Why You Crave Slate Pencils and Ice: What Your Body’s Trying to Say

First, What Are These Cravings Called?

These are known as “pica cravings” — the strong desire to eat non-food items like:

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  Slate pencils

• Chalk

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  Ice

• Clay

• Raw rice

• Toothpaste

• Sand

These aren’t just habits. They’re usually your body’s way of signaling a deeper need.

What Causes These Cravings?

1. Iron Deficiency (The Most Common Cause)
The number one reason people (especially women) crave slate pencils or chew ice is low iron or anemia.

When your body doesn’t have enough iron:

• Your oxygen levels drop

• Your brain fogs up

• You feel tired, weak, dizzy

• Your strange cravings increase

Craving ice? That’s called pagophagia and is strongly linked to anemia.
Craving slate pencils? That often means your body is seeking minerals it’s not getting from your food.

Who Usually Experiences This?

• Women and girls, especially during menstruation, pregnancy, or heavy bleeding

• Teenagers, due to rapid growth and poor diet

• People with poor diets or who skip meals often

• Vegetarians or vegans, if not balancing iron-rich foods properly

• People under stress or with emotional eating patterns

What You Should Do (Without Panic or Shame)

1. Get a Blood Test (Especially for Hemoglobin, Ferritin & Iron)
That strange craving? It’s often your first symptom of something that can be treated.
You don’t have to suffer or guess — just check. And it’s fixable.

2. Start Eating Iron-Rich Foods Daily
You don’t always need supplements — your kitchen already holds solutions.

Iron-Rich Foods (Indian & Affordable):

• Jaggery (gur)

• Dates

• Roasted chana

• Palak (spinach)

• Bathua, methi, sarson

• Black sesame seeds (til)

• Bajra, ragi, rajma, kala chana

• Dalia with jaggery and ghee

• Food cooked in iron kadhai

Tip: Have vitamin C (like amla, lemon, orange) with meals — it boosts iron absorption.

3. Understand the Emotional Side Too
Sometimes, cravings like ice or slate are also connected to:

• Stress or anxiety

• Oral fixation (you feel better when chewing or sucking)

• Comfort seeking during loneliness or pressure

4. Avoid Eating Slate Pencils (Even if They’re Packaged)
Even though it’s common to buy them online or from local stores:

• They don’t contain real nutrients

• They can have harmful chemicals or lead

• They can damage your teeth and stomach lining

Instead, feed your body what it’s really asking for — iron, minerals, and healing.