I have been a vegetarian for almost two years but I'd cut a bitch for an Arby's Beef N Cheddar right now. I have been having immensely vivid dreams of food, mostly surrounding things that I would not normally eat--proving that this is definitely Mike's kid. Pulled pork sandwiches and now Arby's sandwiches. I'm going insane!
I have never been a big meat eater (I didn't have a hamburger my entire four years of HS) but I had a few weaknesses like Boneless Buffalo Wings from Buffalo Wild Wings and bacon-- I used to LOVE BLTs but I've found a good substitute in tempeh bacon (Great, now I want a freaking BLT.) It was pretty easy for me to give up meat all together, especially because I became a vegetarian for ethical reasons. To put it plainly, I do not agree with the inhumane conditions in which animals are raised on factory farms in America and the even more disturbing slaughterhouse practices. Not to mention all the unnecessary hormones and antibiotics that are pumped into the animals and are then ingested by us.
When I found out I was pregnant I was afraid that I was going to start craving meat. Some people say that cravings mean something--that it's your body's way of telling you it's missing out on key nutrients. I don't think my cravings necessarily mean that I NEED an Arby's sandwich but maybe I need to eat more protein. The problem is that up until now I got most of my protein from beans--which sound totally unappetizing right now. I don't know what I'm going to do! This kid is determined to return me to carnivore status.
I have been thinkinga bout it a lot this past week and I think am willing to give into the whims of pregnancy (as long as I don't actually think about what I'm eating)--I know that I can make conscious decisions on where I buy the meat I cook at home. I can try my hardest to get free range, hormone free, etc. However, one of my biggest fears right now is getting incredibly sick when I go to reintroduce meat into my diet. I'm sick enough as it is! I haven't had any meat what so ever since April 2010, with the exception of a bite of bacon when we were England (since their bacon is different and I wanted to see how it tasted) as well as a bite of sausage at a brewery in England. Are any of my readers former vegetarians? Any tips for me should I decide to go forward with this transition? Help!
I am not much help, but I think it's funny the way these pregnancy cravings work. I was a big meat eater pre-pregnancy, yet my biggest aversion in the first tri is meat. So I have the opposite problem of you!
ReplyDeleteI find that I feel best when I give in to my cravings ;) Good luck!
I was a vegetarian for 8 or 9 years.... Then I married a carnivore, and felt the need to cook meat for him. There was a moment of weakness with the gateway meat (bacon) and then it was a slippery slope :) unlike you, I just never cared for the taste, and that is still true to some extent. I can tell you that when I began eating meat (especially steak) I got kind of constipated. My body had no idea how to process the things I was eating- so, just be prepared for that and start small!
ReplyDeleteI was a vegetarian for a few years back in my high school days, my ever so ridiculous teenage reason for the vegetarianism was...wait for it...a bet! Yes, I bet someone I could go without meat for a year and then my year turned into a few, and let me just admit I got nothing out of this bet other than the joy of knowing I have willpower.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, at some point I decided there was no reason for me to continue being a vegetarian and one day I just up and started eating meat again. No adverse reactions whatsoever, no tummy issues, nothing, and let me tell you, I haven't looked back since. Meat is my friend.
And in other news, I'm a meat eater but have been desperately craving EGGS which I also think is somehow a protein craving, Pregnancy is WEIRD.
I was a vegetarian for 15 years, and gave it up in November when we started prepping for IVF. I wanted to avoid the exact situation you're in! I started by adding in chicken broth to soups, then moved on to shredded chicken, then larger pieces. Only a few ounces every couple of days or so. I now eat chicken, turkey, and a little bit of pork. I definitely agree with listening to your body- the protein in meat addresses different amino acid needs than the meat in veggie-based proteins. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI was a vegetarian for 2 years, (mainly because I was having stomach issues) and I transitioned into eating meat little by little. I started with chicken, and then I introduced turkey, but pork and beef still don't really agree with me. I eat pork occasionally (I have been craving bacon and egg breakfast tacos like crazy since I got pregnant), but I never eat any beef. I didn't feel like I had any negative reactions to eating meat once I started, I think because I gradually introduced it. I try to be careful about eating hormone free and free range organic eggs, and that sort of thing, just to try to limit the exposure of my child to the nasty stuff in meat now, but I still eat out and try not to stress too much about it. I say go for it, and just listen to what your body is telling you.
ReplyDeleteHave you thought about protein shakes? I have to drink them daily. I have ones I mix with milk (not sure if that's off limits for you) and then I also drink the ones from the brand "Naked" that are with fruits/veggies. I know when we can start TTC again I will have to up my protein intake from 60-80g to more because of the new way I process food in order to support the pregnancy. Just a thought! :)
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of that episode of Friends. LOL! http://youtu.be/mWJqZoSpSMs
ReplyDelete