Pregnant woman with cravings adds an 'interesting' thing to her cereal — and people are losing it

Cravings don’t always follow logic, and pregnancy cravings take that unpredictability to a whole new level. And the case in point here is that of London-based mom-to-be Lidia Mera, who has been turning heads for revealing her latest snack obsession, which is definitely a little out there. It is a bowl of chocolate hazelnut cereal with milk, ice cubes, and the most unexpected twist of all, Soy Sauce!  The 24-year-old Gen-Z mom shared the concoction on TikTok, where she is @lidiavmera, calling it her 'current hyper fixation' now that she’s deep into her third trimester.

“I wouldn’t say weird, just interesting,” Mera said, pouring soy sauce into her chilled cereal like it was the most natural thing in the world. And while the internet did a collective double-take, Mera stood by her creation and taste buds. To her, it is the perfect mix, crunchy, sweet, ice cold, and just salty enough for her pregnancy cravings. She told Newsweek that while she’s always had a sweet tooth, her pregnancy has brought a strong craving for salty foods. So she got creative. Soy sauce, she figured, was the easiest way to add that savory kick. The ice cubes were very essential because everything tastes better ice cold when you’re pregnant.

Naturally, the internet had plenty to say. Some viewers were curious enough to consider trying it. But she definitely was not alone. Studies and several research studies, including that by the National Library of Medicine, have shown that pregnant women, especially in the second trimester, consume significantly more sweet foods than at other times. It noted that cravings for savory and salty items tend to ramp up later in pregnancy, alongside cold treats like ice cream. Pregnancy alters taste perception; bitter sensitivity spikes early on, while cravings for salty and sour foods increase in later trimesters. This shift could naturally make mash-ups like cold, sweet cereal with salty soy sauce hit the spot. 

The clip instantly sparked a wave of reactions that ranged from bewildered to oddly supportive. TikTok user @dem wrote, “Pregnancy is so funny because what do you mean you crave soy sauce cereal?” Meanwhile, @Marie Baldomar joked and said, “‘I wouldn’t say weird’, starts to put ice cubes and soy sauce on cereals.”

Still, not everyone was horrified. @Wren commented, “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!” @Lana rated it a solid 10/10 for originality and said,  “Hey, no judgment here! I’d rate it a solid 10/10, definitely a unique craving!”

Others saw it as part of the beauty of pregnancy itself. @agirlinher20 wrote, “Pregnancy is so beautiful, women change while growing a literal child in them, I love how noses change during this time, it’s so beautiful.”Of course, there were also questions mainly from concerned stomachs with @Niharika asked, “You do you, but out of curiosity- does this not give you a stomach upset?”  Another @theladyamaranthh came up with her own unique recipe and suggested, “You should try pancakes with maple syrup and Tapatio or Valentina. Or oatmeal with brown sugar, 2 over medium eggs on top with Tapatio.”

You can follow @lidiavmera on TikTok for more videos like this!