Manage Pregnancy Food Aversions

Many women have aversions to food while pregnant. Often, the main culprits are meat-based protein, milk, and greens, which of course are foods that provide valuable nutrition. You can make these foods more palatable, but you can also try to get those nutrients from other foods so you don't have to stomach foods that make you feel nauseated.

Steps

Making the Food More Palatable

1. Hide your protein. If you're having trouble with the visual of protein, you can try hiding meats in your favorite casseroles. Some women find this trick can make it easier to stomach these proteins, since you won't have to look at a slab of meat.
   • For instance, you could add finely shredded chicken to a taco casserole or include some ground beef in a baked ziti recipe with marinara sauce.
2. Try eating foods cold. It may be that the biggest problem you have with certain foods is the smell. Eating foods cold may help cut down on that problem. For instance, you cold try eating grilled chicken breast cold on a salad instead of hot off the grill.
   • You could also try eating sliced cold pork loin in a sandwich rather than having it hot.
3. Sneak milk into other foods. If you're having trouble stomaching the thought of a glass of milk, add it to other foods. You can add yogurt to smoothies or milk to casseroles, for instance. You likely won't notice the milk when it's concealed in another food.
   • For example, if you're making a baked ziti casserole, you can add a bit of milk to the sauce to make it creamy, then add cheese to the top.
4. Add greens to smoothies. If greens are turning you green, try adding them into places you won't notice. You can blend them into smoothies, for instance, or blend them up and add them to sauces (such as spaghetti sauce). You'll get the nutrients, but you won't have to taste them.
   • For instance, you could puree cooked spinach with some water, then add it to a jar of spaghetti sauce in a pan.
   • For a smoothie, try adding some of your favorite fruits, such as berries, pineapple, banana, or mango, to a smoothie with greens to help hide the flavor.

Getting Key Nutrients from Other Foods

1. Eat vegetarian protein if meat makes you nauseated. Some women have trouble with meat-based protein while pregnant. If that's the case, try adding in more vegetarian sources of protein, such as tofu, beans, legumes, and nuts.
   • You can also try eggs if you can stomach them.
2. Get your calcium elsewhere. Some women don't like milk while pregnant. You can reach for other dairy instead, such as cheese or even chocolate pudding. However, if that upsets your stomach, try reaching for other sources of calcium that have no dairy at all.
   • Some great sources of calcium include tofu fortified with calcium, canned salmon mashed up with the bones, green, leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified orange juice, and fortified breads and tortillas.
3. Figure out which fresh produce you can tolerate. You may be having a hard time with leafy greens. If they're a problem, try filling up on other vegetables, particularly red, yellow, and orange ones. If that still doesn't solve the problem, opt for fruits instead, such as apricots, papayas, and cantaloupe.

Using Other Tricks to Get the Right Nutrients

1. Try again in a couple of weeks. In some cases, you'll only have an aversion to a food at certain parts of your pregnancy. You may find that if you wait a few weeks, you'll be able to stomach the food again.
2. Ask for an anti-nausea drug. Sometimes, your aversions may be related to morning sickness. If that's the case, taking an anti-nausea drug may help. Either way, talk to your doctor, who may be able to offer you some medical help.
3. Don't force it. If these tricks don't work, don't try to force yourself to eat it, especially if it makes yourself feel sick. Just try to make up for what you're missing with other foods, so you're not missing out on the nutrients.
   • In fact, some aversions may be good for you. For instance, some women have aversions to tea or coffee, which just means you cut down on your caffeine. That's definitely not a bad thing when you're pregnant!
4. Get all the right nutrients. You do need certain nutrients when pregnant. One way to make sure you are getting what you need is by taking Choose a Prenatal Vitamin. The main nutrients you need to get extra of are iron, folic acid, calcium, and protein. Most sources of protein also have iron in them, and of course, you can get calcium from both dairy and leafy greens or fortified breads.
   • Greens, fortified cereals, beans, legumes, and nuts are all good sources of folic acid.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Exercise Safely During Pregnancy
• Tell Your Grandparents You're Pregnant
• Tell the Position of a Baby in the Uterus
• Plan a Postpartum Beauty Routine
• Find Out Your Baby's Sex
• Tell Coworkers You're Pregnant
• Determine How Many Weeks Pregnant You Are
• Treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder During Pregnancy
• Make Your Water Break
• Emotionally Prepare for Pregnancy

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