Period Cravings: Why They Happen and What to Eat Instead
Period cravings are real, they have a hormonal cause, and fighting them rarely works. The better approach is to understand why the urge for chocolate and crisps shows up in the week before your period and to have snacks around that satisfy it while doing your body some good. This post explains the science in plain terms and gives you a simple, UAE-friendly snack plan.
Why cravings happen before a period
Three things are going on at once in the second half of your cycle.
Progesterone rises. After ovulation, progesterone climbs and stays high until just before bleeding starts. It nudges appetite upwards and slightly raises your resting metabolic rate, so you genuinely need a little more food than in the first half of the month.
Serotonin dips. Serotonin is a brain chemical linked to mood and calm. Research suggests it tends to fall in the days before a period, which is one reason PMS brings irritability and low mood. Carbohydrates, especially sugary ones, give serotonin a quick lift. Your brain learns that the chocolate makes you feel better, and asks for it again.
Blood sugar swings more. Many women find they are more sensitive to blood sugar dips in the luteal phase. A drop leaves you shaky, tired and reaching for the fastest fuel available, which is usually something sweet.
Put those together and you get the classic pattern: sudden hunger, a strong pull towards sugar, salt and fat, and a short mood boost that wears off fast. Our post on managing PMS with sleep, diet and exercise covers the wider picture of that week.
The sweet-and-salty pattern
Most women report wanting both at once. Sweet cravings come from the serotonin and blood sugar side. Salt cravings are less well understood but may relate to the fluid shifts that come with hormonal changes, and salt simply makes fatty food taste better when your appetite is up.
The trick is to give your body what it is asking for in a better form. If you want sweet, pair it with fibre and protein so the sugar lands more slowly. If you want salt, choose salty food that also brings minerals or protein.
Snacks that satisfy and help
None of these are cures for anything. They are simply better versions of what you already want.
- Dark chocolate. A few squares of 70 percent or higher gives the chocolate hit with less sugar and some magnesium.
- Dates and nuts. A Medjool date stuffed with an almond or walnut is sweet, chewy and slow-releasing. Dates are everywhere in the UAE and keep for weeks in a desk drawer.
- Laban and fruit. A small glass of laban or a bowl of plain yoghurt with berries or sliced banana gives protein, calcium and sweetness in one.
- Hummus and vegetables. Carrot, cucumber and capsicum sticks with hummus cover the salty craving with fibre and plant protein.
- Roasted chickpeas. Crunchy, salty, filling. Buy them ready-made or roast a tin with olive oil, salt and a little cumin.
- Boiled eggs. Two eggs keep blood sugar steady for hours and take a minute to peel.
- Bananas. Potassium may help with water retention and they are the easiest sweet snack to carry.
- Oats. Overnight oats with a spoon of nut butter make a slow-burning breakfast or afternoon snack that heads off the 4pm crash.
Two very simple ideas that need no recipe: a banana sliced onto a spoon of peanut butter with a few dark chocolate chips, or a handful of roasted chickpeas mixed into a small bag of salted popcorn.
Foods that make bloating and cramps worse in excess
You do not need to ban anything. In quantity, though, a few things tend to backfire during the luteal phase.
- Very salty processed snacks such as crisps, instant noodles and cured meats increase water retention and bloating.
- Large amounts of refined sugar give a sharp rise and fall that leaves you hungrier and moodier an hour later.
- Excess caffeine can tighten blood vessels and worsen cramps and breast tenderness for some women. One coffee is fine; four is a lot.
- Carbonated drinks add gas to a stomach that is already bloated.
If cramps are a bigger problem than cravings, our post on ways to tackle period cramps has practical options.
A simple UAE-friendly snack plan for the week before
One shop at Carrefour, Lulu or your local grocery covers it.
| Time | Snack | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-morning | Laban or plain yoghurt with a sliced banana | Protein plus potassium, steady energy |
| Afternoon slump | Two dates with almonds, or a boiled egg | Sweet or savoury, both slow-release |
| Evening craving | Three squares of dark chocolate with a handful of nuts | Satisfies the chocolate urge with less sugar |
| Movie night | Roasted chickpeas or hummus with vegetable sticks | Salty and crunchy without the bloat |
Keep the dates, nuts and roasted chickpeas at your desk and in the car. Keep laban, eggs and hummus in the fridge. When the craving hits, the good option is already the closest option.
Iron-rich foods if you bleed heavily
Heavy periods can lower iron stores over time, which shows up as tiredness, breathlessness on stairs and looking pale. In the week of your period, lean towards iron-rich food: red meat, chicken liver, lentils, chickpeas, spinach, tahini and fortified breakfast cereals. Pair plant sources with something containing vitamin C, such as a squeeze of lemon on lentils, because it helps absorption.
If you regularly soak through a pad every couple of hours, mention it to a doctor and ask about an iron check. Do not start high-dose iron without a blood test. Our post on supplements and the menstrual cycle explains what is worth discussing. For the practical side of heavy nights, LiZZOM's organic thick night pads come in Large and XL with a bamboo top sheet that wicks fast and stays breathable through the night.
Hydration in the heat
Dehydration makes cravings, headaches and cramps all feel worse, and in a Dubai or Abu Dhabi summer it happens faster than you expect even indoors. Aim for water through the day, add laban or a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon in water if you have been sweating, and eat water-rich food like cucumber, watermelon and oranges. Salt cravings sometimes ease once you are properly hydrated. Our guide to periods in Dubai summer heat covers the rest of staying comfortable when it is 45 degrees outside.
Finally, if you grew up hearing that certain foods are forbidden during your period, our post on period facts and myths clears that up. There is no food you must avoid because you are bleeding.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to be hungrier before my period?
Yes. Progesterone raises appetite and energy needs slightly in the luteal phase, so eating a little more in the week before your period is your body responding to a real signal, not a lack of willpower.
Does chocolate actually help with PMS?
Chocolate gives a short mood lift through sugar and a small amount of compounds that affect the brain, and dark chocolate contains magnesium. It will not treat PMS, but a modest amount as part of a balanced day is a perfectly reasonable way to handle the craving.
Should I take a supplement for cravings?
Not without talking to a doctor first. Some women find magnesium or vitamin B6 helpful for PMS symptoms, but food should come first and any supplement should be discussed with a professional, especially if you take other medication.
Sorted the snacks, now sort the nights: shop LiZZOM organic thick night pads, delivered free across the UAE on orders over AED 50.