Food cravings and aversions in pregnancy are usually caused by pregnancy hormones. Cravings are often for things that your body needs, such as more salt. They usually begin early in pregnancy and may taper off in your second trimester.
Cravings
It’s ok to eat the foods you crave, but try and eat them in moderation and include some exercise alongside those cravings. If you are craving non-food items like dirt, please contact your midwife as this may indicate iron deficiency, and they may offer you a blood test to check your iron stores. It is very common to crave fatty, salty, or sweet foods in pregnancy – try not to make them the only foods you eat if you can, as your body needs a range of different nutrients to grow a baby.
Aversions
Aversions can make it very hard to find food to eat! Try to eat what you can, maintaining the most balanced diet you can. Strong food aversions usually taper off in the second trimester, and you can go back to eating more of what you usually would.