Never do you realize quite so intensely that our existence is all about food until you have the dreaded pregnancy morning sickness. Actually, in my past experience a more appropriate name would be “every waking minute sickness”. I had it with both of my pregnancies for the first 3-4 months and unless it was a peppermint “Life Saver” (both the candy brand and the literal connotation) or a teddy bear shaped graham cracker, I couldn’t bear the thought of food.

Everywhere I went there were billboards and restaurant signs directing me where to eat, where to get a coffee, where to have a drink, and where to find the best ribs in town that I never really even noticed before.  At work I would avoid the lunch room like the plague for fear of someone warming up their perfectly lovely under normal circumstances, fish and rice.  Do you think it’s possible to get together with friends on a weekend to chat over water and peppermint Life Savers and have a blast in doing so?  Not really.

My friends would try their best to entertain and get me out in the fresh air for a while but unless they took me around town blind folded with nose plugs on it would be the almighty billboard for a “Whopper” made by a King - 1, and “every waking minute sickness” made by a pregnant Shannon - 0.

If you’re going through morning sickness right now I feel for you immensely.  I found a great article at Medical News Today that may help get you from point A to point B and all the food messaging in between safe and sound with minimal nausea triggers.

The most important thing I found was making sure there was always something in my stomach, (however little) otherwise the acid would start working on the stomach lining making the nausea even worse.  So make sure to keep having little snacks that don’t set you off.  Keep some crackers or graham crackers by your bedside as well so you can have one or two before you even get out of bed in the morning.

Fruit, ginger, and lemon juice can help.  Smelling the scent of lemon extract or fresh rosemary is also a good idea since the issue is related to your amplified sense of smell as well.  And for the love of everything holy, DO NOT walk into a room where someone is boiling hot dogs!  That will send you off the deep end.

Good news is it will pass and you will get through it.  A doctor told me my body was doing what it needed to do to set up shop and build a healthy, happy baby. So I held on to that.  It didn’t make me feel less sick but it gave me the strength to cope.  Don’t worry, you’ll go through more severe nausea when your babies turn into teenagers and you begin to worry about their every move.  Consider this Mother Nature’s child rearing boot camp.

Now if you’re reading this and going through morning sickness as we speak you may want to put this next recipe on the back burner to have on your first nausea free day…but trust me it’s well worth the wait.  Today’s recipe is a great Family Food and 12 months + Solid Food Professional recipe.  Crispy and delicious Tuna & Rice Baby Cakes.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Tuna & Rice Baby Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 can of tuna, drained
• 2 cups of cooked rice
• 1 cup of low sodium chicken stock
• 2 tbsps. chopped parsley
• ¼ cup diced white part of leek
• ¼ cup diced zucchini
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsps. lemon juice
• ¼ cup of mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup of bread crumbs
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ¼ tsp. salt (if desired)
• 3 tbsps. butter

Baby Steps

1. Cook rice according to package directions but substitute ½ of the water for low sodium chicken stock for added flavour.  Set aside cooked rice to cool.
2. Clean and chop parsley and leek and peel and chop zucchini and add all to a large mixing bowl.
3. Drain tuna from can and add along with, rice, egg, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, cheese and salt and pepper to the bowl.
4. Mix everything well in the bowl.
5. Heat 1 tbsp. of butter in pan over medium heat.
6. Scoop tuna rice mixture by heaping tablespoon full into pan and press down with spatula to form a patty shape.  You should be able to fit about 3 patties in your pan at a time. 
7. Cook for approximately 3 minutes per side until brown and cooked through.
8. Remove patties from pan and place on paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the moisture.
9. Repeat the melting butter and patty making steps as you make the rest of them.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Makes – 8 patties

Note:  These are a great finger food for baby and great meal for the family alongside a salad or in a tortilla with tomato and lettuce.  They’re also great for left over lunches the next day.

Hang in there if you have morning sickness.  I remember feeling bad for my husband as I never wanted to do anything during that time and always had a sour look on my face.  But again I realized it was Mother Nature’s way of training me for down the road when my husband would ask me to join him and my son in a Star Wars watching marathon.  Didn’t want to do it…had a sour look on my face.