For the last few months I have been continually impressed with Michelle Duggar. Giving birth to 19 children with one more on the way is no small feat.
The morning sickness alone is a challenge. In a study done a decade ago by researchers at Cornell University, 66 percent of women reported feeling some sort of illness between weeks 6 and 14. By my calculations, if Mrs. Duggar felt morning sickness or nausea for only two months during the first trimester of each of her pregnancies – and I don’t know that she did – that means she would have been sick for 3 and 1/3 years of her life.
I don’t know if I could handle even that possibility. I’m only in my first pregnancy now. During the first trimester, I never got sick, but I felt plenty of nausea, most often in the evenings.
Then, I didn’t want to look at a vegetable. The thought alone of cooking a real meal on the stove made me want to sit on the couch and take a rest. I ate a lot of yogurt and toast with butter and fruit.
Now that I’m in the second trimester, I have more energy and I only feel small waves of nausea every now and then. But my eating habits still get, well, weird. Sometimes I only want yogurt and cereal for dinner. I just can’t stomach anything else.
Apparently, other women have had it much worse. In an article in this week’s New Yorker about the fight between a bakery and a private equity firm, Ian Frazier mentions that his wife ate breadsticks for the entire nine months of her first pregnancy.
My symptoms have never been that bad, which I’m thankful for. But I still worry that the baby isn’t getting enough nutrition. So I’ve been relying on a green smoothie recipe made with spinach and avocados.
I know, this smoothie sounds like some sort of weird health food shake that requires you to hold your nose while gulping it down. But it’s good. Really. With grape juice and banana added to the recipe, the shake is actually pretty sweet.
If you have a Magic Bullet-type appliance, it comes together in a flash too, a nice bonus on those days when you want something healthy but aren’t feeling well or just don’t feel up to getting into the kitchen.
A Sweet Green Vegetable Shake
Adapted from Eating Well
1/2 cup white grape juice
1/4 avocado
1/2 medium banana
3/4 cup green tea
A large handful of spinach (about 1 cup)
Add the ingredients to a Magic Bullet or small blender in the above order. Whir together for a few minutes until the avocado and banana and thoroughly mixed in and the shake is bright green.
Do you have a favorite quick, healthy go-to recipe that doesn’t require much cooking or time in the kitchen?
Congratulations!!! I didn’t realize you were pregnant – I hope it’s smooth sailing from here on out!
I haven’t tried one of these green smoothies, but I have been seeing them everywhere these days so I may need to give it a go…
I remember those days…. and I would not want 3-1/2 years of morning sickness either! I had about 10 weeks with pregnancy one then I was able to eat most things as long as I didn’t have to cook them — and I craved asparagus! Pregnancy 2 totally different. Sick almost the whole way through and lost weight during the 1st trimester during which time I subsisted wholly on Cream of Rice — all I could eat! As for a healthy recipe that doesn’t require much cooking, sometimes we roast chicken breasts once a week then use them in cold wraps or on salads… and I also eat cottage cheese with cut up veggies.
p.s. EXCITING: 2nd trimester!!
Congratulations! This looks like such a wonderful way to start the day.
@Nakiya and @Savory Simple: Thanks so much for the kind words!
@Julia: Asparagus is a very healthy food to crave! It’s so strange how eating habits change during pregnancy. I could eat French toast or cereal and yogurt for dinner and be completely happy. Great idea to roast chicken and eat it all week. I wish I liked cottage cheese. So much protein, so good for you. Maybe someday.