Aversions and Cream-less Creamy Broccoli Soup

So, equally important to discuss cravings in pregnancy, it is also important to discuss the ever present aversions that occur sooner than you can shake a pregnancy stick.

In my first pregnancy my strongest aversions were to eggs and tea of any kind, so I was interested to see what my aversions would be the second time around. Sadly, I was distraught to find out that anything green typically fell into the aversion category. I used to eat kale and eggs for breakfast! So, as you can imagine, as a holistic health counselor who basically couldn't stand the smell of greens, nevermind put them anywhere near my mouth, I was in a bit of a dilemma. Do I eat these things that I know are healthy and good for me and good for my baby? Or do I skip them until I feel up to eating them and eat something else?

The answer was, a resounding, "skip it". While I do teach my clients the benefits of eating greens as a daily staple in the diet, I also discuss the concept of intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is basically a way of eating that relies on listening to your body and using it as a guide to a healthy and balanced diet. I tell my clients if they hate milk and have to force themselves to eat dairy to get their calcium because they think they "should", I tell them to stop and see if their symptoms feel better. If you are in the mood for red meat, eat a bit. If in the mood for salad, eat it. Basically those messages mean your body wants/needs something or doesn't want or need something. You get the idea. So when it came to being pregnant, I thought I'd better listen to my body and eat what it says, not what my brain thinks it should eat. And the aversions will change daily. So follow your nose and your instincts daily, your tummy and baby will thank you.

So, if you are pregnant and you have something you are averted to, but are eating it because you think you "should", stop it! Greens and vegetables are typically an aversion in the first trimester, and you can try them again in a few weeks. In fact, skipping them may help your nausea. If you can't stand milk, but you are holding your nose to drink it down, there are plenty of other ways to get your calcium--sesame seeds, homemade chicken stock, grains, beans, and broccoli are all examples.

So, now that we discussed what you don't want to eat--here is a recipe you may want to eat. It is a healthy soup I whipped up when averted to most veggies. It helped me feel comforted, while giving me some of those vitamins/minerals I was missing from my other greens.

Cream-less Creamy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1 good sized carrot

minced clove of garlic

1-2 tbs olive oil

head of broccoli

good tasting veggie or chicken stock

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Dice carrots into small pieces, and mince garlic. Place into saucepan with olive oil.


2. Saute for roughly 5 minutes until carrots are tender.


3. Cut up broccoli into small florets and dice up the stalk. Add to saucepan.


4. Add stock until just covered or a bit less.


5. Cover and boil for a several minutes until the broccoli is soft and carrots are cooked.


6. Place in food processor and puree until smooth.


7. Add more stock to desired consistency. I like mine pretty thick, so I use less stock.


8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can add other things like onions, mushrooms, and/or peppers when you saute the carrots, but I like mine pretty simple, especially during the earlier weeks of my pregnancy. I also made other versions with butternut squash and sweet potatoes, depending on what I was in the mood for at the time. You could make something similar with asparagus or pumpkin too. The options are limitless.

The other good thing about this recipe is that, with a couple of tweaks, it could be baby food. So you can get rather good and make the veggies plain with water--and you will become an expert on homemade baby food.

Enjoy!

In health and wellness,

Nicole