From the first trimester to the last, Chick-fil-A cravings hit hard for some mamas-to-be.
Pickles, peanut butter, sweets. Expecting moms will tell you that when they’re eating for two (or three!), they’re also fighting some serious cravings.
We talked to a group of women -- from first- to sixth-time mamas of both boys and girls -- and found one resounding truth: a craving for Chick-fil-A while pregnant can be a very real thing.
Britney Shaw, a mom of three, said she would always crave Chick-fil-A during weekday evenings when she was pregnant.
“We would drive by Chick-fil-A to take my daughter to dance class, and the smell intoxicated me,” she says. “I couldn't satisfy my craving until I ate my usual chicken nuggets and waffle fries with honey.”
For Shaw, the cravings didn’t even stop with the end of her pregnancy – she’s convinced that they were passed on to her daughter.
“I craved anything with potatoes. Especially fries,” Shaw says. “To this day, my daughter’s favorite food is anything potato. She loves the waffle fries from Chick-fil-A and can't get enough of them."
And Shaw wasn’t the only one – several moms agreed they couldn’t ignore their Chick-fil-A cravings when they were pregnant.
Heaps of Sauce
Sauces from Chick-fil-A are always fan favorites, but for these moms, they were essential. Elizabeth Anderson says she couldn’t resist Chick-fil-A sauce when she was expecting.
“My motto was, ‘I’ll have a little sandwich with my sauce please,’” says Anderson, mom of one. “I bought the Chicken Sandwich, but let's be honest, I was just getting it so I didn't look ridiculous asking for all of the Chick-fil-A Sauce my local restaurant had.”
Traci McDonald, a mom of five boys who is currently pregnant with her first girl, says she experienced cravings that were adaptations of her usual order – the Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Colby cheese, extra pickles and a good heap of Chick-fil-A sauce. One day, she tried to order the Grilled Nuggets instead but still couldn’t resist.
“I proceeded to dump Chick-fil-A sauce on the Grilled Nuggets because what I really wanted was my Spicy Chicken Sandwich covered in sauce,” McDonald says.
Dipping Waffle Fries
While most Waffle Fry fans dip them in sauce for extra flavor, McDonald discovered a new combination she didn’t expect to love when she was expecting.
“I loved dipping my waffle fries in the Chicken Tortilla Soup when it was available,” she says. “I would recommend against falling in love with a seasonal item when pregnant. Just thinking about the Chicken Tortilla Soup now makes me wish I could go get it!”
Vanessa Coppola, mom of two, dipped her warm fries into Chick-fil-A’s signature cold treat.
“I was obsessed with dipping my fries in Icedream® cones when pregnant with my second,” Coppola says. “Now that she's almost 4-years-old, she loves the same delicious combo!”
Ever-Changing Cravings
These moms shared that their cravings sometimes changed as their pregnancies progressed, and they also experienced different cravings during subsequent pregnancies. But the craving for Chick-fil-A always remained.
At the beginning, I craved savory foods. I started craving sweet and sour foods during my third trimester,” Shaw says. “I would get a lemonade from Chick-fil-A at least once a week just to satisfy my cravings.”
And satisfying the hankering for Chick-fil-A is obviously quite difficult for moms who don’t live near a Chick-fil-A. Luckily for moms like Elizabeth Anderson, Chick-fil-A swooped in just in time to save the day.
“Food served as comfort because I was really uncomfortable during pregnancy,” Anderson says. “Our Chick-fil-A opened right before I got pregnant with my last baby. “The fact that I didn't have to fly to the South to get my sauce fix helped keep me going.”
