How Pregnant Foodies Can Still Have Fun at Restaurants

My blogging took the back burner during my pregnancy and first 6 months of motherhood, so I will be playing a lot of catch up in the next few posts…

I never wanted my pregnancy to prevent us from enjoying one of our favorite activities: going out for dinner. But I quickly learned that most menus don’t cater to pregnant women (especially farm-to-fork). 

Here are some tips and tricks for ordering at restaurants while preggo:

  • Ask for a mocktail, even if it’s not on the menu; most bartenders will happily create something special, and seasonally inspired, for you

  
 

  • If they carry soft cheeses, ask if they’re pasteurized because in many cases they are (Humboldt Fog is one of my favorites for this reason!)

 

  • If you see a dish that’s normally served raw or rare, ask if they can cook it thoroughly or leave it out (like scrambled eggs instead of runny) 

 

  • At the deli, ask if they can heat up the sandwich (this was one of my biggest cravings, along with fruit) 

  • At the end of a meal when everyone else is a couple of wine glasses deep, treat yourself to dessert 😉 


Soon enough you will toggle between barely having time to get a full meal in and ordering takeout after baby’s bedtime, so enjoy the extra leisurely meals and pampering. Bon appetit!

It Takes a Village to Make Dinner

I finally caved. For some silly reason, I’ve been resisting food delivery services like Blue Apron or Sun Basket. But taking care of a baby and working full time makes trying to get healthy dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes really taxing on my already tapped out brain.

Hearing friends who had tried it and loved it convinced me to give it a try. Once I surrendered, I finally realized that someone else’s recipe with the ingredients ready to go was not something to be ashamed of. (I think maybe I thought it was like cheating or not being original enough to come up with my own recipe. But the reality was, I was already using Pinterest for recipe ideas.)

As I prepared my first Blue Apron recipe, I quickly learned that the meditative experience of cutting and mixing ingredients is still very much intact. I felt relaxed knowing that the recipe was full proof — I used to love experimenting, but ain’t no one got time for that during the week.

Sun Basket offers a Paleo option and our first delivery arrived with Niman Ranch steaks and seasonal organic produce. Convenient, yet farm fresh.

The bottom line is that we should seek out help wherever we can. Friends, family, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram… Whatever it takes to get something easy and healthy on the table.