Has anyone here gone through a pregnancy while maintaining a vegan diet? It seems like *everything* I used to love makes me sick sick sick. I was all happy when I first started feeling nausea during my first couple of weeks and wasn't puking, but I'm eating the same, it it seems like anything, whether it sounds good or not, will make me puke. Also, I'm signed up already on a community-supported agriculture program. I get *all* of these veggies (and little choice of what veggies I'm getting)...but none of them appeal to me. It's already paid for, and it wasn't cheap and now I feel like I can't eat any of it. Any suggestions on preparing veggies in general in a more tummy-friendly fashion?
No matter what your diet, food aversions are common. I know I have quite a few that I know will pass after I give birth.
Do you have any cravings?
If you just steam them, they might be easier to take and if you want, adding a small amount of ground ginger might help as well.
Yeah, but a lot of it isn't for food that is vegan, or if it is vegan it isn't something particularly accessible to me. Also, *very* little of my food cravings are healthy, and everything I've read about being pregnant and diet is focusing on eating healthy food.
You know what? First trimester you just eat what you can keep down. It's not a huge deal.
Can you blanch and freeze some of the veggies all cut up for later on when you're STARVING and the CSA only has root veggies (they do that in the fall, you know...)? Or make a nice vegetable soup to eat later?
Can you sort out what the specific craving is for? For example, I've been crving bacon for many months (I'm vegetarian.). The craving always pops up when I'm a little low on protein and salt- usually during a fetal growth spurt. Instead of resorting to actually eating slaty meats, I've been able to satisfy my body's needs with vegetarian sources of protein (more beans, cheeses, etc).
I'm vegan most of the time. When I was pregnant I ate chicken probably six time in the first trimester, after that I was done craving it.
It's predominately sugary things. Actually, sugary things and like breads and crackers are the only things I seem to be able to eat and not puke. However, in the way that I practice veganism, I don't eat refined sugar, so I may really want to eat taffy or licorice or whatever, but either it's not commerically available for vegans or it's really expensive.
That, and a lot of pregnancy guides have been all like, "Oh, if you crave X, Y, or Z unhealthy thing, you should really eat A, B, or C." But it tends to be like fruit or something...and fruit makes me sick.
I don't know. People have given some really good advice in this thread, all in all. It's just being sick and hungry all the time is getting me down.
First of all, this is a problem for a LOT of pregnant women *no matter what* their diet.
I agree that it's a great idea to freeze the vegetables for later. Sure, some veggies you can't freeze, like lettuce or potatoes, but most things you CAN freeze. And yeah, in the fall you can get really sick of the root vegetables after awhile (I do anyway) and you'll be greatful for the delicious summer veg in the freezer.
Also, if it's really important to you not to "cheat" and eat non vegan foods, I respect that. But do keep in mind that if you feel you need to eat outside of your normal diet for a few months in order to feel less sick, you won't be a bad person. You're just doing what you have to do to get through these first few months, and that's ok.
A strong craving for sugar is often satisfied by consuming a high fat meal. Or higher fat. I know my diet tends to be low in fats normally. Maybe try finding something you can stomach with lots of healthy fats?
Early pregnancy was an adjustment for me. I had to learn to eat way more than I was in the first place. As soon as I figured ot how to eat more calories, more protein, more healthy fats I felt so much better. What you are experiencing is normal, albeit annoying.
maybe you could make cassaroles and lasangas with the veggies.