Eco Pregnancy and Baby

What should you eat when you’re pregnant? Just ask Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, the senior Food & Nutrition editor at Health magazine, where she works on healthy recipes, food trends, weight loss issues, and the latest nutrition research. She’s the author of the brand new book Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom’s Healthy Eating Guide (Sourcebooks, Inc., May 1, 2009).*

Actually, I just asked her for you, and here’s what she says about pregnancy nutrition:

Q. Momma munchies – Why do pregnant women get them and how can they satisfy their inevitable cravings in a healthful way that also meets their green goals?

A. Researchers still don’t know why pregnancy brings on all sorts of food cravings and aversions. Some scientists think that cravings are simply learned behaviors (if you’re expected to crave ice cream, you probably will), while others believe we crave foods that are rich in the nutrients we need for a healthy pregnancy. Most women (85 percent of us) do experience cravings during pregnancy.

I encourage women to indulge their cravings! That’s why I created the recipes in the book. They all help satisfy the biggest cravings that women experience: sweet, meaty, salty/savory, spicy, and thirst-quenching. I took typical comfort foods like meatloaf and mac and cheese, and bumped up their nutritional value. It’s always best to cook your own food when you can, because that let’s you control the amount of fat and salt, and you can also use the healthiest organic and local ingredients.

If you can’t cook up something healthy to feed your craving for something less than healthy — say salt and vinegar potato chips — just buy a small bag and savor each bite.

Q. Other than fish marinated in mercury, what foods should women limit or avoid during pregnancy?

A. Here’s my list of the top 10 things to avoid. The raw milk, cheese, and lunch meats are on the list due to the risk of the listeria. Listeria is a foodborne illness that can cross the placenta and lead to miscarriage. It’s tough not eating deli sandwiches, but why risk it! I found that not being able to eat so many sandwiches got me to eat more salads.

1. Alcohol.
2. Tobacco (weed, too!).
3. Caffeine; limit it as much as possible. That includes energy drinks that contain natural forms of caffeine, like guarana, yerba mate, or ginseng.
4. Unpasteurized (raw) milk, juice, and other beverages.
5. Unpasteurized soft cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert, blue cheese, feta, and queso fresco.
6. Processed meats, such as lunch meat, hot dogs (unless they’re steaming hot), lox, meat spreads, and pâté.
7. Raw foods, including meat, fish (sushi), shellfish, eggs (sorry, that includes raw cookie dough), and sprouts (including alfalfa, mung, clover, and radish).
8. Fish high in mercury (cooked or uncooked), such as swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, and shark.
9. Herbal supplements.
10. Artificial sweeteners (unless you’re diabetic).

Q. Even with the best of intentions, who doesn’t want to throw the rules out the window at the end of the third trimester. We’re tired of waiting and we want to wallow in chocolate, or wine, or whatever. Any advice?

A. It’s so hard at the end, especially if you’ve been really good about eating healthy. There’s actually nothing wrong with eating chocolate! In fact, researchers have found that expecting moms who eat chocolate daily actually have happier babies. And it appears that the theobromine (a phytochemical in chocolate) may help reduce your risk of preeclampsia.

As far as wine goes, talk to your doctor. My Ob/Gyn actually advised me to have a glass of wine during the last week or so of pregnancy — especially during early labor!

Q. Feed the Belly is such a great book title. How did you come up with it?

A. The health and development of your growing baby is so dependent on what you eat when you’re pregnant, so you have to feed your belly right!

Q. Would you share one of your irresistible green and healthy recipes for moms-to-be?

A. There’s something about fresh figs that just gets me. Maybe it’s because I remember my mother telling me stories about she and my father devouring them on their honeymoon in Italy, or maybe it’s their rich, meaty, and voluptuous texture. Either way, they are something to behold, but they’re only in season from mid-summer to early fall. This salad is delicious with fresh or dried figs.

Momma Must-Have: Figs are total nutrition stars. Packed with calcium, fiber, and potassium, they’re an indulgent way to stay healthy.

Warm Fig Salad with Pecans

6 fresh or dried figs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1½ tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups organic salad greens
½ cup pecans
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a small bowl, toss figs with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Place on a baking
sheet and bake for 10 minutes. R emove from oven and cool.
3. While the figs are baking, whisk together the remaining olive oil,
vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
4. Slice cooled figs in half lengthwise. Place salad greens in a large
serving bowl, and add the dressing, figs, and pecans, and toss.
Divide salad onto 4 plates and serve.

Calories 253; Fat 17.5g (Sat 2g, Mono 5g, Poly 1g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Protein 4 g;
Carbohydrate 23 g; Sugars 9 g; Fiber 6 g; Iron 1 mg; Sodium 160 mg; Calcium 30 mg

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*For more information about Frances and Feed the Belly, please visit: www.franceslargemanroth.com.

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