Preconception Pregnancy The 1st Year Tools & Resources

Controlling Junk Food Cravings

Controlling Junk Food Cravings

By Melanie HaikenCONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE

Pregnancy is certainly not the easiest time in your life, and it's fine to indulge yourself occasionally. It's not unusual to crave specific foods when you're pregnant. In fact, studies say that up to 90 percent of expectant moms experience food cravings. If you happen to crave green beans or broccoli, that's great. But what if you crave chocolate or potato chips all the time?

Keep in mind that sometimes your cravings are a sign that something else is going on. You may be tired or depressed or have lower blood sugar, for instance. While a chocolate bar might give you a brief jolt of energy or lift your spirits momentarily, it won't help the underlying problem and may actually make it worse in the long run.

What happens is that as we feel tired, we turn to high-carbohydrate snacks like sweets, crackers, or chips to provide a quick energy lift. But because our bodies quickly turn bread, cookies, and other carbohydrates into sugar, our blood sugar increases, then may quickly plummet again, leaving us more tired than before. In addition, because low blood sugar triggers a release of adrenaline, the blood sugar roller coaster can lead to crankiness, irritability, and other mood swings.

How do you satisfy your snack cravings without triggering a blood sugar rush and crash? Try embarking on an overall eating strategy aimed at keeping your blood sugar relatively steady throughout the day. Here's how:

Eat breakfast. It's common sense (and the advice of every nutritionist) -- if you don't start your day well fueled, you're just heading for a fall. Most people need some kind of pastry, cereal, bread, or other carbohydrates in the morning, but make sure your first meal of the day includes some protein as well. For example, if you just can't imagine giving up your morning scone, dip it in yogurt to boost its nutritional punch.

Exercise every day. The American Dietetic Association now recommends that all pregnant women engage in some form of moderate exercise every day -- as long as the doctor okays it. Exercise is one of the best ways to keep blood sugar steady, maintain regular digestion, and prevent excess weight gain.

Eat small portions. Instead of eating a big lunch, then feeling like you can't keep your eyes open, eat just half your sandwich at lunch and wrap up the other half for an afternoon snack. If you just can't make it through the afternoon without chocolate, have one square rather than a whole bar.

Make smart trade-offs. Snacking is actually a good thing when you're pregnant. It can help you fight off morning sickness and keep up your energy throughout the day. But what you eat can make the difference between feeling as though you can go the distance and feeling as though you can't make it through the day. Here are some healthy substitutes for junk food snacks:

Your snack	What you should be eating
White bread	Whole grain pita bread or crackers, bread stick, or tortilla
Slice of cheese	Slice of reduced-fat or soy cheese; dollop of hummus
Peanut butter sandwich	Apples or celery sticks and peanut butter
Cookie	Rice cracker or low-fat granola bar
Canned fruit in syrup	Frozen berries or fresh fruit salad
Ice cream	Nonfat frozen yogurt, sorbet, or sherbet
Soda	Mineral water with lemon or fruit juice
Doughnut or pastry	Small bran or whole-grain muffin
Pizza	Low-carb version with cornmeal crust, veggies
Slice of cake	Low-fat banana nut or zucchini bread
Sugar cereal	Oatmeal, low-fat granola, or other whole grain cereal
Potato or tortilla chips	Microwave popcorn, pretzels, or low-fat chips
Ice cream sundae	A parfait of low-fat pudding or yogurt and fresh fruit

-- Melanie Haiken, MA, is the former health editor of Parenting magazine and specializes in health, business, and parenting issues. She has served as managing editor of San Francisco magazine and as an editor at Industry Standard magazine, and has written for Time Inc. Health, The Washington Post, and many other publications.

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