Food craving

A food craving is an intense desire to consume a specific food, as opposed to general hunger.

Food cravings are especially common in people following structured diet plans, and can be difficult to overcome. One theory is that when a person's body is deficient in a particular vitamin, mineral or other nutrient, they will crave foods which contain it - for example, a person who was deficient in Vitamin A might crave liver.

Foods with high levels of sugar glucose, such as chocolate, are more frequently craved than foods with lower sugar glucose, such as broccoli.

Food cravings are also commonly seen in pregnant women.

The craving of non-food items is called pica.