The Ultimate Guide to Weird Pregnancy Cravings

From ice cream to pickles, women have been known to crave some pretty strange foods during their pregnancies.

But what could these cravings mean?

Are they a sign of something wrong? Or are they simply a result of the hormonal changes taking place in a woman’s body?

Read on to find out more about the weirdest pregnancy cravings and what they could mean for you and your baby!

Are my pregnancy cravings a little…weird?

What are the weirdest pregnancy cravings you’ve heard about? We bet there have been some pretty unusual things that pregnant women have craved! But it makes sense; when you’re eating for two (or three, or four), your body might be craving some pretty strange things.

What are the weirdest pregnancy cravings, and what could they mean?

Everybody knows that strange cravings can occur during pregnancy, but these peculiar cravings don’t only include the ones for pickles and ice cream.

Here is the twenty-one of the weirdest possible cravings that we’ve seen:

1) Pickles and Peanut Butter

Yep, you read that right. Some women get bizarre cravings, such as pickles and peanut butter.

Is this a result of the pregnancy hormones?

Are pickles and peanut butter the foods that are most similar to what your baby craves?

Honestly, no one knows for sure.

It could be that these cravings result from the hormonal changes the pregnant woman is experiencing, or it could simply mean that she wants pickles with her peanut butter!

2) Bread and Butter Pudding

While we’re on the topic of strange food combinations, let’s talk about bread and butter pudding.

Why? Because many women crave this weird combination when they’re pregnant!

Don’t worry, though; this is probably the least dangerous of the strange cravings.

This craving could simply result from the fact that bread and butter pudding contains lots of creamy ingredients such as cream and milk, which are both thought to help increase breast milk production.

3) Pickles and Ice Cream

Again, you read that right. In addition to pickles and peanut butter or bread and butter pudding, some pregnant women have been seen eating ice cream with pickles.

Can’t make head or tails of it?

Other women have reported eating bizarre food combinations, such as pickles and ice cream or spaghetti and soda.

Again, no one really knows why these strange cravings happen, but it could just be the pregnancy hormones.

Sometimes the pregnant woman’s body craves certain minerals found in these types of foods.

Or it could be that the body is craving specific vitamins or minerals found in these weird combinations.

If this is the case, then eating them (in moderation) won’t hurt you, but it probably wouldn’t benefit your baby either!

4) Tuna fish with chocolate milk.

This is the weirdest craving of all time.

Some women eat tuna fish with chocolate milk or soda!

I don’t think we need to say much more about this combination other than, really?

It’s probably best not to try it too often if you’d like to stay healthy for your pregnancy and your baby!

5) Beef Jerky with Milk

It’s one thing to eat pickles and ice cream, but how about beef jerky with milk?

This is another strange combination that many pregnant women have reported craving.

Why?

No one knows, but it’s thought that these cravings might have something to do with the fact that milk contains lots of calcium which is believed to help with muscle relaxation.

If you’re trying to eat more foods high in calcium during your pregnancy, you probably don’t need to worry about having a craving for beef jerky and milk because these foods are both high in calcium.

Again, it’s probably not the best idea to overdo this craving, though!

6) Mashed Potatoes and Mayonnaise

Some women crave mayo as much as they do pickles during their pregnancies!

In fact, these cravings for mayonnaise have even been seen in pregnant vegans.

In addition to craving mayo, some women also talk about craving mashed potatoes with lots of mayonnaise.

The reason why women crave mayo is thought to be similar to why some pregnant women crave pickles – it could simply be a result of the hormonal changes in their bodies during pregnancy.

7) Noodles and Ice Cream

If you thought ice cream was weird with pickles, how about noodles and ice cream?

While this isn’t as strange as some of the other combinations out there, it might still surprise you!

However, it’s really no different than eating ice cream and pickles or bread and butter pudding.

It’s probably just a result of your pregnancy hormones, and that’s okay!

8) The “Cookie Monster” Craving: Chocolate, Cheese, Ice Cream, and Crackers

Some women crave all of these foods when they’re pregnant!

If you have a craving for chocolate, cheese, ice cream, and crackers at the same time, then congratulations – you might just be experiencing what’s known as the “cookie monster” craving.

This probably has to do with how many cultures eat a combination of sweet and savory foods together.

In some cultures, it’s common for chocolate to be paired with cheese or crackers.

If you’re craving a combination of these types of foods at once, don’t worry – it’s completely normal!     

9) Black olives, sour cream, and pickled beets.

Another combination of sweet and savory foods is black olives, sour cream, and pickled beets.

Together.

Again, it’s probably just a result of your pregnancy hormones, and that’s okay!

10) Macaroni and cheese with French fries.

This one is probably the most normal out of all the weird cravings.

Many pregnant women report craving foods they enjoyed when they were younger, such as macaroni and cheese with French fries.

It’s thought that this is because of some neurological connection between your taste buds and memories.

If you find yourself craving foods you used to enjoy as a child, don’t worry – it happens to many pregnant women!     

11) Ice cubes.

Now, if eating ice cubes isn’t a pregnancy craving, we don’t know what is!

But in all seriousness, this may simply be a result of your body’s increased need for fluids.

As many women experience nausea and vomiting during their pregnancies, they might find themselves reaching for ice cubes to get some relief from the heat.

12) Chicken Wings and Maple Syrup.

Many pregnant women crave pickles and ice cream, while others crave chicken wings with maple syrup.

What’s the reason behind these strange cravings?

No one knows for sure, but some suggest that it might have something to do with a woman’s body trying to maintain a high blood sugar balance during pregnancy.   

13) Pickle Sandwiches

No, we didn’t make this one up, but it’s one of the more popular pregnancy cravings out there.

