Ice cream and pickles, butterscotch pudding with relish, cherry peppers and pickled okra. Writing about this just makes my stomach turn. However, if I were pregnant my mouth would be watering right now. Though there is no agreed-upon explanation for them, but food cravings are extremely common during pregnancy.

There will be foods you can’t seem to stomach, and there will be foods you just can’t get enough of. Some experts believe the cause is raging hormones. Just like when you crave certain foods during your menstrual cycle due to hormones, the same thing happens during pregnancy. These cravings are so strong that it could make pregnancy nutrition quite a challenge during these times!

Pregnancy Nutrition and a Balanced Diet. Knowing more about nutrition during pregnancy is the best thing you can do for you and your baby. Your food cravings may not be a problem if you seem to be craving healthier foods, like fruit or milk. But what do you do when you are craving that hot fudge sundae?

If high calorie, high-sugar and/or high-fat foods are what you crave, you'll have to exercise mind over matter on occasion. Pregnancy nutrition isn’t about these foods! Giving in to cravings every time especially if they are frequent, is a good way to pack on more pounds than you intended. In addition, if you seem to be craving and eating a lot of one certain food and not eating much of anything else, you may become deficient in important nutrients over time.

Reward yourself. Every time you choose an apple over a candy bar reward yourself. Buy yourself a shirt, get a pedicure or buy a pregnancy magazine. You will feel better that you passed up that candy bar in the end when you don’t have all that weight to lose. As you fight through those weeks your cravings will get less intense. Do your best to fit your cravings into a nutritionally balanced diet. As long as you are eating a balanced diet and getting the essential nutrients you need for you and your baby, giving in to your cravings once in a while is probably fine.

4 tips to eating better food when your baby is in your belly!

Try some of these helpful hints to work cravings into your balanced diet:

1. Eat a good, healthy breakfast. Skipping meals such as breakfast can increase the cravings for certain foods later in the day.

2. Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates. Such as whole-wheat breads, brown rice, whole-grain cereals, and pasta. Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and therefore help to keep blood sugar levels consistent. Dips in blood sugar can cause cravings.

3. Work the foods you crave into a nutritional diet. If you crave chocolate, try chocolate milk. If you crave ice cream, add sliced fruit such as bananas or strawberries your ice cream and give it a nutritional punch.

4. Indulge in your healthy cravings. Try to find healthier alternatives to your unhealthy ones most of the time. For example, substitute nonfat frozen yogurt if you crave ice cream or pretzels if you crave chips.