I just read an interview with Tiffani Thiessen, a long time vegetarian, in which she expresses remorse over indulging in her pregnancy craving: red meat. Pregnancy cravings are strange like that. They often completely contradict our normal preferences. For one, where I had always loved hamburgers, I could not stand the site of beef while pregnant. I never thought much of unsweetened decaf tea before I was pregnant, but it was one of the only things I drank during my first two trimesters. Those were just my preferences, though; they weren’t based on any kind of moral standards I held concerning beef or tea. I have a tough time imagining how I would reconcile a red meat craving with vegetarianism.
I would guess that Tiffani is not alone in her situation. About twelve million Americans are vegetarians according to a PETA fact sheet. Many of those are likely pregnant women like Tiffani and I’m sure that she is not the only one craving red meat. It could even be a sign that her body needs more iron.
Cravings are extremely difficult to resist during pregnancy. It’s understandable that Tiffani would find herself giving into her red meat cravings. It is hurting her conscience, but it’s not hurting her or her baby. Protein is great for pregnant women. Most cravings are okay to indulge in once in a while. The exception would be cravings for non-food items, which is the case when a woman has a condition known as Pica. Pica is a sign of an iron deficiency and many women with this strange condition will crave things like clay or dirt. Obviously if you find yourself experiencing an intense urge to eat the paint off the wall, you should call your doctor. Addressing the diet deficiency is often enough to quell the odd cravings.
When your cravings contradict your identity or your standards, you have the choice of either temporarily giving in or finding a way to ignore those cravings. You have to ask yourself two questions: (1) how healthy is the food you’re craving? And (2) how important is it that you keep your standards? The answers to those questions will help you decide. If you decide to ignore the craving, but you are having a hard time, try taking a fifteen minute walk. For most women, that alone will curb the craving (at least temporarily).