Early pregnancy brings on a lot of appetite changes. It’s normal to have food cravings and aversions.
While food cravings are easy to deal with, food aversions aren’t so much, especially when your favorite foods and flavors start to make your stomach turn.
If you’ve recently started getting food aversions, you may be wondering why.
Today, we will discuss food aversion during pregnancy and what you can do about them. We’ll also talk about the most common food aversions pregnant women experience.
Keep reading to find out more.
Food Aversion Meaning
Food aversion is when a particular food leaves you feeling sick and nauseous.
You can feel nauseous from the scent of your favorite meal cooking, or a particular food texture may make you feel like vomiting. It’s common for pregnant women to start having food aversions to things they enjoyed eating before conception.
Everyone talks about how common pregnancy food cravings are. But, most new moms-to-be soon realize that food aversions are just as expected.
Food Aversion During Pregnancy
Are you wondering why food aversions during pregnancy are so common? It’s actually for the same reasons as food cravings.
Pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell. If someone’s baking a loaf of fresh bread, a pregnant woman living down the street can pick up on the scent.
Certain foods can leave the expectant mother with a craving, while others make her feel nauseous.
There aren’t specific food or scents that trigger this. It’s different for every woman.
For example, some pregnant women will get sick from spicy foods. But other women who never eat spicy foods may suddenly crave hot sauce on everything.
Morning sickness can also lead to food aversions. This is why the aversions are always strongest during the first trimester.
When a woman is feeling nausea and vomiting, it’s expected that certain foods will not go down very well.
Hormonal changes are the main cause of food aversions during pregnancy because your body releases a surge of hormones. These will leave you with intense food cravings and aversions.
When Do Food Aversions Start in Pregnancy?
For most women, food aversions won’t last the entire pregnancy. Certain foods that you’ll be craving later on may make you feel sick early on.
Food aversions typically start early in pregnancy. Most women begin to experience them 5 to 6 weeks after conception.
Luckily, they don’t last the entire time. It’s common for food aversions to settle down during the second trimester.
By 14 to 15 weeks into the pregnancy, you should no longer feel sick at the sight and smell of certain foods. Once you’ve passed the morning sickness stage, the food aversions should no longer be a problem.
Most Common Food Aversions During Pregnancy
Every woman will have different food cravings and aversions during pregnancy.
The most common pregnancy food aversions aren’t specific food items. Instead, it’s the sensory effect that these foods have on pregnant women.
Let’s take a closer look at what causes aversions during pregnancy.
1. Odors
The #1 trigger for food aversions is strong smells.
Many pregnant women will start to feel sick when they cook fragrant foods. This can even occur with foods you once ate daily.
Because of the smell, many pregnant women must stop cooking with onions, garlic, chili peppers, broccoli, and even bacon.
Cooked fish is another big no-no when a woman with morning sickness is in the building.
2. Texture
Psychological factors can cause some women to find certain textures unappetizing.
If food is slippery or gooey, it may no longer appeal to the mom-to-be. This can happen with oatmeal, yogurt, cooked vegetables, or eggs.
3. Flavor
It’s also common for expectant mothers to get a food aversion to certain flavors.
You may no longer be able to enjoy foods with a bold flavor, like spicy, vinegar, sour, or smokey. This is due to morning sickness and nausea.
Once you have passed this stage, you will most likely be able to enjoy these flavors again.
4. Temperature
The temperature of the meal can often cause food aversions during pregnancy.
If you enjoy a particular meal that you now have a food aversion to, try eating it cold instead of hot.
Heating up food releases more fragrance. The food won’t have as much of a scent by eating it cold.
How To Deal With Food Aversions
It’s always disappointing for expectant mothers to get a food aversion to something they love eating.
Luckily, pregnancy food aversions only last for a few weeks of the pregnancy.
Here are some ways you can deal with food aversions during this time.
1. Eat Bland Food
You may have to change your eating habits temporarily to avoid feeling sick.
Food aversions tend to happen with flavorful foods. That’s why you should stick to choosing bland foods for a while.
