Is jaggery safer than sugar during pregnancy?

Jaggery has a slightly lower glycaemic index than white sugar and contains small amounts of iron and minerals. In small quantities, it is a better choice than refined sugar. However, it still raises blood sugar and should not be consumed freely. Women with GDM should treat jaggery with the same caution as sugar.

Can sweet cravings during pregnancy mean you are having a girl?

This is a myth that has no scientific basis. Sweet cravings during pregnancy are linked to hormonal changes, energy needs, and blood sugar fluctuations, not the gender of the baby.

Is It Safe to Eat Sweets During Pregnancy?

Eating sweets during pregnancy is not forbidden, but portion size and frequency matter. The occasional sweet treat is unlikely to cause harm in a healthy pregnancy. However, consuming sweets in large amounts or daily can raise blood sugar levels, contribute to excess weight gain, and increase the risk of gestational diabetes, a condition now affecting nearly one in four pregnant women in India, according to ICMR data. The key is moderation, and knowing which sweets carry the most risk.

Why Do You Crave Sweets During Pregnancy?

Sweet cravings are among the most common food cravings reported during pregnancy, with research consistently identifying sweets as the most frequently craved food category, and there are clear physical reasons behind it.

During pregnancy, your body's energy demands increase. Hormonal shifts, particularly in oestrogen and progesterone, can affect blood sugar regulation, leading to dips that trigger sugar cravings. Fatigue and nausea in the first trimester also make starchy or sweet foods feel more appealing and easier to tolerate than savoury or protein-rich ones.

What Does Too Much Sugar Do During Pregnancy?

Eating too much sugar when you are pregnant may increase your risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, and it increases the risk of your baby becoming overweight later in life.

Here is what excessive sugar intake can lead to:

Gestational diabetes (GDM): The WHO recommends limiting daily free sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy, ideally less than 5%, to manage health risks. Pregnant women who consume sugar-sweetened beverages frequently are at higher risk of developing GDM.
Excess weight gain: Eating excess sugar during pregnancy can leave you feeling more tired and contribute to weight gain beyond healthy limits.
Blood sugar spikes and crashes: Most Indian sweets, jalebi, gulab jamun, kheer, and halwa are made with refined sugar and refined flour, both of which cause rapid rises in blood glucose followed by sharp drops. This cycle can worsen fatigue and hunger.
Baby's future health: Research has linked excessive sugar intake during pregnancy with childhood obesity, impaired cognitive development, and paediatric asthma.

Which Sweets Are the Most Harmful During Pregnancy?

Not all sweets carry equal risk. The most problematic are those combining refined sugar with maida, ghee in large amounts, or condensed milk:

Jalebi and imarti: Deep-fried, soaked in sugar syrup, high glycaemic index
Gulab jamun: Refined flour, sugar syrup, high-calorie density
Barfi and peda: High in condensed milk and sugar
Halwa: Moderate risk, but often made with large amounts of sugar and ghee
Kheer: Whole milk and sugar combination; the blood sugar impact depends on the portion

Sweets made with natural ingredients like dates, sesame seeds, and jaggery carry a lower glycaemic load than refined-sugar-based ones, but should still be eaten in limited quantities.

Can You Satisfy Sweet Cravings Healthily?

Fruits such as mango, pineapple, and berries are good ways to satisfy sweet cravings while still providing vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Fresh, frozen, and tinned options are all suitable, provided tinned fruit is in natural juice or water without added sugar.

Some practical swaps include:

A small bowl of fresh fruit chaat
A date or two with a handful of almonds
Homemade wheat flour laddoo with minimal jaggery
Unsweetened lassi or a small bowl of curd with a drizzle of honey
Roasted fox nuts

The NHS advises choosing healthier snacks over high-fat, high-sugar options such as sweets and biscuits, opting instead for yoghurt with fruit, salad vegetables, or small sandwiches.

What If You Are Already Diagnosed With Gestational Diabetes?

India carries one of the highest burdens of GDM globally. Data from the ICMR-INDIAB study shows a rise in GDM prevalence from 13.3% in 2008–10 to 30.2% in 2019–20, driven by maternal age, obesity, urbanisation, and lifestyle.

If you have GDM, sweets need to be limited significantly. If you plan an indulgence, it must be infrequent, small in portion, and included in your total carbohydrate count for the day.

Your doctor may refer you to a dietitian to develop a meal plan that helps keep blood glucose stable while meeting your nutritional needs during pregnancy.

What you eat in pregnancy shapes more than your own health. Small choices around sugar now can make a real difference to your baby's future.

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FAQs on Is It Safe to Eat Sweets During Pregnancy?

Is jaggery safer than sugar during pregnancy?
Jaggery has a slightly lower glycaemic index than white sugar and contains small amounts of iron and minerals. In small quantities, it is a better choice than refined sugar. However, it still raises blood sugar and should not be consumed freely. Women with GDM should treat jaggery with the same caution as sugar.
Can sweet cravings during pregnancy mean you are having a girl?
This is a myth that has no scientific basis. Sweet cravings during pregnancy are linked to hormonal changes, energy needs, and blood sugar fluctuations, not the gender of the baby.