Bun in the Oven: Food Glorious Food

My cravings come in two flavors: the fat and the salty. They're not particularly specific ("a brand of beef pot pie with peas that I hadn’t had since I was a kid"), or weird ("Wendy's french fries dipped in Frosty"), but they are new to me. (Quotes are real-life cravings from real-live Austin Mamas.) For the fat, I've been making a regular of myself at the Amy's on Burnet Road. I always get a milkshake. The fabulous scoop tossers are extra nice and don't whine too much about having to make a shake for a waddler like me. Anyway, they hand over the goods. That's all I care about.

It was these runs to Amy's that led me next door to Phil's Ice House, where I discovered the most amazing salty snack ever: sweet potato fries. Now I'm no french fry expert, but I do love me some sweet potatoes (not to be confused with yams). Low in calories, high in vitamins A & C, they're good and good for ya. And when they're deep-fried and covered in salt, they're unbelievable. Phil's serves up a mighty fine burger, too. But I'd go there for the fries alone.

Unfortunately, the down side of pregnant life is the GI warnings and woes it ushers in. You do get to eat an extra 300 calories per day, but there are a few restrictions that you can't ignore, and all of them relate to treats I like best: avoid alcohol and caffeine, be careful about which fish you eat (according to NPR, be really careful), and stay away from deli meats and soft cheeses. Talk about a killjoy. You also have to balance things out. The stomach takes twice as long to empty, and the entire digestive system slows to an almost unbearable crawl. This happens to every single pregnant lady on the planet, so there's no escaping it. But there is some controlling it...with mountains of fiber.

And I've got a line in to the most delicious fiber source in all of Austin. Based on a tip from our very own food guru, I have become addicted to the Vegetarian Frito Pie at Wheatsville Food Co-Op. You have to try one. Chock full of fiber-filled beans, protein-packed tofu, and naughty-naughty Fritos, I could easily have a Wheatsville Pie daily. And I'd feel relatively guilt-free about it. The chips surely make them high in salt and fat, but those aren't no-nos on my PG diet. Not yet, anyway.

While I'm at Wheatsville -- breathing their rarified healthy air, browsing their fabulous produce department, and checking out all the weird hygiene products they carry...and I don't need any more -- I usually pick up a bag of flax seed. This little miracle grain has it all: fiber, omega-3s, and antioxidants. At Casa Jooley, we add the whole seeds to homemade bread, and grind 'em for cereal and oatmeal toppings. They're tasty -- nutty and mild. But be mindful to buy the seeds and not the meal unless you plan to use it quickly. The meal goes rancid in only a few weeks. Smells like paint thinner once it's turned. That can't be good for you.

All told, I'd say it's more work to find just the tasty treats you want, but the satisfaction pays off mightily. Too mightily in my case; just yesterday my OB announced I'd gained 7 pounds in the last month and had better start watching it. Oops. Guess it's time to lay off the milkshakes and sweet potato fries. Hope Amy and Phil don't miss me too much....