What’s the deal with food aversions in pregnancy?

Having a hard time stomaching that fancy Asian-inspired chicken and broccoli dinner you’ve always loved? Or your morning maple latte that’s always been the thing you’ve looked forward each day? Bummer, right?  

Food aversions, or not being able to eat (or even smell certain foods) during pregnancy are completely normal and common, though not super fun. A food aversion is the opposite of a craving, but like cravings, they’re very common during pregnancy. In fact, it’s estimated that about 60 percent of pregnant women have food aversions. “Food aversions are sometimes very inconvenient. I had a strong aversion to coffee when it was coffee I needed most to combat my first trimester fatigue, says Layan Alrahmani, M.D., ob-gyn, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and BabyCenter Medical Advisor. 

Here’s what you need to know, including helpful workarounds for getting the nutrients you need.

What causes food aversions during pregnancy?

There’s not a lot of current research on food aversions during pregnancy, so the exact cause is unknown. It’s likely that several factors contribute, including:

• Hormones. Most experts agree that changes in hormones play a role in food aversions during pregnancy. But the reality is, “we don’t for sure what causes food aversions in some women, or why it happens for specific foods and not others, says Dr. Alrahmani. During the first trimester, levels of both estrogen and human chorionic gonadotropin surge. (Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is the hormone that home pregnancy tests measure.) This rise in hormones happens at the same time that many pregnant women experience increasing nausea, food aversions, and sometimes vomiting.
• A heightened sense of smell. In pregnancy, smells and tastes can be especially strong, and this increased sensitivity can make certain foods downright unappetizing. Some researchers believe that food aversions may have developed as a type of protection against substances that are potentially harmful to a developing baby. This theory could explain why you may no longer look forward to your morning coffee or want a steak for dinner.

When will I have food aversions?

Food aversions often begin during the first trimester. Some women find that their food aversions roughly coincide with the start of morning sickness, around week 5 or 6 of pregnancy.

It’s possible that your appetite could be out of whack until your baby is born, but typically food aversions (like morning sickness) go away in the second trimester. You may even crave and be repulsed by the same food at different points during your pregnancy. The bacon that makes you want to retch in week 8 may be calling your name by week 18.

Common pregnancy food aversions

Everyone is different, so what you wouldn’t be able to stomach may differ from a friend or family member, but there are some common food aversion, including: 

• Meat

• Coffee

• Spicy foods

• Eggs

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• Dairy products

• Foods with strong smells

• Fatty foods

Remember, this list isn’t exhaustive. During pregnancy, you can develop an aversion to pretty much any food, even things you’ve always loved like chocolate, may gross you out.

How to cope with food aversions

Before getting pregnant, you may imagine yourself swearing off all junk food and eating a perfectly healthy pregnancy diet. But first trimester food aversions and nausea could mean that potato chips and frozen yogurt are the only things you can imagine putting in your mouth.

Listen to your body, and don’t be too hard on yourself. Just because you can’t stomach anything green today doesn’t mean you won’t be back on track with healthier foods in a few weeks. You could also try:

• Healthy substitutes. If meat is a no go, try other sources of protein, like steamed tofu, nuts and nut butters, and cheese.

• Hiding your food aversions by mixing them into other foods you can eat. For example, blending spinach into a fruit smoothie is one way to get in some leafy greens while camouflaging the taste and smell.

• Cold foods. Some women find it easier to eat cold foods because they don’t smell as strongly.

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• Bland foods. Similarly, foods with a mild taste might be easier to stomach. Try eating things like rice, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, or plain noodles.

• Having someone else do the cooking. Sometimes foods are less off-putting if someone else cooks them. Ask a loved one to cook for you, or get takeout.

It can be frustrating and stressful when you can’t eat well and feel sick and nauseated. Take comfort in the fact that food aversions are totally normal, common, and usually temporary. “Try not to worry about it so much because this, too, shall pass. Do what you can to be healthy but don’t beat yourself up over it,” says Dr. Alrahmani. Check in with your provider if you think that food aversions are causing you to miss out on vital nutrients, or if they persist in the second trimester.