Chocolate, pastries, and milk. I don’t usually have a very heavy sweet tooth and I’m generally lactose intolerant enough that I don’t really have much desire for anything milk related, but once it gets close to my period, those foods are on my mind all the time.
Food in general, my appetite spikes just before Aunt Flow comes to visit. Fish is often on the menu, sometimes more than once a day. Chocolate, too. Anything with salt/grease like bacon or sausage.
The the first day or two my appetite totally evaporates.
<snerk>
I don’t have a period anymore, but I don’t recall any cravings. Pregnancy cravings however - that’s another story. V8 and tuna salad sandwiches for breakfast was the norm.
Potato chips, which I basically never buy at any other time of the month
Grilled red meat, preferably beef, but lamb will do
Bacon!
I used to crave chocolate and broccoli (not at the same time!), but my cravings have changed over time.
Chocolate for me. I eat it occasionally in between but chocolate is one I can stuff my face with at that time. Potato chips are the same, and then eating everything else, often the greasier the better but sometimes it’s spicy.
I am the exact same way. I feel like I could eat and eat until food was backed up in my esophagus, and I’d still want to keep eating. It’s horrible. (Although I will say that since I’ve been on a low glycemic-index diet, it’s gotten much better.)
I have an extremely irregular period, so the one good thing about this is that it gives me some warning that I’m about to start bleeding in a few days. If I’m already thinking about lunch at 9:00 am, I know something’s coming.
THIS! And also more recently, chocolate covered bacon. Or a Take 5 bar with hunk of bacon. But definitely salt-chocolate-salt-chocolate.
Chocolate. Caffeine. Salt. Beef.
I found myself standing in line at CVS one day before work a few years ago with a box of tampons, a bag of Hershey’s Kisses and a six-pack of Diet Pepsi. The line was about three people deep…I was number three, and going to be late for work. The woman ahead of me turned around (I think I made an impatient noise) looked at what I was carrying and said, "Oh, honey, you need to go ahead of me! I was eternally grateful.
Speaking of chocolate and salt, did anyone notice that Lindt now sell a dark chocolate bar with sea salt? Salty chocolate is the best thing ever, so I’m impatiently waiting for a milk chocolate version.
You could always try dipping your painkillers in chocolate! 
[The Princess Bride]“The chocolate makes it go down easier”[/TPB]
I;m so relieved to hear other women say they can’t stop eating around their periods too! I thought I was this no-self-control piggy. But I’m not- it’s natural! Yahoo!
Really, though- if I resist eating it’s sooo much worse.
Salt, also. It’s the only time I will eat potato chips, which I generally don’t like too much (I vastly prefer corn chips).
Oh yeah, caffeine. I forgot!
Salt and sour. Potato chips and kalamata olives.
Food. Lots of food. I don’t care what, but I get hungry for a few days!
Steaks or sushi rolls (I think it’s the iron in the seaweed), and chocolate. Except I’m vegetarian now, so steaks are out. It’s at period time that I really miss meat. At least I can get veggie sushi rolls.
I had no idea that hunger was such a common symptom! I, too, thought I was just a weak willed glutton!
For me, it’s a volume thing (the very hungry caterpillar - hee!), with a preference for the things already mentioned.
Oh, and French Onion Dip with wavy potato chips. I mean, it’s not like I ever don’t like it, but if I grab it and stick it in the cart, my whole family knows what that means!
Chocolate, sweet, and creamy. Those are the three things I crave most. I also eat a crap ton of food right around then. I am just constantly hungry. Ooh! I love bread during that time as well, with lots of creamy sweet butter.
Anything that combines refined carbohydrates with animal fat. Thus, chocolate bars and macaroni and cheese. Mmmmmmm.