Cooking Through my Pregnancy

A creamy wild mushroom pasta dish in the making with noodles made from scratch; or, a perfect Sunday.

Welcome to my blog (this sounds so tacky but I'll roll with it). I am a world traveler turned mother-to-be who likes to cook new healthy recipes daily and force-expose the world to these through countless Instagram stories. I like to believe I have exquisite techniques whilst in the kitchen, however I am a normal young (is 26 still considered mid-twenties, and how do I get a pass?!) 9 to 5 working woman who enjoys DIYs and creating fancy meals on a dime. So I may have worked in war zones and experienced tons of culture shocks and bomb shelters (kidding, only twice), I also love writing thank you cards, cooking fresh greens and hiding spinach in everything my boyfriend eats. I also have a Scottish Fold cat named Steve (I believe this cat lady status just added 20 years to my actual age) and I am more disarmingly upfront and sarcastic than any person you've ever met- blame my Ukrainian side, my French side is poised and -somehow- extremely polite. I also love neutral tones and all-white everything, although finding out I was having a daughter made me buy every shade of pink I could possibly find- the identity crisis was poignant. Oh yes, this is titled 'cooking through my pregnancy'. Well, keep reading then. I promise to stay on topic.

Pregnancy cravings: Orange you glad it wasn't cake?

Did you guess it by now? Yes. I have somehow had healthy cravings. Didn't stop my chin from tripling (I should name them) but my snacks have been healthy nonetheless.

So you may consider me lucky, but my incredibly irresistible craving has been...dum dum dum.. ORANGES. I swear, each bite is like drinking a gallon of Orange Crush. So sweet and refreshing. Every time I think What. The. Heck. I should've been eating four-five of these a day throughout my entire life (yes, I also heard the song starting in my head). As I am currently approaching week 31, my cravings have been more or less chocolate and pancakes (luckily the latter is harder to find at anytime of the day). Part of me fears that, since I gained around 30 lbs, at this point, my brain just thinks, why not indulge since the worst has already happened? Kidding. Or at least don't tell my future self.

However, another factor to consider: chocolate contains caffeine. So you can't actually binge eat it like the girl who gets broken up with in the movies. Loophole? Why of course. White chocolate. You're not welcome, husbands or wives stuck watching your preggo partner finding that one out. Your life just took a whole other turn.

Food aversions: that time I became a vegetarian

As your can get by the title of this section, I have never claimed to be a vegan or a vegetarian, however pregnancy swayed me in that direction without me even realizing it. See, you can't eat seared scallops, there's an article written against any type of fish you may want to taste, say goodbye to sushi or red meat (and ya, enjoy your dry steak while you're at it), adios to sashimi and that pink duck meat- so what do you have left, chicken? WELL imagine if the sight of it now makes you sick? Indeed, chicken early on became my newest enemy (after sleep and a balanced mood), leaving me with sweet potatoes and tomato pasta dishes. I honestly can't complain though, cooking vegetarian meals has been an amazing ride so far. From basil gnocchi and heirloom tomato naan pizzas to mushroom Stroganoff and Cremini risotto, our plates have been very colourful and herbs-filled. So hey, food aversions aren't all bad. But please, don't be foolish, the minute I give birth I am ordering all the takeout sushi you can imagine. I'll start saving up now.

Pregnancy and portion control

Spoiler alert, I did not.

Well that part is rather easy to tell. You don't get to tell a pregnant woman when to stop eating. Repeat after me. You do not. Next topic!

No really, in all seriousness, I never really did anyways. So pregnancy didn't change much of that. I still eat a lot. And I know what you're thinking, you're one of those really skinny fit girls who like to brag about how they eat tons and everyone always asks how they don't gain a pound- chuckles and plays with her hair (*cough* get a life). However no, I've always been healthy looking, a little curvy here and there and unfortunately able to hold my arm fat comfortably, without trying too hard. But the point is I eat clean and I'm happy- and ya, small- so I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Although I'd like to point out that this pregnancy came at a perfect time as my stomach was one sandwich away from being not-so-flat anymore.

Is bread a carb?

Lastly, yes, you will be very nauseous during your first trimester and you may just want to live on toasts and water. But it'll pass. The minute your clothes stop fitting and your bump starts showing, all your thoughts on food expectations and diets will fly out the window. Because you're about to be a mama and nothing will ever be more life-changing and exciting! So yes, ask for butter on your bread and take that extra chocolatine your co-worker hands you (mine have been angels by the way!?) because your thighs will deflate and your face- well, I can't promise that, I'm just trying to encourage myself as well- you know what? You'll be gorgeous. No matter what. Good luck!