Pregnancy is an exciting time meant to be enjoyed and celebrated with family and friends. You have one
problem, however: You’re constantly hungry! You want to eat everything in sight, but have your health and that
of your unborn baby to think of before inhaling that extra slice of pizza and can of diet soda. “What should I
eat now?” you may be asking yourself at every meal and at snack times.
The quality of the food you eat is continually on your mind, and the gamut of health issues you now need to consider can make your head spin. First, you want to eat nutritious food. Then, you need to keep an eye out for the mercury in fish, and the chemicals and additives in conventional meats, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. To complicate matters, you should try to avoid toxins lurking in the kitchen, which can be found in everything from tap water and cleaning supplies to pans and plastic containers used to store food.
Here’s the good news: eating a nutritious, nontoxic, and environmentally-friendly diet during your pregnancy is easier than you think. Take as a case in point the transformation I made when I got pregnant.
As a lifelong lacto-vegetarian who does not eat eggs or fish (my mother became a vegetarian before I was
conceived), I ate whole and refined grains, beans, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and desserts. But my diet had a few
essential flaws—flaws far too common in the eating habits of many women today. I often ate “on the run,”
overlooking the nutrients and chemical additives in my meals. Plus, I treated myself to snacks made of refined
carbohydrates, or “empty carbs”—foods high in sugar and low in nutrients like ice cream and cookies—to curb
my cravings for sweets.
Everything changed when I got pregnant. My first trimester was plagued with uncontrollable hunger. I was starving all the time! I needed to start eating nutritious food more consistently—for every meal and snack, which would fill me up for longer periods of time. Also, even though I was taking a prenatal vitamin, I had no idea if I was getting enough of the major nutrients important for the health of my unborn baby, such as iron, protein and omega-3 fats. In addition, I felt panicked about the toxic chemicals and additives found in so many packaged and conventionally grown (nonorganic) foods. These chemicals could harm the health of my baby! Plus, I wanted to start eating a diet that was more environmentally-friendly. Now that I was bringing a child (a boy) into the world, I wanted to help keep it a safe place for him to live.
How could I address all of these concerns? Simple. I needed to change my diet. I did research on my own and consulted with a number of healthcare experts, including contributing author Thauna Abrin, ND, a naturopathic doctor and trained midwife who is also my sister. I adapted the meal recommendations I received to meet my lifestyle requirement—most with The Green Pregnancy Diet preparation time of fifteen minutes or less.
The result was a healthy diet of meals that:
• Were easy to make
• Included nutrients important to get during
pregnancy
• Used whole grain, nontoxic, environmentallyfriendly
ingredients
• Curbed my food cravings
• Tasted good!
Next, I made a few, basic changes to my kitchen supplies and habits to keep environmental toxins out of my
kitchen and cut down on waste. Before I knew it, I was eating green and feeling great. The information I used to make my transformation is found in this book:
• Basic tips on how to eat a nontoxic, environmentally-friendly diet
• Simple definitions of the different nutrients, food groups and portion sizes you need during your pregnancy
• Explanations of the toxins in kitchen products that could be harmful, and easy ways to avoid them
• Tips on ways to have an environmentally friendly kitchen
• Quick, nutritious, and flavorful recipes without the added toxins, chemicals or empty carbs
With the wealth of green lifestyle and healthy food choices now available, it has never been easier to start eating green during your pregnancy—when it counts most.
The information in this book is not intended as medical advice; it’s more of a guide to help you make greener
eating choices. Consult with your healthcare provider if you have questions about pregnancy.
Cooking and eating during pregnancy should be fun and easy. So enjoy reading this book; once you’re done,
throw together the recipe ingredients and dig in!
Radha McLean
problem, however: You’re constantly hungry! You want to eat everything in sight, but have your health and that
of your unborn baby to think of before inhaling that extra slice of pizza and can of diet soda. “What should I
eat now?” you may be asking yourself at every meal and at snack times.
The quality of the food you eat is continually on your mind, and the gamut of health issues you now need to consider can make your head spin. First, you want to eat nutritious food. Then, you need to keep an eye out for the mercury in fish, and the chemicals and additives in conventional meats, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. To complicate matters, you should try to avoid toxins lurking in the kitchen, which can be found in everything from tap water and cleaning supplies to pans and plastic containers used to store food.
Here’s the good news: eating a nutritious, nontoxic, and environmentally-friendly diet during your pregnancy is easier than you think. Take as a case in point the transformation I made when I got pregnant.
As a lifelong lacto-vegetarian who does not eat eggs or fish (my mother became a vegetarian before I was
conceived), I ate whole and refined grains, beans, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and desserts. But my diet had a few
essential flaws—flaws far too common in the eating habits of many women today. I often ate “on the run,”
overlooking the nutrients and chemical additives in my meals. Plus, I treated myself to snacks made of refined
carbohydrates, or “empty carbs”—foods high in sugar and low in nutrients like ice cream and cookies—to curb
my cravings for sweets.
Everything changed when I got pregnant. My first trimester was plagued with uncontrollable hunger. I was starving all the time! I needed to start eating nutritious food more consistently—for every meal and snack, which would fill me up for longer periods of time. Also, even though I was taking a prenatal vitamin, I had no idea if I was getting enough of the major nutrients important for the health of my unborn baby, such as iron, protein and omega-3 fats. In addition, I felt panicked about the toxic chemicals and additives found in so many packaged and conventionally grown (nonorganic) foods. These chemicals could harm the health of my baby! Plus, I wanted to start eating a diet that was more environmentally-friendly. Now that I was bringing a child (a boy) into the world, I wanted to help keep it a safe place for him to live.
How could I address all of these concerns? Simple. I needed to change my diet. I did research on my own and consulted with a number of healthcare experts, including contributing author Thauna Abrin, ND, a naturopathic doctor and trained midwife who is also my sister. I adapted the meal recommendations I received to meet my lifestyle requirement—most with The Green Pregnancy Diet preparation time of fifteen minutes or less.
The result was a healthy diet of meals that:
• Were easy to make
• Included nutrients important to get during
pregnancy
• Used whole grain, nontoxic, environmentallyfriendly
ingredients
• Curbed my food cravings
• Tasted good!
Next, I made a few, basic changes to my kitchen supplies and habits to keep environmental toxins out of my
kitchen and cut down on waste. Before I knew it, I was eating green and feeling great. The information I used to make my transformation is found in this book:
• Basic tips on how to eat a nontoxic, environmentally-friendly diet
• Simple definitions of the different nutrients, food groups and portion sizes you need during your pregnancy
• Explanations of the toxins in kitchen products that could be harmful, and easy ways to avoid them
• Tips on ways to have an environmentally friendly kitchen
• Quick, nutritious, and flavorful recipes without the added toxins, chemicals or empty carbs
With the wealth of green lifestyle and healthy food choices now available, it has never been easier to start eating green during your pregnancy—when it counts most.
The information in this book is not intended as medical advice; it’s more of a guide to help you make greener
eating choices. Consult with your healthcare provider if you have questions about pregnancy.
Cooking and eating during pregnancy should be fun and easy. So enjoy reading this book; once you’re done,
throw together the recipe ingredients and dig in!
Radha McLean