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Food Facts, Cravings and Cautions

The Formula for a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

By Jennifer Lacey

So what kinds of food choices are available to expectant women who have been following a strict vegetarian diet prior to conception? Although most medical specialists will usually not recommend starting a strict vegan diet during pregnancy, most believe a woman can successfully maintain her practice during the pregnancy if she does so carefully. "If a woman is a lacto-ovo or lacto vegetarian, she can probably remain on that diet if she has adequate intake of milk, eggs [and] cheese in addition to beans, soybeans, whole grains, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats," says Levine.

The urge for sweet gerkin pickles, chocolate fudge ice cream, mashed buttery potatoes, creamy milkshakes and the like are all common food cravings many women experience during the course of their pregnancies. Researchers have long tried to uncover the indication that a hunger for a certain type of food signals a mom-to-be's body lacking the specific nutrients that the food contains. Although there has been no confirmation of the link, it remains unclear why cravings occur in some women. Most specialists and dietitians agree that it is perfectly normal to follow your cravings from time to time, as long as these foods will help contribute to your healthy daily caloric intake.

"If you question anyone, whether pregnant or not, about cravings, most people have some sweet cravings," says Levine. "Other people crave salty foods. With morning sickness so prevalent in many pregnancies, when women feel better during the day, their cravings seem to become more prominent."

Want to see more?

• Pregnancy Nutrition From A to Z: A Comprehensive List of Nutrition Issues for Moms-to-be
• An Even Dozen: Tips from the Surgeon General for a Safer, Healthier Mom and Baby
• Two of Everything, Please: Debunking the Myth
  of Eating for Two
• Talk about it!

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