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A Cheer for Chopsticks

Eating Asian-Healthy during Pregnancy

By Kelly Burgess

After many years of trying, Martha Rose Shulman was delighted to find herself pregnant at age 43. Shulman, already a well-respected cookbook author, knew the risks of having a child after age 35, and wanted to do everything she could to have a healthy pregnancy. What she found was that there were few resources for cooking good food during pregnancy. Her experience prompted her to write E very Woman's Guide to Eating During Pregnancy (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002). Many of the recipes in her book rely on Asian-inspired ingredients and preparation methods.

"I was definitely an older mother, and in the early months I had a lot of nausea," says Shulman. "After I got past that, I had a really good pregnancy and ate really well. A good diet will always improv your chances of having a healthy baby no matter how old you are."

Shulman notes that when a woman is pregnant, especially in the early months, hunks of meat often turn her off. This makes the light emphasis on meats in the Asian diet, and the use of alternative protein sources such as soy and bean, a more palatable alternative to the traditional American diet. In addition, says Shulman, a pregnant woman often craves salt, and the flavors of the soy-based sauces used in Asian cooking seem very appealing to the pregnant palate.

Another attractive component of the Asian diet, particularly in the early months of pregnancy, is the ease of preparation. Shulman teaches classes to pregnant women, and she's aware through her interaction with her pupils and through her own experience that a pregnant woman is often tired and doesn't want to spend a lot of time cooking. In her classes, she tries to focus on produce and how easy it is to prepare. "I show them that you can buy a lot of greens at once and clean, blanch and bag them; then it just takes five minutes to stir fry or steam," says Shulman. "My general approach is to find five dishes that are easy to make and use good ingredients."

Want to see more?

• Are You a Veggie-Mama?
• Is Seafood Safe During Pregnancy?
• Chinese Take-out Again? Hang Up That Phone and Cook It at Home!
• Recipes
• Talk about it!

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