To avoid feeling sick when you eat, try eating bland foods like:
- Grilled meats
- Steamed vegetables
- Baked potato
- Rice
- Buttered toast
- Crackers
- Cereals/ granola /oatmeal
2. Mask Flavors
Eating a well-balanced diet full of healthy foods is important during your pregnancy.
What you eat affects the health and development of your baby. That’s why you shouldn’t skip any of the core four food groups:
- Fruits & vegetables
- Low-fat dairy products
- Lean protein
- Whole grains
Avoid foods if you have aversions to any of the above food groups during the first trimester.
Food aversions during pregnancy can make healthy eating difficult. If you’re having trouble eating certain foods you need during pregnancy, try masking them with other foods.
Here’s an example. If dark leafy greens are unappetizing right now, there are ways you can consume them without tasting them or feeling the texture.
The easiest way is to blend spinach or kale into a fruit smoothie. You won’t taste the greens because the flavor of the fruit will take over.
Another way to eat more leafy greens without knowing it is to add chopped spinach to pasta sauce or a homemade pizza.
3. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is an easy way to reduce symptoms of morning sickness.
One problem many women face is that water makes them feel nauseous. This can cause them to avoid drinking it and feel dehydrated.
Unfortunately, dehydration can make the symptoms of morning sickness worse.
If water is offputting to you right now, change how you drink it.
If you typically drink regular ice water, see if you can stomach naturally flavored sparkling water. Infusing your water may also make it easier to drink.
Ginger root is an excellent option for infused water if you’ve been experiencing food aversions. Other great options include fresh or frozen berries, lemon slices, or mint leaves.
Another easy way to stay hydrated is to snack on fruits and vegetables.
Most fresh fruit and vegetables have a high water content.
You can avoid becoming dehydrated by having frequent snacks that include fresh produce. This is an excellent thing to keep in mind if you have been having trouble drinking enough water.
You can enjoy other hydrating beverages: milk, real fruit juices, herbal teas, and sports drinks.
You should avoid sugary sodas and flavored beverages.
It’s also important to limit your caffeine intake. Pregnant women shouldn’t consume more than 200 mg of caffeine per day.
4. Choose Healthy Substitutes
It’s normal to experience food cravings during pregnancy.
These cravings may be for weird combinations, like chocolate and steak. Other times pregnancy cravings may leave you wanting to finish off a container of your favorite ice cream.
It’s important to eat healthy foods during your pregnancy. The right food choices can support the healthy development of your baby.
But, too much sugar can cause health problems. That’s why it’s important to eat sugary treats in moderation.
Choose a healthy option of what you’re craving when you can.
If you’re craving something cold, creamy, and sweet, you may be tempted to grab a bowl of ice cream. However, a frozen fruit smoothie or a yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and honey can satisfy this craving.
If a cheesy pizza is what you want, grab the ingredients from the store to make one at home. This way, you can add lean meats and plenty of fresh vegetables.
5. Let Someone Else Cook
Some women may experience food cravings and aversions to the same food at once. You may have a BLT sandwich on your mind.
But, as soon as you start cooking the bacon, you feel like you’ll vomit.
Hormonal changes will make it difficult for you to cook certain foods during the early stages of pregnancy. This is why you should get your partner, a family member, or your best friend to prepare meals if you have the option.
Do you notice that certain foods bother your senses when hot but not cold? Order these foods from a local restaurant and keep them in the fridge for when you’re hungry.
Do You Need To See A Doctor About Food Aversions During Pregnancy?
While food aversions aren’t pleasant, they are expected during early pregnancy. You must only contact a healthcare provider if you are persistently sick or cannot keep food down.
Final Words
Food aversions are expected during the early stages of pregnancy. This can cause foods you typically enjoy to make you feel nauseous.
Luckily, it only lasts for the first trimester.
You may have to change your diet to meet your nutritional needs without feeling ill.
Have you started experiencing food aversions to something you usually enjoy eating? Let us know about it in the comments below.