For some pregnant women, their cravings for pickles go beyond just eating them and into the realm of wanting to eat a whole sandwich made out of pickles and cheese!

It’s also possible that these cravings for pickles result from the fact that many pregnant women experience heartburn during their pregnancies.

The acid from the vinegar in the pickles might help offset some of this heartburn.   

14) Hot Cheetos with Cream Cheese on a Bagel

This one is pretty specific, right?

If this is your pregnancy craving, more power to you!

But like the pickle sandwich cravings, this might result from heartburn.

Cheese can help neutralize some of that acid in your stomach.   

15) Corn Dogs and Vanilla Ice Cream

Now, while this might seem like a weird pregnancy craving, it actually makes sense.

Many pregnant women crave foods that are thought to help restore some of the iron their body has lost during pregnancy.

Especially if they have an iron deficiency, pregnant women are known to crave foods like corn dogs and vanilla ice cream.

16) Anything Hot and Spicy

Hot and spicy food is a well-known way to get rid of nausea during pregnancy, so it makes sense that some women crave these foods!

In fact, many pregnant women report being much more open to trying new types of foods that they usually wouldn’t have enjoyed beforehand.  

Some of the most common hot foods craved by pregnant women are:

• chili
• barbecue ribs
• hot salsa
• hot sauce

No matter whether it’s a combo of sweet and savory or hot and spicy, keep in mind that these cravings are just a result of the changes going on inside your body.   

Don’t eat anything you’re not supposed to! If you have concerns about your pregnancy cravings, talk to your doctor.

Never put yourself or your baby at risk for food poisoning or other complications!   

Any, by all means, don’t drink hot sauce!

You laugh, but we’ve known pregnant women who have done this.

Do you think that’s bad? One ate a whole frozen egg roll once!

She had heartburn so bad she thought it would help, but boy did it come back at her with interest later on!

I’m not saying hot sauce is the same as eating a full frozen eggroll, but you know what I mean.   

The point is, you don’t have to eat anything weird if you don’t want to!

There are plenty of other ways to get rid of pregnancy heartburn besides drinking hot sauce straight from the bottle or eating ice cream with pickles in it.

17) Chalk.

This pregnancy craving is a little harder to explain! Some women report craving chalk or other types of non-food items during their pregnancies.

It’s thought that these cravings might have something to do with a woman’s body trying to maintain a healthy calcium balance throughout the pregnancy.

But sometimes it’s just plain weird!  

One woman told us that she used to eat chalk when she was a kid, so she started doing it again during her pregnancy. Sometimes she even wanted hot dogs or

But the weirdest part of all is that it actually seemed to help calm down her nausea!

18) Red Meat and Cream Soda

Yummmmm.

When a pregnant woman craves red meat, it’s thought that her body is trying to maintain a healthy iron balance during pregnancy.

It’s also suggested that this craving could be part of what’s known as the “Iron Triangle,” which includes other foods such as bread and lima beans.   

Cream soda provides a bit of a sweet tooth fix and also contains phosphoric acid, which can help with heartburn.

19) Red Peppers and Sriracha Sauce in Cottage Cheese

Another weirdly specific pregnancy craving is red peppers and Sriracha sauce in cottage cheese.

Many women report craving cottage cheese during pregnancy.

It provides some healthy iron when it’s topped with red peppers and Sriracha.

Sriracha is also known to have some anti-inflammatory properties.   

20) Spaghetti and Ice Cream

This one’s a doozy.

While hormones or nutritional needs can explain some pregnancy cravings, this particular craving doesn’t have an easy explanation. Some women report being really hungry for spaghetti during their pregnancies, but then they immediately follow it up with a craving for ice cream!

There are several theories on this one. Maybe it’s that pregnancy cravings can be like having two different cravings at once (one for the noodles and one for the ice cream). Or perhaps some women crave spaghetti because the smell of cooked tomatoes reminds them of their childhood.

Maybe some people just crave ice cream with everything? Who knows!

21) Frozen Pickle Juice Slush

This is another pregnancy craving that defies explanation. But some women claim to have this weird craving for a slushy-type drink made from pickle juice, frozen water, and sugar.   

It’s thought that the craving might have something to do with nausea or vomiting during pregnancy, but other than that, there are no real explanations for this one.

What to do about unusual cravings during pregnancy?

If you find yourself having some bizarre food cravings, try not to get too obsessed over them.

Yes, it’s great that your body is sending signals that something needs to be replenished or supplemented after all the changes that have been going on in there.

However, you still have to stay within the guidelines of a healthy pregnancy diet, so don’t go overboard on that ice cream or mayo!

Although you might be tempted to let your cravings send you over the edge and buy all sorts of crazy new foods for yourself, follow the old adage: “everything in moderation.”

If you’re craving pickles on sandwiches, try eating some pickles on the side instead.

If you’re craving ice cream, why not try some fruit?

And if you’re craving sour cream, why not try some salsa instead?

If you keep yourself in check, it won’t do any harm to your baby’s development. When in doubt, remember that the general guidelines for pregnancy diets still apply to even the weirdest cravings!

Do cravings have anything to do with the gender of the baby?

You may have heard rumors about how women who crave ice cream are having boys, or that women who crave pickles are having girls.

However, this has been completely debunked by science!

Cravings have absolutely nothing to do with the gender of your baby.

So if you’re craving pickles, ice cream, or black olives, it doesn’t mean that you’re expecting a boy or girl!

But…

Just because your cravings don’t tell you whether you’re having a boy or a girl doesn’t mean that you can’t find out.

Do you want to know if you’re having a boy or girl?

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What’s the weirdest craving YOU’VE ever had?

We want to hear all about your weird pregnancy cravings in the comments section below.

So don’t be shy – share!

Feel free to also ask any questions you might have about this topic.

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