I thought that I would share a post today about what I have been eating so far throughout my vegan pregnancy. Although eating  is sometimes the last thing I want to do because I feel so bloated and nauseous most of the time and the other half of the time I am dealing with indigestion, I must and I have made it my goal to eat as healthily as I can. Of course I still have cravings and love my baked goods so I allow myself cake, cookies and even pizza, but I make those things myself using healthy ingredients. Here is a list of things that my baby loves.

1. Oatmeal. Every morning. I love my oatmeal with fresh fruit in it and a little maple syrup. It is my favorite breakfast and has been for years. A big bowl of oatmeal always gives me a great start to my day.

2. Banana Pancakes. The girls beg and I make ’em. Pancakes are their favorite breakfast and when I am making some for me to have too, I make banana pancakes. They are made with whole wheat flour, bananas (of course), topped with pure maple syrup and served with fresh fruit. Yummy!

3. Apples. We have always gone through dozens of apples/week in this house because they are everyone’s favorite snack. If I am getting hungry and feeling tired, I reach for an apple and I get the energy that I need. I find that I need to be eating continually to avoid getting really nauseous and apples always make me feel great.

4. Veggies Love  Macaroni and Cheese. I have been living off of this meal for the past few weeks. It keeps me nice and full and gives baby and me so many nutrients. When I make meals, I have been making more than I need so that I have leftovers on hand for the next days lunch and so that I don’t have to cook so much and have more time to rest if I need to. This is one meal that my baby loves. I never feel sick after this meal and it is a great way to down a bunch of veggies. Lately I have been enjoying it with broccoli, cauliflower and peas.

5. Tofu Salad Sandwiches. This is another favorite lunch of mine. I usually have some kind of sandwich for lunch and some raw veggies or salad. Other favorite sandwiches of mine are zucchini and sun dried tomato or avocado and cucumber.

6. Toast with tomatoes and raw veggies and hummus. A great light meal, that doesn’t leave me feeling icky.

7. KALE CHIPS!! Should be number one really. I love, love, love kale chips. I often eat them by themselves as a snack, but if I want them for lunch I usually make some mashed potatoes and corn and a big pile of kale chips. It is one of my favorite meals. Lately I have been mashing my potatoes with the skin on and leaving them a bit chunky. Mmmm.

8. Smoky Hickory Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers. For dinner we have all been enjoying burgers with either potatoes or some vegetables and with the leftover ‘meat’ we have been making taco salad. Baby loves both.

9. Veggie Loaded Pizza with Homemade Green Goddess Pizza Sauce. Pizza is another super easy meal that you can eat a lot of veggies with. Craig and I enjoy pizza without cheese and loaded with veggies,(tomato, zucchini, red onion and peppers usually) but the girls like theirs with just cheese. So I make both and sometimes top our veggie pizzas with cheese too. Although they don’t like veggies on their pizza, I always make my own pizza sauce with spinach in it and the kids don’t even notice. It is a great way to get everyone to eat their greens. 🙂

10. Tofu Bacon! I have read so much on vegan and vegetarian women who got pregnant and started craving meat. This tofu bacon is one thing I swear by. It tastes just like bacon. For those of you who want to satisfy a meat craving meat-free try this. I have also found that eating more hearty meals and wholesome calories rather than empty ones, helps with cravings. I think I have been doing very well so far craving-wise.

11. Blueberry Banana Muffins or Banana Bread. I have always loved muffins. Being pregnant I have found that these muffins make a great afternoon snack. They are super moist and made with maple syrup instead of sugar and whole wheat flour instead of white flour. They also are bursting with blueberries! What could be better? I also love banana bread and always have. I will have to post that recipe for you sometime soon.

So there are some of my favorite foods during my pregnancy so far! I knew I was pregnant back in December when I could no longer stand cookies or peanut butter, two of my favorite things. I can still say that my aversion to peanut butter remains strong after just recently trying to enjoy it again. Peanut butter and all nut butters are pretty much the only foods that I can’t stand the smell and sight of. Plus, I find that the are way too heavy in my stomach and make indigestion 100 times worse. Cookies no longer have a hold on me and I have spent more time chopping vegetables and preparing meals than baking. I feel good feeding my body what it wants and what makes me feel good and I think baby feels the same. At least I know he/she is getting a lot of good nutrition and I am making healthy choices.

I still have yet to get a doctor and discover my due date. We had originally wanted a midwife this time around because I decided that I wanted this pregnant to be more about me as a person, rather than a patient and wanted to do things more naturally this time around, but that is still up in the air. If I don’t find out soon about the midwife I guess that I will have to find a doctor. I am somewhere between 10 and 12 weeks for sure, which means 1/4 of the way there! I still can’t wait to get out in the sunshine again and go for walks. I haven’t done anything in the way of exercise for a long time and am feeling super lazy and lagging in energy. Still, I have to remind myself that I am not doing nothing. I am after all growing a human being and I know when it is all over I will miss it like crazy.

Have a happy day! 🙂