Week 20: For the Love of Pulled Pork
Enjoying a big juicy burger to satisfy my preggo craving!
As I stand in front of the refrigerator, the coolness wafting out, I scan the shelves. I see tons of healthy snacks including big purple grapes, cheese sticks, celery and carrots staring back at me. But, all I keep thinking is, “Why don’t I have any smoked pulled pork or baby back ribs to eat?” Welcome to my world of pregnancy cravings.
During my first pregnancy, I thought cravings were all in my head. There was no way that my body was wanting to eat something different than I normally eat—just because I was pregnant. That’s crazy. Besides, my diet hasn’t really changed all that much. But now, as I think back about it, I definitely made some unusual food choices. For instance, I drank lemonade or water with lemon by the gallon. I remember sending my husband out for lemonade from the vending machine at a hotel and being so disappointed when he could only bring back fruit punch because there was no lemonade in the building. Come on, man! I also spent a crazy amount of our grocery budget on fresh fruit and my husband probably never got a single bite of it. And I am guessing 7-Eleven is still trying to figure out the spike in Slurpee sales in the summer of 2012. Those dang Coke Slurpees were all I wanted most afternoons.
So, this time around, I give in freely to the strange food desires I have. I mean, when else in life can you request a small order of waffle fries from your husband 10 minutes before the restaurant down the street is supposed to close on a Saturday night and he will actually go get them for you? When you grow another human inside of you, that’s when!
My only complaint about my cravings is, why can’t I crave kale and spinach with a side of quinoa? That would be handy. I’ve started to take note of all the strange hankerings I’ve been having this time around, and I’ve noticed I can narrow it down to a few key categories.
Meat: I’m digging smoked pulled pork sandwiches to be exact, and big, juicy burgers. Not the best, but hey, at least I can chalk it up to adding some protein to my diet.
Chips: Let’s just say, the saltier, the better. I’ve had to actually stop purchasing them in the large bags because the regret that I had when I reached the bottom was getting to be a bit much.
Chocolate: With Halloween coming up and a toddler actually big enough to go trick-or-treating now, I’m getting a little worried about my current love of chocolate. But as my husband will probably tell you, this isn’t as much a pregnancy cravings, as it is an everyday craving.
Anything that is on the typical “do not eat when pregnant” list: Call me a wild child, but it seems like anything that’s a typical no-no for pregnant gals is calling my name. Examples of this would include: a cold cut sandwich with salami (not microwaved), a hotdog and a big chunk of unpasteurized cheese, especially brie!
So, while I’m still trying to balance the treats with some nutrients each day, please tell me I’m not the only one who fully accepts and embraces the pregnancy craving! What are you all hankering for these days?
