REVEALED: Top 10 pregnancy cravings

We see these as an inevitable and unavoidable part of pregnancy, but what about all of the other add-ons?

Although food cravings seem like nothing more than a maternal myth, many mums have confirmed that they are far from just that.

While some are lucky enough to crave healthy foods like fruits, others are more inclined towards sugary, high-calorie foods - and sometimes things that aren’t (normally) edible at all.

In order to delve deep into the minds of mums everywhere, Emma’s Diary took to Facebook to ask about the most weird and wonderful pregnancy cravings - and the results did not disappoint.

So what made the top spot?

Well, it was in fact... seaweed.

Yes, you read that right. Seaweed made first place, with the not-so unbelievable choice of jam at number two.

Further down the list at number four we saw the controversial combo of a chicken and strawberry sandwich (anyone?), shortly followed by lemon slices and blocks of cheese.

Other contenders included chicken chow mein, hot dogs, Yorkshire puddings and olives, while some of the 355 respondents to the survey said they hadn’t experienced any at all.

The top 10 pregnancy cravings are:

Surprisingly, chocolate didn't make the top 10. What do you make of that?

Cravings are thought to be due to the rising hormone levels in pregnant women, which can result in many a strong woman falling weak to a bite of chalk, or being caught head first in the freezer at 2am in hot pursuit of a block of ice.

Most experts agree that pregnancy cravings are basically evolutionary. If you’re craving onions with mustard it may be the vitamin in the onions your body is demanding, but the mustard is to make it more acceptable taste wise.

In other words, your body is sending signals of what it needs and your brain/taste buds might spin that into something that you naturally find tasty.

If you are getting a totally balanced diet, it's likely you won’t have any strong cravings at all, though the experience differs from person to person - and some really do have it easier than others!

Did you have pregnancy cravings?

Let us know what settled your tastebuds on Facebook and Twitter (@CloserOnline).

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