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Home › Articles › Health and Physical Changes › Pass the Pickles, Please

Pass the Pickles, Please

Craving Salt During Pregnancy

By Shannon McKelden

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Controlling the Cravings
Obviously going crazy with the salt isn't recommended. So how can the cravings be controlled? Maybe by relaxing a little.

"Women often beat themselves up early in pregnancy when they just cannot stomach all of those foods that they know they should eat, but just cannot choke down," Collins says. "If a lemonade and salted pretzel sticks are what appeals to her, and is something that she can stomach, it is not going to hurt her or the baby to eat things like that for a short time."

The trick is to keep things balanced. It's possible to get the cravings for salt satisfied while still eating healthful foods. For instance, many soups (like vegetable) have a salty taste to them, which may satisfy the craving while providing the all-important serving of vegetables.

"As far as giving in to salty cravings, as long as she doesn't overindulge, a dill pickle periodically is not going to be a problem," Collins says. "Eating a jar of dill pickles a day could be a problem because it could, again, upset her delicate chemical balance."

"Remember that a little salt goes a very long way," Dr. Sugar says. "There is no need to consume large quantities of salt to satisfy a craving. Your body takes some time to recognize changes in your salt status and won't warn you that you have overdone it (by increasing thirst) for about 20 minutes, so consume your craved salt in small portions and slowly."

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