Recipes to Satisfy the Cravings

I plan to jump back into Tasty Tuesday postings next week now that my appetite is back and I've had the time to explore some new recipes. In the meantime, I wanted to share some my favorite recipes of the past few months. These are recipes that allowed me to play into my cravings without over-indulging. During the first trimester I lost weight because of the sickness which concerned Dave (the doctor assured us this is perfectly normal). Now that my appetite is back and I'm not getting sick every time I eat, Dave's made it his priority to make sure I get those extra 300 calories the baby needs each day. I'm nervous about gaining the right amount of weight - not too much and not too little - so paying attention to my diet is important at this point. Not to mention wanting to be sure the baby is getting the proper nutrition it needs to develop and grow properly. Anyways, these recipes are not just for pregnant women... I assure you they are completely delicious and will satisfy a non-pregnant belly as well :)

Craving #1: Cheese
To satisfy my first trimester cheese cravings, I often turned to Mac and Cheese. While the store bought kind is convenient, it certainly isn't the most nutritious. I tried the Baked Mac & Cheese recipe from Eating Well and loved it! It was easy to make, not overly-cheesy or thick, and packed in a few veggie servings with some inconspicuous spinach. DE-LIC-IOUS!

Craving #2: Chocolate
Who doesn't crave chocolate once in a while? Lately, I've been craving it A LOT. Just a little bit each day satisfies the belly and is perfectly safe for baby, too. Rather than breaking out the candy bars, I started mixing chocolate in with other "healthier" options. One of my favorites was Leigh's Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scotchies. Oh my heavens, how I ever lived without these is beyond me! Not only were they a delicious, healthier way (oatmeal is packed full of nutrients) to curb those chocolate cravings, they were so easy to make - even for someone who doesn't like baking. The hubby devoured them way too fast!

Craving #3: Carbs
Since I'm not eating much meat these days, I've been loading up on carbs (that should guarantee some weight gain, huh?). I've had some cravings for pasta, rice, potatoes, and most recently bread. However, cooking just plain pasta or rice is rather boring and doesn't satisfying the hubby's huge appetite. I'll usually find a recipe and add in some chicken or ground turkey for his portion. I've also found adding veggies to carbs is an easy way to force them into my diet. One of my favorite recipes is Campbell's Broccoli & Garlic Penne Pasta. For Dave, I cook up a chicken breast or two for him to mix in and we have a super easy, quick, nutritional, craving-satisfying dinner!

I look forward to sharing some of the other new recipes I've been trying. With some free time on my hands, I've been reading some of the cookbooks I got as bridal shower gifts and I'm finding so many great new recipes to try!