Pregnant vegetarian bleg
Posted by Nicholas Gruen on Friday, November 9, 2007
Peach’s longest serving employee is pregnant! Isn’t that good! Well I think so and so does she.
But she now has a problem. She’s a vegetarian because she hates eating meat (not because she’s strict about it on principle). But she’s very very tired a lot of the time given her pregnancy and her dietician has said to her that she has to eat meat. She throws up when she eats iron tablets (and they’re not a complete solution anyway) and she can’t bear the thought of eating meat. I’ve thought about this kind of thing before – as my wife had a similar, though not as serious a complaint – and still does – she should eat more red meat.
One thing I’m amazed by is that some enterprising health food outfit don’t market dried meat capsules substantial numbers of which could be taken by all those in our employee’s case who didn’t have ethical or religious objections – just severe yuks about eating meat.
Or perhaps such things already exist?
Or perhaps some Troppodillians have some other suggestions. . . .
This entry was posted on Friday, November 9th, 2007 at 12:31 PM and filed under Blegs, Health, Uncategorised.
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Perhaps instead of fronting up to a steak or lamb chops, she could try one of the thai inspired salads – the meat is generally delivered sliced into small strips and it’s served cold, makes it less like eating meat, but you still get the iron.
You have to make sure it’s not overcooked in preparation though.
There is lots of iron available in plant foods, but you’ve generally got to eat a hell of a lot of lentils or spinach compared to a teensy little steak to get at it. The reason is that it’s not quite as easily absorbed (haem vs. non haem iron) but it’s possible as long as you combine something containing vitamin C with your non-haem iron sources). There are plenty of vegan references on the web on how to do this.
However, as Sam Kekovich might say, getting your iron this way is un-Australian. Only dirty hippies eat lentils and spinach is for Popeye. I hope everything goes well with the pregnancy, tell her congratulations and get lots of sleep, because she won’t be getting any once the baby arrives.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 1:20 pm | PermalinkThere’s always biltong, bought wherever expatriate South Africans can be found. The only problem is that it’s fucking repulsive.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 1:38 pm | PermalinkBig ocean fish like salmon and tuna are supposed to be iron-rich. How’s fish?
What’s in red meat that she has to get? Iron, other stuff? How would a dried meat capsule be any different from an iron supplement?
Sorry, no way around this problem. Meat, or pills.
Well maybe a powder that could be mixed into a smoothie?
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 1:53 pm | PermalinkShe should consult Dr Troppo.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 1:56 pm | PermalinkSurely her medico can suggest an appropriate solution. Vegies aren’t exactly thin on the ground.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 2:03 pm | PermalinkNatural selection at work.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 2:27 pm | PermalinkAsk at the health food store for dessicated liver pills. That’d be a good step in the iron-and-B-vitamins direction.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 2:47 pm | Permalinkkangaroo?
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 2:52 pm | PermalinkI’d suggest McDonalds. Never tastes like meat to me.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 3:46 pm | PermalinkBeef jerky
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 4:24 pm | PermalinkTake her to Vlado’s for a good force-feeding.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 4:49 pm | PermalinkF.A.B. Iron pills, not your average iron pill.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 5:11 pm | Permalinkps
What a caring employer you are Nicholas. (This is probably a world first).
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 5:15 pm | PermalinkThe idea that beef jerky or biltong will appeal to someone put off by red meat certainly strikes me as pretty odd. But who knows?
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 5:20 pm | PermalinkIt depends on what attribute of meat your employee finds repugnant. If it’s the moist, fatty, slimy aspect, then jerky’s dry, dessicated but smokily flavoursome meat essence might be just the thing.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 7:14 pm | PermalinkI imagine that protein and iron are the issue. Lots of spinach: fresh is best, but frozen is more convenient. The protein in legumes is of more benefit than the protein in meat (which is more concentrated than the human body can effectively use).
I recommend something like a banana smoothie in the morning, with say whey protein, bananas, honey (or liquid malt extract) and milk (I also add fresh-ground LSA – linseed, sunflower and almonds).
In the evening, I recommend dahl or split pea soup.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 7:34 pm | PermalinkI’d have thought a caring employer might point his employee in the direction of an actual qualified authority, rather than present her with the compiled ignorance of this lot. Why not replace the last sentence with ‘Anyone know a dietitian?’
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 7:38 pm | PermalinkYes, but it’s a very amiable, good faith brand of ignorance.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 8:01 pm | PermalinkApart from oral iron (and the stuff from health food shops is useless, should get iron tablets like ferro-gradumet from chemist), dietary changes (David’s advice is sound) – there are other treatments like iron infusions, depending on the cause of anaemia. If she hasn’t already, she should definitely see a doctor to determine the nature and cause of her anaemia and determine best treatment, particularly if pregnant.
Posted on 09-Nov-07 at 9:36 pm | PermalinkJames,
She’s seen a dietician – who was mentioned in the post. The dietician does not appear to have come good.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 12:37 am | PermalinkContraire saint. FAB is just . . . fabulous. Ferro gradumet for some of us, is akin to ingesting cement, not terribly useful.
