Article: Cravings can be difficult to manage, especially during the first and second trimester. If you catch yourself having sweet cravings on a regular basis, find healthy swaps to help you limit your overall sugar consumption. Find some healthy swaps to help keep your diet more nutritious and moderate in calories. Eating a higher calorie sweet treat on a regular or daily basis may be too many calories for you. This could cause you to gain too much weight during your pregnancy. Go for fruit. If you're craving something sweet after a meal, try settling that craving with a sweet piece of fruit. Make sure to choose ripe fruit that has a sweet flavor. Try: bananas, pineapple, mango, peaches or berries. Have a cup of tea. Another trick to satisfy a sweet craving is by having a cup of hot tea. Pick a flavorful brand with natural sweetness - like orange cinnamon or chai - and add a drop or two of honey or agave syrup. Have some yogurt. Stock up on some of your favorite yogurt flavors. These are naturally sweet and with some added fruit, this can really satisfy your sweet tooth. Another way to manage your sweet cravings is by adding something sweet to your meals. Tasting sweets during your meal can help decrease the desire to end your meal with a treat. Try: Adding sliced fruit or dried fruit on a salad. Fruit pairs well with many lettuces and dressings and can add a sweet bite to your fresh salads. End your lunch with a piece of fruit. Pack a piece of fruit with your lunch and eat this last. Whether its a few grapes, a sliced apple or a fruit cup, ending your meal by eating your serving of fruit last leaves the sweet flavor in your mouth. Although pregnancy cravings are common, they are not a sign that you need any nutrients or specific foods. Work on moving past and ignoring some of your cravings so that you can stick to your definition of moderation. If you're having a very strong craving and can't move past it, indulge yourself. However, if it's not an overly strong craving or you know you just had a small bowl of ice cream last night, consider moving past your craving. Try going for a short walk. A little exercise is a great way to get your mind and eyes off of sweets that may be hanging around your house. Walk for 10-15 minutes at a time and revisit your craving when you get home. Try calling a friend or family member to help distract you mentally from your craving. You can also ask them to be your support and help you stick to your definition of moderation. If you have a baby on the way, there are probably plenty of things you can be doing around the house to get you, your family and your home ready for the new baby. Distract yourself by going shopping for things you may need, looking online for a crib, or planning out your new nursery. If you're having significant sweet cravings, it can be difficult to manage them or stick to your definition of moderation if your pantry, refrigerator and freezer are full of sweets. Limit how much you keep in your house so you're not so tempted. If you notice that your cravings are getting worse or you're having difficulty managing them, consider cleaning out your kitchen to help you avoid overdoing it. First consider getting rid of highly processed processed sweets or those that are overly high in calories or fat. Items like snack cakes, candy or fruit treats do not offer many health benefits and are overly processed. Keep some of those healthier snacks or sweets on hand. Stock your kitchen with dark chocolate bars, fruit, or some of your homemade treats (like frozen, chocolate dipped bananas).

What is a summary?
Make a healthy sweet swap. Add some sweetness to your meals. Distract yourself. Minimize the sweets in your house.