The founder of Papa John’s told the British press in an interview this week that people shouldn’t overeat when eating pizza.  His suggestion was to eat one or two pieces, and then pizza would be a healthy meal.

Being pregnant and hearing this guy talk about one piece of pizza made me wonder if he’s a skinny dude who doesn’t eat his own product.  (I looked him up, and he’s not a fat man, as you can see. That, of course, doesn’t mean he doesn’t eat pizza; maybe he really does only eat one piece per meal.)  While I’m usually not a pizza fan, pizza and pregnancy seem to complement each other quite nicely.  I am quite certain that one piece would not do in this craving.  In fact, most fattening foods seem to be attempting to make their way onto my best friends list.  Cookies of the homemade variety, a variety of versions of fried cheese, and creamy pasta sauces all sound pretty good most of the time.  Luckily, I have a little more sense this time around than I did my first pregnancy.

Many pregnant women use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever they want.  I was no exception when I first learned I was pregnant with Ruby.  I was truly hungry during my first trimester, and I clearly remember speeding to McDonald’s the first week I was aware of my situation and eating an entire 10-piece McNugget.  Yum.  I curbed my eating binge when my friendly OB-GYN delivered this jab at my five-month visit: “You must have been hungry this month.”  (The same doctor told me I was getting a “nice little pooch” at my three-month appointment this pregnancy.  This may have been true, but I had actually lost weight.  I don’t recommend him to friends with body image issues.)  I started walking several miles a day and laid off the sweets, which happen to be my weakness.

The Mayo Clinic recommends pregnant women of a normal weight gain about 25-35 lbs. during their pregnancy.  This includes the baby’s weight, and only allots a maximum of 8 lbs. for excess fat.  Really, this doesn’t leave much room to pig out.  Pregnant women are supposed to eat about 300 extra calories per day. 

Do you ever get the feeling that whoever comes up with these guidelines was not a woman or definitely has never been pregnant?  I mean, I feel like my body is providing me with extra cravings and hunger for some reason.  Still, I definitely didn’t want to gain as much weight with this baby, so I have been eating some lower-calorie substitutes for some of my favorite comfort foods.  Here are some of the best treats I’ve been eating:

• Light pigs-in-a-blanket made with reduced fat crescent rolls and turkey hot dogs

•  Oreo Cakester 100-calorie packs: these things are TOO tasty!

• Pasta sauces made with 1/3-the-fat, reduced calorie cream cheese and skim milk with wheat pasta

• Lots of 60-70% cacao dark chocolate

• junior burgers from Sonic and Spangle’s

• sweet potatoes with cooking spray, cinnamon and marshmallows

• 60-calorie Jell-O pudding packs

 

I have a lot more ideas, but if I keep talking about food, I’m going to go eat it.  Good thing I always leave room in my calorie allotment to cheat at least once a week!  I am thinking about Dairy Queen.