Are cravings your body's way of saying you need some mineral, vitamin, or chemical in that food?

Maybe you’re pregnant again? Just a thought.

Hell no!

I’m currently craving a donut, which is my body’s way of letting me know I need more fat and sugar.

When I crave donuts they have to be caramel donuts. And it’s an actual craving! Which I rarely give in to. If I do I count as my breakfast / lunch / dinner for the day.

I’ve heard of this, though I don’t know for certain if it’s true. I’ve only experienced it (that I have noticed) in the most basic way: when I am sick and haven’t been drinking any water (I find drinking water with a sore throat to be unpleasant), I start to crave foods that are high in water: grapes, watermelon, mandarin oranges, etc. I don’t think that’s just a coincidence.

I first heard of this when a teacher told us about being in the hospital and craving liver of all things. Turns out he had an iron deficiency.

But the body will also crave things it doesn’t need, like sugars and added carbohydrates. Try going without sugar or carbs for a couple days, and you’ll crave cookie and potatoes. It takes a few days to get over the cravings.

Well, we kinda DO need sugars and carbs, but not as MUCH as many of us eat.
We also need salt.

Yes. And there’s no “kinda.” We need a mix.

Cravings have evolved to be that, yes. Unfortunately, there are so many industrialized foods, peculiar chemical medicines, and other things going on, that our cravings may not be accurate. See artificial flavors and effects of high-fructose corn syrup, etc.

Cravings can also be caused by emotional issues and addictions, transferred to an experience of appetite.

Hunger can also indicate thirst/dehydration.

If you were craving potato chips then I would agree with salt. I do believe we crave stuff we need, but most of the time cravings are from lack of water. Next time you have a craving, drink a glass of water and see if you still want to eat what you wanted with the same desire.
Just the other night, I fell asleep on the couch and woke up 4 hours later craving chocolate. I didn’t want to eat chocolate because it has caffeine and would keep me up. So I remembered about dehydration that should be telling you to drink can often be confused for a food craving. So I realized my lips were dry (a sign of dehydration) and decided to drink water. The craving went away and I was able to go to bed with no guilt or of being hyped up on caffeine.
Now if you drink plenty of water and you know you are well hydrated than I would suspect lacking other things.

Chocolate can mean low magnesium, cheese and potatoes and strawberries, tuna, bananas, corn, eggs can all mean low iodine, etc.
Tomato sauce also had vitamin A and C. It could be you are lacking that.

I’ll remember that @Pandora. I have to be really careful with my liquid intake, though. My electrolytes tend to go wonky. I think it comes from years of drinking too much water. Now I try to keep it down to 40 oz a day.