No, I haven't created some wild new dish and am wanting to test it out on my friends. You probably wouldn't want to try something that combined the above three anyway. I found myself disucssing food cravings with several of my girlfriends pregnant currently and in the past. What I have decided is hormones can do crazy things to the appetite.
When I found out I was pregnant and was expecting my little Monkey, it was March 6. NOt exactly prime fruit and veggie time in Bowling Green, KY. Nevertheless, my body craved and longed for watermelon. I didn't care if I had to pay $7 for a small sugar baby, the second I saw one of those delectable green gourds, I bought it! Now there is a tradition, albeit one I practice myself solely, but a tradition regardless, of bringing home my watermelon and letting it cool over a vent in the kitchen. My grandmother Connie Henderson always had one waiting for me when we visited her in the summertime in Ripley, TN. It makes them taste much better you know. :) So in keeping with this practice, my watermelons spend as long as they possibly can by the vent.
When I can no longer stand the wait, I get out my tools; a large wooden cutting board, my butcher knofe, a melon baller and two rectangular ziploc tubs. Then the melon balling commences. I can easily ball an entire watermelon while talking on the phone, and watching a Golden Girls episode in less than 5 minutes. Its a talent. what can I say...
Enough about me and my cravings. What I found to be so interesting were the craving the other ladies I know have now and have had in the past.
Craving Category 1: Watery Foods.
I suppose watermelon fits in here, but ice, icees, sherbert, soup, and fruits of all types fit nicely as well. Janice and I, while at the farmer's market last year, discussed her craving for Sonic Ice. Every morning she had to drive thru and pick up a cup to munch on while working.
One of the ladies from my bible study group just craved watery foods in general.
Craving Category 2: Meat.
I've been faithful to my cause of cutting out caffeine; however, this poses a problem. There really isn't much to drink when you aren't going for the carbonated, caffeinated thrist quenchers. I make it a point to keep a bottle of water handy. I was filling up at the Minit Mart the other day, and ran inside to get my bottle. I made it to the checkout and the man who mornally waits on me noticed my belly protruding. He got up the nerve fianlly and asked. I just laughed and told him yes, we were expecting in November.
He then began to tell me about his wife's crazy meat cravings. She didn't particualrly fancy herself as a meat person, but found that pregnancy created a newfound love for the food group. They would walk through Kroger and she would find herself drawn to the meat department staring at a case of fish, steaks and pork chops. The funniest part he said was under normal circumstances she couldn't tand the thought of seafood. Oh waht our hormones can do!
Craving Category 3: Salty vs. Sweet
What is it about pregnancy cravings that makes us think of pickles and ice cream. I can remember my mother dipping little mini pickles into her coffer cups of ice cream and gagging a bit at the thought. What compells moms-to-be to mix the salt and sweet? Perhaps we'll never know.
If we really want to get technical we can look into the science of the sweet and salty tastes that we are drawn to. Some scientist believe its our natural instinct to be able to isolate bitter tstes during pregngany. Most plants we are supposed to shy away from during this time that are harmful carry with them a bitter taste, so naturally we can detect them more easily. Another thoughts is that due to our increased blood volume our need for sodium increases, thus the craving for potato chips and dill pcikles.
I read in a book loaned to me early on in my first tri-mester, craving are the bodies way of getting what we lack nutritionally to take care of our sweet peas while they grow. It bothered me at first to read this. I'm a fairly healthy person, I eat but not in excess. I watch my sweets and pay attention to the nutritional labels. But then the more I thought of it, I relaxed and told myself something I use in moments when I feel fear gripping me; women have been doing this for thousands of years. I was made to carry this little man! If you think you are a worrier before your a re with child, just wait. But that is another story.
Until then, enjoy those watermelon balls, burnt bacon breakfast sandwiches, and pickles dipped in chocolate ice cream! Ta Ta. :)
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