Craving meat... been veg for 19 years

[spatulagirl]

Oh my gosh I want meat so badly I can't even explain it. I am dying for a turkey bacon sandwich or something. But I haven't eaten meat in 19 years, since I was 15-years-old. I have never craved meat during a pregnancy, with the exception of the last pregnancy where I had a craving or two for tuna steak (which I didn't indulge in).

Oh my DH is mostly veg too (he eats fish sometimes) and he doesn't get it. I want it sooooo bad.

We are on a restricted diet right now due to putting our oldest on an elimination diet, so I can't even make a tofu steak or seitan or tempeh to try and satisfy these cravings.

[gradstudentmommy]

That happened to me with this pregnancy. I've been either vegetarian or vegan for most of my adult life but with this baby I totally craved steak. I gave in a few times to organic steak and surprisingly, not only did it not upset my stomach as I thought it would, but I felt great! (Not that I'm advocating breaking your vegetarian meal plan).

[bu's mama]

I was vegetarian for about 5 years & when I got pg w/ dd I was having steak obsessions! I figured it was something my body needed & same as pp, it didn't upset my stomach or make me feel icky.

I haven't gone back to being veg but I go through spurts of meat eating and then mostly plants.

[COVegMom]

Every once in a while I get a craving for bacon, which always seems weird because I never really liked it before I went veg. I just get a package of Smart Bacon, fry it up in EVOO, and make a BLT or just eat it plain. It usually does the trick.

I get wanting to support other family members in diet restrictions, but you are pregnant--you deserve a treat!

[MaerynPearl]

I'm not vegan but Id have to say... I sure did crave meat a lot this pregnancy... my other two pregnancies the cravings were for veggies or fruits or junk food. But this time all I want is protein (not just meats... eggs which I don't normally eat, dairy which i usually do avoid, beans and nuts too!)

Maybe baby wants more protein? If that's the case, beans and nuts should do the trick!

[dmpmercury]

I had cravings for meat during my dd's pregnancy and in the begining of this one. This time it went away pretty fast as long as I get a lot of protein. I didn't eat meat during my dd's pregnancy but the cravings lasted a little longer. You need a lot of extra protein so it may be just your bodies way of telling you to up your intake a little bit.

[etsdtm99]

i was vegetarian at the beginning of my first pregnancy.... had been for a few years... i gave up completely by about 36 weeks, i just couldn't handle it anymore - meat substitutes (tofu etc) made me feel REALLY sick and my body really really wanted it.. i felt like a million bucks when i finally gave in... i had just gone back to not eating meat right before i got pregnant this time (my 3rd) .. when i'm not pregnant and not breastfeeding a little one i feel better with no meat.. when i am, i just have to have it..

[new york momma]

Since the third trimester hit, I go to bed at night dreaming of hamburgers. BIG meaty hamburgers. I figured I couldn't have a hamburger for breakfast, so I started fantasizing about some sort of ridiculously meaty sausage link. I haven't given in yet, but may within the next ten weeks. I think the cravings tend to fade when I'm filled up with other foods like a baked potato or some hearty veggie soup.

[myk]

i'm not veg, but i cannot BELIEVE the meat cravings i'm having this time around! i thought it was a boy because for my first girl, i was "all ice cream, all the time".. this time, it's "give me great slabs of dead cow and nobody gets hurt".

cravings can be really weird. i wish there was something you could do to take the edge off!

[Ianthe]

[pregnant@40]

It could possibly be the iron your body wants. There's a lot of info on the web about how iron needs increase while stores decrease during pregnancy. I had pica my first pregnancy due to low iron. Perhaps talking to your practitioner about supplementation would be in order?

[Smokering]

spatulagirl: How do you feel about indulging the craving? If you're veggie for ethical reasons, I can see how that would be a no-can-do, but if you chose the lifestyle for health reasons or personal preference or whatever, would a free-range grass-fed steak be an acceptable occasional treat?

If not, I'd say you should try to work LOTS of protein into your diet, get your iron levels checked, up your good fats, and maybe up your non-meat animal products (if you eat them): eggs, butter, milk, yoghurt, cheese and so on.

[NewMoonMum]

ITA with Smokering-if you're veggie for ethical reasons, you might end up beating yourself up over guilt. I've been veg for almost 20 years, and I know the times I've accidentally ingested meat I've been pretty consumed with guilt over it-not what you need while you are pg!
As for the food restriction, could you try indulging when your child is napping, in bed, out elsewhere-even have your DH make some extra outings with LO so you can try to get your fix?
Then if it's other reasons that you'd be emotionally ok with eating meat, probably just start small, so you don't get ill!