James you’ve suffered from an iron deficiency have you? Your contribution is noteworthy only for its nastiness.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 7:14 am | PermalinkSorry, Nicholas. I either missed or forgot that bit. You can hardly blame me when it was such a long post.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 7:42 am | PermalinkCaroline,
I agree with you. James is a meanie. (Posing – like most of us – as a relatively nice, reasonable person.)
Don’t be fooled!
He is someone whom I took to the MCG. Someone for whom I had the good grace to arrange a Collingwood comeback.
And now he’s engaging in evasive word games! Soon we’ll hear that his last comment was not an apology.
Shame, Shame, Shame.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 10:31 am | PermalinkI put a small amount (teasooon or so) of blackstrap molasses on my muesli in the mornings, and i have it with soy rather than cow milk – both for iron-ingesting reasons. I have no problems with iron deficiencies. Molasses is definitely the way to go.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 10:45 am | PermalinkEssendon, actually. But it was a great comeback. I stand before you condemned: a wretched ingrate.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 10:58 am | Permalink“Id have thought a caring employer might point his employee in the direction of an actual qualified authority, rather than present her with the compiled ignorance of this lot.”
Personally, I wouldn’t get involved at all because of the liability. Consult your industry association on this first and if that fails ring Ken Parish on the pretext of a social chat or whatever. You might be able to manipulate him into giving you a freebie.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 11:09 am | PermalinkYes, Funny how the memory plays tricks. Still it’s an easy mistake to make when Collingwood won the premiership this year.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 11:15 am | PermalinkThose who have made dried meat know that its bulk and fattiness are greatly reduced. If you buy shaved biltong, it is about as meaty as BBQ-flavour potato crisps, and you don’t have to handle fresh stuff. A steak dries down to next to nothing, so eating a moderate serve of biltong is a great way to eat a healthy serve of meat. Of course, I can’t testify whether it will trip her yuk-detector, but in my experience a pregnant person can get homicidal if someone stands between them and a steak dinner.
I suspect that her tastes, therefore, might change a bit to help her adjust.
Oh – when the baby is growing and starts solids – they need fat. Don’t think that fashionable lean food is healthy for a child. If they get fat in the diet they cope, they sleep. You need to know this.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 4:50 pm | PermalinkMy partner suggested that the expectant mother try a variety of multi-vitamin/mineral tablets – she may have fewer problems with some brands than others. My partner took an Elevit tablet once a day during her (vegetarian) pregnancy. (And the little nipper turned out fine – I think she’s gifted…)
My partner also thought getting enough sleep, as well as constantly nibbling on dry biscuits, helped her minimise nausea in general.
As far as sources of iron are concerned, I think eggs are also a reasonable source of iron (as are a number of vegetable sources), while perhaps not being as good a source as various red meats. According to a US government website, 100 g of boiled (whole) egg contains 1.19 mg of iron, while 100 g of fried (whole) egg contains 1.98 mg. In comparison, 100 g of a lamb’s body (lamb, roast, cooked, lean only eaten) contains 2.12 mg of iron, while 100 g of cow body (beef, roast, roasted, lean only eaten) contains 2.65 mg. The equivalent numbers for smoked salmon and canned, water-packed tuna (alluded to above) are 0.85 mg and 1.53 mg respectively.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 5:57 pm | PermalinkSilverbeet is full to the brim with iron.
Great chopped fine in salads, steamed , easy to grow and for some reason neglected.
Posted on 10-Nov-07 at 8:39 pm | PermalinkSpeaking of iron and spinach and stuff reminded me of that old schoolboy joke about what part of Popeye never gets rusty. You know, the bit that’s always dipped in Olive Oil. well most of us were too young to get it too.
Posted on 11-Nov-07 at 1:16 am | PermalinkWell it seemed to have some relevance to the topic at hand, but perhaps the answer lies somewhere ‘in rust we trust’. Works for some of us.
Posted on 11-Nov-07 at 1:33 am | PermalinkIt’s an unfortunate feature of pregnancy that your taste and smell is turned upside down. You hear a lot about people craving stuff they don’t normally eat, but it’s also the case that things you previously enjoyed suddenly make you wanna vomit. Let alone things that make you wanna vomit at the best of times.
Sorry, that contained no useful advice.
Posted on 11-Nov-07 at 11:36 am | PermalinkHi
Yes I’m the pregnant one.
I would like to thank everyone for your comments and I will try the recommendations.
Also i will like to thank Nicholas for helping.
Thanks again and it was nice reading the comments.
Posted on 13-Nov-07 at 8:16 pm | PermalinkPP, to put my comments into perspective, I’ve been vego for nearly 30 years and my 3 kids and partner are also all vego. My partner had problems with iron and protein also. All the best and good luck.
Posted on 13-Nov-07 at 11:10 pm | Permalink