# Food cravings at "that time of the month" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725 "2010-12-19T17:20:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/1 "2010-12-19T17:20:49Z")
Food cravings in pregnancy are well-documented. Now, I have never been pregnant, but seem to crave quite specific things during and just before my period, namely: - tuna; - tomato sauce (on pasta); - carbs. But not the classic chocolate. Any other Doper women crave anything in particular rather than just MORE of anything, which, btw, also applies to me. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acorns.but_not_Bacon)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/2 "2010-12-19T17:55:55Z")
Chocolate, I crave lots of milk chocolate, the thing is when I get a bar I eat a couple of squares then Iā€™ve had enough. Also really want salty things but usually itā€™s just chocolate, right now though, really have gone off chocolate for some reason, wonder if thatā€™ll change when itā€™s totm. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/3 "2010-12-19T19:01:23Z")
Specifically, potato chips. Lots and lots of potato chips. And after that, basically everything. I can control myself three weeks out of four, but that one week, I want to eat _everything_. And I just donā€™t care. Itā€™s reckless appetite. ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/4 "2010-12-19T19:07:05Z")
Everything. But really for red meat (the iron?) and comfort foods with lots of fat and salt and oil and . . . drooling now. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/5 "2010-12-19T19:19:31Z")
when i still had functional innards, I craved salt and vinegar potato chips, bloody rare steak and milk. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/6 "2010-12-19T19:44:00Z")
When I am actually craving chocolate I know Iā€™m getting close; itā€™s the ONLY time I even care about chocolate. Thatā€™s just soā€¦stereotypical. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![causticsubstance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@causticsubstance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/causticsubstance)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/7 "2010-12-19T20:05:19Z")
It changes all the time, but it has been chocolate a couple times. I like chocolate, but I normally donā€™t crave it. Itā€™s also been ice cream. It may have been things like buffalo wings, sushi and steak, but I get intense cravings all the time for all kinds of random foods, so it may not be related Most every time, however, the surest sign isnā€™t that I crave a particular food but I WANT TO EAT ALL THE TIME. SEVERAL MEALS IN A ROW. Usually savory and salty food, but Iā€™m not picky. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/8 "2010-12-19T20:11:06Z")
Back when I still had a uterus, I knew my monthly visitor was on its way when I started craving carbs, especially pastry and other sweets. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/9 "2010-12-19T20:26:24Z")
Right before my period I just canā€™t stop eating. Anything will do. I am a bottomless pit, insatiable. I find if I just eat a lot for a day Iā€™m fine. If I resist, the urge goes on and on. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/10 "2010-12-19T20:27:23Z")
Potato chips, preferably salt and vinegar. Canā€™t bear the thought of anything sweet/sugary. Ladies is weird. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/11 "2010-12-19T21:54:52Z")
Chocolate and donuts. Especially honey glazed or chocolate honey glazed donuts. **IvoryTowerDenizen** , I turn into the very hungry caterpiller mid-period, not before. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/12 "2010-12-19T23:23:49Z")
Back in the days when I had to deal with such things, steak. Lots and lots of steak. If I couldnā€™t have a steak, a nice roast beef sandwich would do. If I _absolutely_ couldnā€™t have steak or a roast beef sandwich, my fall-back was a nice, fat, rare (moreso than I usually like it rare) cheeseburger. Not surprisingly, my OB/GYN refused to give me a hysterectomy before I had a series of iron infusions, because I was so anemic! ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/13 "2010-12-20T01:50:15Z")
Chocolate and salt. Chocolate covered pretzels are the food of the PMS gods. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/14 "2010-12-20T02:37:37Z")
Carbs. And chocolate, yes. Plenty of each. By God, if I was going to go through the little hell of a period, I sure as shit wasnā€™t going to starve while doing it - bring on the pasta! (oddly, smoking a cigarette seemed deeply satisfying then, no idea as to why, but I just enjoyed it for some reason). ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/15 "2010-12-20T02:59:23Z")
Liver, liver and onions, liver and onions and bacon, liver and onions and bacon and mashed potatoes, liver and onions and bacon and mashed potatoes and peas. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/16 "2010-12-20T03:02:13Z")
Dark chocolate and anything salty. As far as specific foods: beef (a medium-rare steak really hits the spot) and ice cream (not in the same sitting though!). ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/17 "2010-12-20T03:06:17Z")
Does ā€œenough painkillers to immobilize a horseā€ count as food? No? Okay, then, I canā€™t think of anything. Funny about the chocolate thing- I donā€™t really like chocolate all that much. I certaintly donā€™t crave it. But Iā€™ve eaten it anyway on the theory that since, a) chocolate slightly raises your endorphin levels, and b) endorphins are natural painkillers, eating six whole chocolate bars should do a little something about the pain. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/18 "2010-12-20T03:14:54Z")
Salt, red meat and chocolate ice cream. The salt is usually delivered via crackers. The red meat is usually beef. The chocolate ice cream is sugar free. I donā€™t usually crave chocolate candy, but something about the ice cream hits the spot. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/19 "2010-12-20T03:22:29Z")
Beef. I eat it all the time anyway, but it sounds extra good the week before. And I do tend to be a little hungrier in general than is usual, I think. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725/20 "2010-12-20T03:26:02Z")
I crave foods from places far away from my wife at that time of the month. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-cravings-at-that-time-of-the-month/564725.md?page=2)