Ideas for the transition back to Veganism while pregnant.

[45h13y]

I haven't a clue where this post will fit into recipes, but I've been a member of this community since 2004 and all of the advice is nothing less than fantastic. I'm currently 3 months pregnant, and a vegetarian of about 10 years. I ALSO have a gluten allergy! No fun when you're pregnant and want to eat pita bread with your hummus

Comments

Re: cheez

[45h13y]

I really love alfredo, and cashew based 'cheeses.' A vegan cafe in Pensacola, where I live, (End of the Line Cafe) makes and sells their own blocks of cheez and I'd really love to learn how they do it. Their cheez is cashew based, and they make pepperjack, cheddar, smoked gouda, and mozzarella. (Pepperjack being my favorite.) It melts perfectly not like any other cheez I've bought in the health food store. I've made pimento/cashew cheez for macaroni and nachos (yum) but I love the thought of having some yummy melty block cheez to have grilled cheese with gluten free bread!

Re: cheez

[impe_rfection]

my friend makes blocks of cheese like that with agar agar. there are recipes in the uncheese cookbook

[surlynymph]

I am currently pregnant and vegan so I can understand your worries. I am just starting to get over the morning sickness (I'm currently 10 weeks) so a lot of stuff just hasn't been sounding good AT ALL. To make up for my distaste for vegetables I made sure to stock up on some supplements to add to my prenatal as well as fortified rice/almond milk (I am taking calcium and B12.) I haven't had a problem getting enough protein at all (I eat two slices of whole grain bread with peanut butter and a sprinkling of flax meal every morning for breakfast) and to force myself to eat veggies despite my aversion, I have been making a lot of enchilada/burrito's and lasagnas. For the "cheese" in the lasagna, my favorite thing to do is process a cup or so of cashews with some nutritional yeast, water and some red bell pepper and salt. You can vary the water depending how thick/thin you want it. To me, this tastes way better than tofu ricotta (I am also trying not to eat a lot of soy). Another good food is pizza -- load it up with a good sauce

[45h13y]

All of this sounds great! Albeit, I have a gluten allergy (a very strong one! ugh!) so I buy or make gluten free breads, or avoid them in general. Rice cake sammiches are good.

This pregnancy has been WEIRD. I LOVED raw veggies beforehand, now I have to blend them in smoothies and other foods like I am 5 years old again. I am turned off by mexican, indian, thai and other ethnic dishes that I used to loooooveee so much. I am almost 13 weeks, but I still get sick sometimes, usually at night? (Morning sickness is the worst name for it.) But, weirdly enough, I find comfort in smells. Apple cinnamon, cocoa butter, and the smell of my MAKE UP soothes the nausea, haha. I feel ya on the french fries and vegenaise... I am craving foods that I haven't put in my mouth since I was 13, and hating the foods that have been my best friends since 15!

I would love to have a preggo vegan lj friend, duh! Add away, and thank you for all of the lovely insight! Congrats to you, too!

[surlynymph]

whoops! I totally missed the gluten allergy part! Sorry about that, I must have selective site ;-) I'm sure there are a lot of gluten free alternatives to everything I have discussed (brown rice pasta, etc.)

Aww, that's a bummer about not liking the mexican food right now. For me, that's all I want to eat! Anything spicy and I'm ok :-P I'm like you though, I'd eat raw veggies like they were going out of style, now I can't stand them! (I know it's a good day when I can eat raw carrots)

That's funny about the cocoa butter. I started trying to put the stuff on my stomach as a preventative measure but I can't STAND the smell of it right now so I had to stop. The smell/taste of lemons are what is really helping me.

Hmm, maybe black bean burgers would be good for you to try? I don't know what you might use in place of the bun, but that's not entirely "ethnic" so it might not turn you off? Just a suggestion!

[uppity_heathen]

infants need only breast milk for the first six months and mostly breast milk for the first year. It offers all the fats and nutrients they need. After the first six months you can supplement the milk with avocado and veggies.

[_sithkitten_]

this.

[uppity_heathen]

I just had a vegan baby a few months ago. I learned how to cook a lot of new dishes to satisfy cravings but I never did crave meat or fast food. You should definitely start experimenting with new foods.

Be careful with prepackaged. They tend to be high sodium and low nutrition.

You can make large pots of soup with tons of veggies and beans and freeze it for quick meals later. You can do that with lots of food. I already started practicing making fresh, healthy meals like what I will feed my daughter so I am in practice by the time she begins eating.

You should definitely be taking a prenatal vitamin. Make sure you're getting enough B12 and it is a good idea to take a microalgae DHA capsule daily so the baby's brain and eyes develop properly.

Also, if you haven't already joined them there are some great communities here on lj. #pregnancy, #breastfeeding, and #parenting101 are especially helpful.

Congrats on the baby!

[mari_mac1109]

This book (Becoming Vegan) is a great resource for vegankind everywhere and it has chapters on every stage of life--including pregnancy, breastfeeding (I believe), raising vegan children at various age levels, etc.