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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Vegetarian craving meat

64 replies

starflake · 28/05/2019 12:17

I'm 9 weeks today, I'm craving meat now about 5 weeks. It's literally tearing me apart, today I nearly caved & bought a chicken roll in a deli!
Is anybody else Vege & craving meat? If so how do you get passed it!! I'm vegetarian around 10 years so I really don't want to cave in & eat it....

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PotteringAlong · 28/05/2019 12:19

I’d eat it. If you’re craving it you’re missing something your body needs. You’re growing a whole other human; you can always stop eating meat when you’ve had the baby.

toasterstrudle · 28/05/2019 12:22

Make sure you're getting enough protein and iron, cravings are your body telling you it needs something. Get iron supplements (spatone sachets are good) and eat veggie protein. Do you eat quorn? That might satisfy your cravings too. Unless you feel ok with eating meat- in which case just eat that! (I'm not a veggie for info!)

hugoagogo · 28/05/2019 12:23

I take it you have tried the various fake meats out there? Quorn vegan chicken slices taste pretty much how I remember chicken slices tasting for instance.

rosydreams · 28/05/2019 12:29

take supplements for iron see if that helps but if your really craving its because your body wants the nutrients.If you want you could get meat from a farm shop or organic free range were you know the animal have been well treated and killed humanely.It costs more but your paying for them to have a better quality of life

SoHotADragonRetired · 28/05/2019 12:36

I become obsessed with meat every time I'm pregnant. Honestly, I just call a temporary suspension of vegetarianism for the duration, but it's understandable if you'd rather not do that. I struggle with anaemia during pregnancy so I can only assume my body is telling me what it needs.

Try Spatone iron water; it's much gentler on your system than most iron supplements.

WildFlower2019 · 28/05/2019 12:46

I was veggie but since getting pregnant last year and being on honeymoon where they don't understand the concept of "vegetarian", I added a small bit of fish to my diet. So I guess I'm pescatarian now.

After a loss last year, I'm pregnant again, I'm 11+3. I kept craving the odd cheeseburger and spaghetti bolognaise at about 6-7 weeks. I didn't indulge. It eventually passed.

As PP suggested, I tried to make sure I was eating a variety of protein, iron and fat.

Teddybear45 · 28/05/2019 12:47

How is your omega 3, protein, and folate intake? Chicken cravings tend to come in force for vegetarians who don’t have enough of these in their diet. Eat nuts, lentils, use Pregnacare Max, and you’ll find they go away again.

MenuPlant · 28/05/2019 12:48

It means your body is after something that meat is a good easy source of - protein, iron, fat maybe.

So see what's in meat and get those things, and see if that helps or give in I think.

LittleKitty1985 · 28/05/2019 13:02

You should take iron and omega tablets. & Iceland has some really good "meaty" vegetarian products that might satisfy you.

lioness87 · 28/05/2019 13:04

I was in the same boat, long time veggie and I started craving meat in the first trimester. I listened to my body and ate chicken for about 3 weeks, then my cravings stopped so have gone back to my normal veggie diet now.

lovebeingmum9 · 28/05/2019 13:31

I had been happily vegetarian for 2 and a half years.....never thought I would ever eat meat again! But currently 12 weeks pregnant and not vegetarian anymore! my mind is in a totally different place after having such strong cravings,i held out for a few weeks but now I'm eating ribs,chicken,pork,beef and not even feeling guilty as it's satisfying the cravings. Gone totally off quorn products and veggies that I used to love so havnt got any real advise except I understand the struggle. I'm hoping to return to being veggie after giving birth but atm I just can't not eat what I'm craving! good luck

aliensprig · 28/05/2019 13:37

Vegan here and yes I feel your pain, craving all sorts of dead animals right now sadly. Spoke to midwife about it and she said it's nothing to do with deficiencies or your body "needing meat" - it's just cravings. (Confirmed no deficiencies by full vitamin and mineral count - I get this regularly checked due to my thyroid condition.) By all means indulge if it doesn't bother you, but personally I won't be compromising my ethical beliefs just because I fancy a bacon sandwich.

