Does the sight of your always favorite spinach and chicken salad suddenly make your stomach turn? Welcome to the club, over 50% of the pregnant women develop a particular food aversion to a once loved food.
Does the sight of your always favorite spinach and chicken salad suddenly make your stomach turn? Welcome to the club, over 50% of the pregnant women develop a particular food aversion to a once loved food. Though frustrating, this usually passes once you exit your first trimester. However, in the meantime here are 5 tips that will help keep your diet healthy along the way.
- Focus on foods you can tolerate. Some nutrition is always better than no nutrition. Not just for your growing and developing baby, but for your metabolic needs (physically and mentally as well). So, if you are craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich 6 times a day, and that is the only thing you can tolerate, please eat it!
- Hiding food isn’t just for tricking toddlers into eating their veggies. Having a strong distaste for veggies is one of the top aversions I hear about. How about making a banana and Greek yogurt smoothie and tossing a couple heaping handfuls of spinach in there? The green brings a bright vibration to your morning nutrition and the banana will completely mask the taste.
- Small and frequent eating, my friends. I encourage this approach regardless if you are pregnant or not, but it’s especially helpful if your appetite is currently skewed. Half of a turkey sandwich and a handful of grapes? Pretzels and peanut butter? Black beans and diced tomato and avocado? It all sounds wonderful to me. Aim for 5-7 mini meals a day.
- Carbonated water with squeezed citrus. The fizz may help settle your stomach, and with zero added sugar it’s a twist on water that will keep you hydrated through these hot summer months
- Stay physically active. Moving your body throughout your entire pregnancy is linked to a healthier pregnancy, and it may also help stimulate an appetite when food isn’t sounding appealing. Take a walk with a friend, weight-train a few days a week or find a gentle yoga class on YouTube. Find the activity that you enjoy so you will do it often.
If you have further questions or concerns about your diet during or after pregnancy call me at 916-984-7428 or email me Shanley@creeksideob.com.