Why Do Pregnant People Crave Pickles?

Pregnancy cravings are real and they can be super strong at times. You can’t always predict what you’ll crave during pregnancy. But one food that many pregnant people can’t get enough of are pickles. Yup, that includes pickles themselves, along with pickle juice.

You may be wondering: why do pregnant people crave pickles? There are lots of reasons for this. You can blame the changes of pregnancy, including hormonal shifts and changes in nutritional needs. But there may also be a psychological element to it. After all, pickles are a classic pregnancy craving, and it’s hard not to be influenced by that.

Here, we’ll take a deeper dive into pickle cravings, looking at the reasons behind this craving, how to manage your cravings, and safety considerations to keep in mind when it comes to pickle-eating during pregnancy.

Biological Factors Affecting Pickle Cravings During Pregnancy

Some pregnant people crave the classic snack of pickles and ice cream, and others might crave the oddest things, like mustard straight out of the jar or Cheetos dipped in hot sauce. Having pregnancy cravings is something most pregnant people experience. In fact, a 2014 study found that a whopping 76% of pregnant people experience cravings during pregnancy.¹

Your body goes through many profound changes during pregnancy. After all, you are growing an entire human (or more!) inside you. Some of these changes can impact what you do and don’t want to eat during pregnancy. It’s why you might have a strange desire to eat a pickle for breakfast, or why the idea of a pickle dipped in peanut butter sounds totally delightful.

Let’s look at some of the biological changes that occur in pregnancy that might explain pickle cravings.