Veggie and pregnant- cravings for fish

[juniper904]

Hello,

I am 8 weeks pregnant and have developed serious cravings for mackerel, anchovies (fresh) and sardines... I haven't eaten fish for 9 years on moral grounds but I'm struggling. I don't like the idea of eating flesh and I don't eat gelatine or rennet either.

Are there any other veggies out there who've had cravings for fish? Did you give in, or did you find an alternative? At the moment I'm eating my weight's worth of prawn cocktail crisps but it's only putting off the fishy thoughts for an hour or so.

Help!

They all sound like quite salty or smoked fish? Would there be something else you could have which might satisfy the same need?

I'm not a veggie anymore - but is there a fish substitute you can buy? I'm sure you used to be able to get fishless fingers? Would they help?

There is another thread here somewhere about cravings people are having - it's titled 'just for fun' or something, and there are a couple of meat craving veggies on there. Ill try and find the link for you.

link to fred here

I wonder if you are craving them because you're low on a vitamin or mineral? Those oily fishes are incredibly high in the B vitamins, amongst others. Maybe try taking a pregnancy-friendly vitamin/mineral supplement for a couple of weeks and see if the craving goes away?

Might not be what you want to hear, but my veggie friend gave in. It does happen. She craved meat throughout all her pregnancies, ate it, then went veggie again after they were born.

I guess I'm just saying, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

They are very specific oily fish cravings, I'd be looking at trying to get more vitamins A and D and omega3 (vit supplements and avocado, walnuts, olive oil).
I know there's no proof that cravings correlate to actual deficiencies but I believe that there's something in the theory that they can.

What about some seaweed - some nori, wakame or lava bread? That might sate your fish yearnings from a taste point of view? Or ikea do this pretendy caviar made of seaweed, which is lovely.

I had this in both PG! Since I spent the first 18 weeks or so in and out of hospital with HG (both pg) I thought I'd just eat whatever appealed. Both times it was tuna, prawn and crayfish sandwiches. Also seafood lasagne we discovered in a pub an holiday when I was expecting DC1.

I've had massive meat cravings since about 10 weeks (I'm 29 weeks now). I haven't caved in yet but I have been eating loads of fake meat whereas I wouldn't usually bother with it.
I did notice that there is a new fake scampi in the supermarket this week. And I've eaten quorn fishless ocean pie before and it's prett fishy.
Redwood foods do some fake fish too, if you end up ordering from there I can highly recommend the meat free chorizo - it's fantastic!

Linda mcartney.has new fake scampi. We had some this week, it was really good!

Could it be an Omega thing? I ate beans on toast solidly for a week in the first few weeks before investigating what I could have been craving. A couple of days after starting on a zinc supplement I didn't want beans on toast any more so I do think there is sometimes correlation.
Pumpkin seeds are really high in Omega oils or any seeds. You could try grazing for a few days and see if that helps or taking some flax seed oil. If not, fishy supplements all the way :) Like people have mentioned, might be worth trying smokey, salty things to see if that does it. Do you eat cheese? Could try some nice smoked cheese on toast or something similar :)

Also real eat do nice fishless fish cakes. Think Holland and barratt have them.

Sorry my suggestions don't do much re wanting the oily fish!

must admit that I have been a strict veggie for 15 years but when I was preg was worried about omega 3s... totally went off seeds ... read that the veggie omega 3 supplements that I occasionally took had something potentially harmful and doc couldn't give me any advice so took pregnacare with omega 3 ... think that the moral stance has to take a back seat during pregnancy as far as being veggie is concerned think that if you really want fish then maybe try ... after you have tried some other things like fake fish!

Thanks all.

I already eat the Linda McCartney fishless prawns and scampi, and the Quorn fishless fingers (and miss the sad demise of the tuna burgers) but they're not hitting the spot.

I'm taking Tesco's own version of Pregnacare so my vitamins intake should be high enough.

I went bonekrs on snoked salmon both times between 6-17weeks. Now at 23weeks I like it but I dont have to eat it. I thibk its normal but I can appreciate the difficulties feeling your ethics are being compromised.

I crave meat when pregnant. I'm not a moral veggie though more a fussy one. I just eat what I fancy and the craving doesn't always continue. Mine is usually ham or a chicken burger.

are you sure its not salty stuff you want. i wanted salty stuff when i was sicky, crisps and mcdonalds fries... and milkshakes for the heartburn.

I was so sick earlier on that I had no appetite at all, I was gettin through a day only eating a small bowl of cereal or piece of fruit. The only thing I could think of eating that didn't make me sick was bacon! I had some in the end and kept it down. I've since gone off bacon but I am eating meat and fish, and will do for the rest of the pregnancy. I'm trying to just eat organic/free range stuff. I've just felt so tired and run down and my appetite is sketchy that I'm going with what I want at the moment.

I have been a strict vegetarian for 22 years but I decided to take fish oil tablets while ttc and pregnant to give my baby the best start as I wasn't sure I would get everything I needed otherwise and would blame my diet if something went wrong. I don't find it as bad as the idea of eating an actual dead fish. How do you feel about taking them?