Gen Z Woman's Bizarre Pregnancy Craving Goes Viral—It's Cereal With a Twist
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Gen Z mom to be is raising eyebrows online after sharing her latest pregnancy craving.
London-based Lidia Mera (@lidiavmera) told TikTok viewers that it was the time of day where she needed her "current hyper fixation" snack now that she's in her third trimester.
"It's a little bit... I wouldn't say weird, but let's just say interesting," Mera said in her clip.
The 24-year-old then prepares a bowl of chocolate hazelnut cereal complete with milk and ice cubes and an unexpectedly generous splash of soy sauce.
Mera told Newsweek that her pregnancy craving is a sweet and salty snack that "somehow" works perfectly.
"The perfect fusion between refreshing ice cold milk, chocolate filled crunchy cereal for the sweetness and then finishing it off with soy sauce to add that salty element into it—the perfect combo," she said.
As someone who's always had a sweet tooth, Mera explained that she's started to also crave salty foods since becoming pregnant.
"I tried to find a way to incorporate that salty element into a snack I regularly have: a bowl of cereal, and soy sauce just sounded like the perfect solution," she told Newsweek. "The ice cubes came in to make the milk even colder because when you're pregnant anything ice cold is just immediately 10 times better."
Mera's clip has been viewed over 228,000 times and asked TikTok users to "rate" her pregnancy craving in the comments.
"Sweet and salty is a foolproof combo so I'm not entirely surprised that this works but damn that soy sauce came out of nowhere," one user wrote.
"I have soy sauce on basically everything so I get it," another user added.
"Soy sauce and milk? Hell nah," a third wrote.
Dr. Shyamala Vishnumohan, an accredited practicing dietitian with a special interest in fertility and pregnancy nutrition, told Newsweek that there's a reason behind pregnancy cravings.
"I've seen women crave everything from raw mango with salt to tamarind, amla or even green chilli," she said. "From a scientific standpoint, they're partly driven by hormonal shifts and partly by nutrient needs."
Vishnumohan also pointed to research that shows up to 90 percent of women experience cravings during pregnancy, with most occurring during the first and second trimesters.
"I also believe pregnant mothers carry this intuitive body wisdom—gently nudging them toward what they need," she said. "It's a beautiful mystery."
As for other cravings, Mera said she's been all about "red meat, fries, ice cream—and even better when you pair it or dip it in soy sauce."
The expectant mom told Newsweek her pregnancy craving elicited a mix of opinions.
"Some people saying it's absolutely horrifying and some people agreeing that this could actually be a good combo, but not sure if anyone is actually keen enough to give it a go," she said.
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