Funny, I've had several (frankly very annoying) people saying they bet I'd crave meat while preggo. Well with #1 and with this one, the thought makes me just as ill as ever! SO weird how differently every body reacts to pregnancy!

[frugalmum]

hi I think it can be unhealthy to apply strict labels to one's eating habits. I eat mostly vegan but occasionally do eat meat or dairy. I guess I could say I am vegan-oriented but not fully vegan. I certainly don't beat myself up for having a little meat or dairy from time to time. I don't know your reasons for being veg; if they are not strictly animal treatment reasons perhaps you could have a grilled chicken sandwich outside the house a few times a week.

I too crave meat when I am pregnant. I listen to my cravings and have some-- not a lot-- but maybe 3 times a week at most. Once your body gets what it needs the cravings will go away. The only cravings I wouldn't give into are junkfood cravings.... sugar, refined carbs, deep fried foods, etc..

If you don't want to give into the craving, make sure you are eating loads of protein from veg sources, like beans and nuts.

[greenmulberry]

Oh dear, I crave meat hardcore sometimes. Especially at the beginning of pregnancy.

Meat, and anything with vinegar.

They did a test of my iron along with a bunch of other stuff and was all normal.

[spatulagirl]

Thank you ladies. I knew someone here would understand.

I loaded up on protein and fat last night, had quinoa for breakfast this morning and after DD1 was finished with speech therapy, we went to the co-op and I got a vegan reuban. Of course, while I was ordering that reuban, I was eyeing the roast beef panini and salivating. Then I craved it the entire drive home LOL

So I had greek yogurt and apples with peanut butter when I got home and that was better.

I told DH what I was craving last night and he said "That is disgusting". I think that means if I do give in, I will be sneaking it out of the house and then brushing my teeth.

I am not against eating meat but would like to avoid it if possible. But I don't think I will feel as guilty now if I do give in so thanks!

[WifeofAnt]

I'm not vegetarian but the majority of my aversions-turned-cravings have been meat. I couldn't eat beef at all in my first trimester. Bacon however... I couldn't get enough pork. Pork chops, bacon, ham, I even preferred it to chocolate. Chicken was my middle ground. I can eat it but I don't crave it.

Maybe you could satisfy your meat craving with something less gross... low-mercury fish maybe?

[texmati]

I'm vegetarian, and I feel guilty when my coworkers bring meat and it makes me hungry.

Cravings are weird-- there was a thread on here a while back full of veg mama's who admitted that they loved the smell of tires and gasoline during pregnancy. Go figure!

I wouldn't break my veg diet, any more than I would start chewing on rubber. But then I've never been a eat anything during pregnancy gal either.

[Galatea]

I wouldn't worry about what your dh thinks, either... let him gestate four times if he is so tough!

But this reminds me of Friends... Phoebe needs meat while she is pg, so the deal is Joey will be vegetarian while she eats meat so it balances out.

[Lucy&Jude'sMama]

I was only slightly vegitarian for a year before I became pregnant with number 2. I ate fish, but that was the only animal protien. For me the choice was made because I wanted to try something new and for overall health reasons. I felt good physically being vegitarian so it was easy. I was never huge into meat anyway. Never craved it for the year I was veggie. I found substitutes for all my favorite foods and actually prefered the veggie versions. Except fish... I added fish back into my diet after about 6 months.

Then when I became pregnant with #2. OMG I CRAVED MEAT LIKE I'VE NEVER CRAVED IT IN MY LIFE! Even when I ate meat regularly! lol! The night I told my family I was pregnant my mom made a tri tip and then gave me tofu to make for myself... I almost cried while eating my tofu. The next day I went out and ordered a huge tri tip sandwich and enjoyed ever single bite! LOL!

On a funny note... I have absolutely 0 cravings for fish. I typically love fish but I'm really not even interested in eating it now.

At this point I don't see myself going back fully vegitarian after this pregnancy. Right now if I don't have some kind of meat daily I feel really sick. I'm eating meat that I typically hated... Like chicken. I use to hate chicken and now I crave chicken salad all the time!

I never wanted my diet to be something I had to force myself into. I just like to go with the flow.