Book Review: The Pregnancy Cookbook

Here’s my book review of Hope Ricciotti’s The Pregnancy Cookbook from Goodreads:

The Pregnancy Cookbook, Revised and Expanded Edition by Hope Ricciotti

rating: 1 of 5 stars
I knew I wasn’t going to get along with Ricciotti when I opened the book at random and read the intro to her french toast recipe:

My review

 
Although traditional French toast contains plenty of carbohydrates, it also contains a considerable amount of fat from egg yolks and whole milk, not to mention the butter in which it is cooked. We have been preparing a lower-fat version for years using eggs and egg whites, and skim milk in place of whole, to keep the fat and cholesterol down.

This was my first clue that Ricciotti’s command of prenatal nutrition was weak at best. Why should a pregnant woman limit egg yolks? They are just about the most perfect food for pregnancy, loaded with multiple nutrients, including the fat soluble vitamins that are so important for fetal development. Plus, if you get free range eggs or eggs from hens fed omega-3 supplements, eggs are a great source of DHA, which is crucial for fetal brain development. And all this nutrition comes in a very calorie economical package: 70 calories for one large egg.

Furthermore, her praise of carbohydrates rings false in a world where an increasing number of mothers are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a condition that puts the baby at risk for high birth weight and other complications.

What seems to be operating here is the current American hysteria about dietary fat combined with fears about excessive weight gain for mothers. I might have sympathy for this position if Ricciotti had not admitted, in her intro to the book, that it was only through sheer willpower that she managed to limit her pregnancy weight gain to the maximum recommended 35 pounds.

There is a fair amount of decent, basic information in the introduction about fetal development and what to expect during pregnancy, but you can find that information in many other books, without the dubious nutritional advice.

Or, as my midwife put it – get ample protein, eat a lot of vegetables, some fruits, and don’t go overboard on carbohydrates. Ricciotti seems to be offering the opposite advice.

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