

An Intuitive Eating Approach to Sweet Cravings During Pregnancy

Craving sweets during pregnancy is not something that needs to be ‘controlled’, ‘managed’, ‘curbed’ or ‘beaten’.

As a natural and normal human experience, it is something that needs to be met with compassion and non-judgment.

Here are some ways to approach sweet cravings with Intuitive Eating:

Honor Your Sugar Cravings With Permission - Not Guilt

We could end this article right here, by just saying; “eat the food you crave”!

But we invite you to eat some of the food you’re craving and notice how you feel. How the food tastes. And enjoy it (shame-free).

Ask yourself, do you want fruit or chocolate, or both?

Honor what feels most satisfying to you, with permission.

And make sure you are eating enough and often enough in general. Not sure what that might look like for you? Reach out to us for a consultation.

Keep the ‘forbidden’ Foods in Your House

Rather than try and ‘fix’ your cravings by not allowing sugary, sweet foods in the house, keeping the foods you crave in your home in abundance resolves the feeling of scarcity (which feeds into the increased desire and non-stop thinking we mentioned above).

With an attitude of abundance rather than scarcity, you may just notice your thoughts and drive to eat these foods decrease in intensity.

Notice Your Sweet Cravings With Curiosity

Notice how you prefer to consume sweeter foods with curiosity.

You may notice you feel better eating sweeter food at the end of a meal or balanced with some protein or fiber so you do not experience that ‘crash’ or rebound hunger that can sometimes happen.

You may notice that if you eat a larger portion of sweet food on an empty stomach that feels different than eating sweet food when you aren’t as hungry.

It is all about getting curious about what works best for your body.

Look for Patterns

While you are noticing your cravings with curiosity, also notice if there are particular times you crave these foods.

Is it that mid-afternoon slump?

At the end of your day when you are trying to ‘unwind’?

After a certain meal?

Noticing patterns with your cravings might give you clues that there are other needs that might also be going unanswered such as more rest, a larger or more satisfying lunch that provides sustained energy, or outlets, in addition to food, to give you relief from daily stressors.

Snack Ideas to Satisfy Pregnancy Sugar Cravings

Enjoy these sweet snack ideas to feel nourished, full and satisfied:

Greek yogurt 2% or full fat + mini dark chocolate chips + bare naked peanut butter granola
Graham crackers + peanut or almond butter + mini chocolate chips
Yasso or outshine frozen Greek yogurt bar
Fruit + nuts
Smoothie
Chocolate covered almonds
Hot chocolate made with 2% or whole milk
Banana + peanut butter

The bottom line

A pregnancy feels well supported when you eat enough, include a variety of foods, and pay attention to your body's needs with self-care and compassion.

When craving sweets during pregnancy, remember that it is a normal biological experience that happens to everyone.

Enjoying sweet foods doesn’t make you bad…

…it makes you human.

P.S. Want to learn more about how to incorporate Intuitive Eating into your pregnancy? Grab your FREE copy of Intuitive Eating for Pregnancy (and beyond!)