bobble53 · 28/05/2019 13:39

I was a veggie until I got pregnant. I caved about 6 weeks in. I just told myself that my body needed it and that’s that. I felt bad to begin with but I’m more bothered about getting all the right nutrients etc for baby. The thought of quorn etc made me feel sick! I started off with fish x

YourEggnogIsBetterThanMine · 28/05/2019 13:40

I've had 3 pregnancies and not craved meat at all (I craved junk food instead) but my sister ate meat through one of her pregnancies. It was all she wanted at the time so she gave her body/baby what it wanted and went back to being a vegetarian shortly after birth. It won't really be you who is eating it anyway, it's the baby

WhatHaveIFound · 28/05/2019 13:40

When i was pregnant with my DS i craved meat and gave in to it. I was obviously lacking protein in my almost vegetarian diet. He's now the biggest meat eater in our house by far!

PerfectPeony2 · 28/05/2019 13:42

Do what Phoebe and Joey did on friends when she was pregnant! Get someone else to go veggie so you don’t eat any extra meat.

CapybarasLoveCake · 28/05/2019 13:43

I went from a vegetarian to pescatarian during my first pregnancy. It was the right thing for me to do, I felt so much better. Still eat fish and dc are now teenagers!

aliensprig · 28/05/2019 13:53

@WhatHaveIFound utter rubbish. It's virtually impossible to have a protein deficiency unless you are eating next to nothing at all.

You don't need to take iron or omega tablets unless your blood tests show you need them.

Having meat cravings does not mean you are nutrient deficient.

Hope that helps, as no one else on this thread seems to have any understanding of nutrition whatsoever

Original poster

starflake · 28/05/2019 14:06

I am eating Quorn & eat plenty of lentils beans etc. I get bloods done regularly as i have an autoimmune disorder & am low in nothing so it is just cravings. I'm struggling with the ethical side of it, i never thought I would eat meat again to battling daily with my Own head! Quorn chicken slices just aren't doing it, I'm nearly crying eating it as it's not real chicken, even though I can't even remember what real chicken tastes like!

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Original poster

starflake · 28/05/2019 14:11

@aliensprig I'm sure like me as being veggie/vegan you are well used to the deficiency theory. My doctor has already told me being vegetarian has no impact on my pregnancy or for extra intake of vitamins. I get all my nutrition from vegetables & fruits. As he said I'm probably healthier than your average pregnant woman .

OP posts:

aliensprig · 28/05/2019 14:17

@starflake right? It's so exhausting trying to explain all the time! That being said, if you're really craving something and everything else makes you feel sick, just eat what you can and don't feel bad. Sometimes you just can't stomach the meat substitutes!

Whitefishy · 28/05/2019 14:22

For me all I’ve wanted when I’ve had morning sickness is carbs, chicken chicken and more chicken. It’s not as simple as just not giving in to the cravings as I always go off almost every other type of food there is. Couldn’t keep a nut or lentil down to save my life. Off vegetables completely. Even the thought of eating a vegetable would be enough to make me vomit. Sometimes it’s a matter of doing what you have to do to keep you and baby healthy. If other foods are making you sick, there’s not much you can do.

I get back to normal usually after the first trimester and try not to beat myself up over it.

Andersonx3 · 28/05/2019 18:06

Not much help but I was vegetarian for 11 years up until 2 years ago - I always wondered what I'd do in this situation! Now I'm a meat eater, 13 weeks pregnant and can't think of anything I want to eat less than meat 😂 don't deprive yourself of what your body needs but don't cave if it will upset/cause you stress. Maybe just think of it as a pregnancy phase and as soon as the cravings go, you give it up again?

YouLikeTheBadOnesToo · 28/05/2019 18:24

Have you tried The Meatless Farm Co? I’m vegan, and tried one of their burgers recently. The texture/taste was so similar to how I remember meat to be, that I couldn’t stomach it. Might be just the thing to ease your cravings.

amehh · 28/05/2019 18:36

I was badly craving meat from weeks 5-10 and found the quorn substitutes were enough for me (I don't usually like any fake meat type things so they were meaty enough) and I just kept sniffing my DH and DS's dinners haha! I'm now back to normal and now just have the odd pang but I had this with my DS too and I didn't end up eating meat so I think I'll be fine. My midwife was surprised to find out I am vegetarian as she said my iron levels are excellent shrugs

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