What Does It Mean If You Crave Salt While Pregnant?

"Can I get some salt with a side of fries, please?" was basically my request during pregnancy. Nothing was salty enough for me — neither the tortilla chips I dipped in queso nor the dill pickles I craved daily, or anything my husband cooked for dinner. It turns out, craving salty foods when you're pregnant could signify something your body desperately needs.

Most people know drinking water is essential during pregnancy, but so is consuming an adequate amount of salt. According to a 2013 study in Hypertension, consuming enough sodium and water while pregnant assists with a healthy plasma volume expansion. This is important because plasma, the liquid part of blood, increases by almost 50% during pregnancy (per Clinics in Haematology). In layperson's terms, eating salt and staying hydrated are critical while you're pregnant, because your body is producing a larger volume of blood and increasing your blood flow. That could be where your salt craving is coming from.

Some experts believe that a pregnant person's cravings are the body's way of saying what it needs more of nutritionally — such as craving chocolate milk due to a calcium deficiency or oranges if you're lacking vitamin C. A salt craving could point to your body being dehydrated, as sodium is an electrolyte that your body needs for hydration. 

Additionally, cravings could be caused by pregnancy hormones, making you hungrier, as your body needs more calories to grow a baby. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you need an additional 340 calories per day during the second trimester and 450 additional calories per day during the third trimester. The biological need for salt may help you reach those additional calories, but that doesn't mean you should go through the McDonald's drive-thru every day — there are many other ways to up your salt.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults have no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt per day, and that's no different during pregnancy. You can find salt in most foods, like nuts, cheese, and meats, among other things. Of course, your healthcare provider might have different sodium recommendations based on your individual health history, especially if you have gestational hypertension or gestational diabetes. You should always check with your provider before making diet changes during pregnancy.