The KInd Life Community Forum
Use this space to share stories, exchange ideas, ask questions, and contribute to our growing community!
How did you handle cravings for naughty foods?
Started
by The Kind Life
on October 9, 2012
Answer in a comment for a chance to be featured in Alicia's new book The Kind Mama!
The biggest craving I had was for cheese my entire pregnancy. It is the one thing I've missed since changing my diet a couple of years ago. For a few months all I wanted was a big plate of nachos smothered in cheese. I never gave in, despite everyone's best efforts to make me cave. Other than that, the only real cravings I had was for rootbeer floats and salt & vinegar chips at the end of my pregnancy. I didn't see the point in tormenting myself completely so I did eat 'junk' foods sometimes. I figured as long as I ate a well balanced, healthy diet it wouldn't be horrible to give in sometimes and have some chips or a rootbeer float or some cake.
I ate what I craved. I ate so many green apples and vegan cookies it was insane. I am a firm believer that you crave what you put into your body on a regular.I don't eat meat or dairy and have not for years so my body doesn't crave it. Many people did ask me if I craved steak during pregnancy. I thought that was so weird. Why would I? Someone actually said " Don't babies need meat?" My response was "Is there meat in our breasts?'
Thankfully, I didn’t have many naughty cravings during my pregnancy. I attribute that to my healthy vegan diet. My strongest "naughty" craving was for sea salt and vinegar potato chips. Being a health-foodie, I chose a natural brand and allowed myself to have a reasonable amount of them without stress.
As a natural-health consumer and a professional vegan chef, I also contemplated the wisdom my body was conveying with the craving. Realizing that my desire was mostly about desiring a sour taste, I ate more salads with tart vinaigrettes as well as other sour treats like fresh, homemade lemonade sweetened with stevia. Nausea was my only fear about pregnancy and I later recalled that sour tastes help to abate nausea. With that and homeopathy, I was grateful that my entire pregnancy was marked by only two or three days of mild nausea. My sour craving was definitely telling me something and I’m glad I listened and probed deeper. Our bodies are so wise!
I loved coconut milk/water and dark baking chocolate. I had to take it easy on the sugar so I used stevia quite a bit! These ingredients make for a great smoothie popsicle base and you can add bananas or berries and (even eat it at night!) Instead of potato chips I also had baked pumpkin seeds with olive oil, salt and pepper, hot pepper is good too!
Because I've been veg*n for so long, my cravings so far (I'm at almost 6 months now) have all been vegan friendly. Unfortunately, they haven't all been healthy and I have been indulging in many of them.
6 Comments