Struggling to try that fancy Asian-inspired chicken and broccoli dinner you’ve always loved? Or your morning maple latte that has always been something you looked forward to every day? Shit, right?

Food aversions, or the inability to eat (or even smell certain foods) during pregnancy are completely normal and common, although not super fun. Food aversion is the opposite of craving, but like craving, it is very common during pregnancy. In fact, it is estimated that about 60 percent of pregnant women have food aversions. “Food aversions are sometimes very inconvenient. I had a strong aversion to coffee when it was the coffee I needed most to combat first-trimester fatigue,” says Layan Alrahmani, MD, OB/GYN, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and medical advisor. BabyCenter.

Here’s what you need to know, including helpful solutions for getting the nutrients you need.

What causes food aversion during pregnancy?

Currently, there is not much research on food aversion during pregnancy, so the exact cause is unknown. Several factors are likely to contribute, including:

• Hormones. Most experts agree that changes in hormones play a role in food aversions during pregnancy. But the reality is, “we’re not sure what causes food aversion in some women, or why it happens to certain foods and not others,” says Dr. Alrahmani. During the first trimester, estrogen and human chorionic gonadotropin levels rise (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin gonadotropin, or hCG, is the hormone that home pregnancy tests measure.) This hormone surge occurs at the same time that many pregnant women experience increasing nausea, food aversions, and sometimes vomiting.
• Enhanced sense of smell. During pregnancy, smells and tastes can be particularly strong, and this increased sensitivity can make certain foods completely unpalatable. Some researchers believe that food aversion may have evolved as a form of protection against substances that are potentially harmful to the developing baby. This theory could explain why you may no longer look forward to your morning coffee or crave steak for dinner.

When will I have a food aversion?

Food aversions often begin in the first trimester. Some women find that their food aversion roughly coincides with the onset of morning sickness, around the 5th or 6th week of pregnancy.

It’s possible for your appetite to go away until after the baby is born, but usually food aversions (like morning sickness) go away in the second trimester. You may even have cravings and aversions to the same foods at different times during your pregnancy. The bacon that makes you want to puke at week 8 may be calling your name by week 18.

Common food aversions in pregnancy

Everyone is different, so what you might not be able to figure out might be different from a friend or family member, but there are some common food aversions, including:

• Meat

• Coffee

• Spicy food

• Eggs

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• Dairy products

• Food with strong smells

• Fatty food

Remember, this list is not exhaustive. During pregnancy, you can develop an aversion to almost any food, even things you’ve always loved like chocolate can wear you down.

How to deal with food aversion

Before you get pregnant, you can imagine yourself giving up junk food and eating a perfectly healthy pregnancy diet. But first-trimester food aversions and nausea can mean chips and frozen yogurt are the only things you can imagine putting in your mouth.

Listen to your body and don’t be too hard on yourself. Just because you can’t try anything green today doesn’t mean you won’t get back on track with healthier eating in a few weeks. You can also try:

• Healthy substitutes. If meat won’t do, try other sources of protein, like steamed tofu, nuts and nut butters, and cheese.

• Hiding food aversions mixing them into other foods you can eat. For example, blending spinach into a fruit smoothie is one way to incorporate some leafy greens while also camouflaging the taste and smell.

• Cold food. Some women find it easier to eat cold foods because they don’t smell as strong.

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• Bland foods. Similarly, mild-tasting foods may be easier to digest. Try eating things like rice, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, or plain noodles.

• Let someone else cook. Sometimes food is less disgusting if someone else cooks it. Ask a loved one to cook for you or get takeout.

It can be frustrating and stressful when you can’t eat well, feel sick and nauseous. Take comfort in the fact that food aversions are completely normal, common and usually temporary. “Try not to worry about it so much because this too will pass. Do everything you can to be healthy, but don’t beat yourself up about it,” says Dr. Alrahmans. Check with your doctor if you think food aversions are causing you to miss out on vital nutrients or if they persist into the second trimester.