The main reason for banning cocoa during pregnancy is the risk of allergic reactions and hypertension. It's good when the expectant mother doesn't have much love for this product. But if the addiction to cocoa is quite strong, you will have to look for a replacement for it.
Before looking for a replacement for cocoa, you need to decide on the purpose of your search. If you like the taste of the drink itself, then the best alternative is carob. You can try classic coffee substitutes such as chicory or roasted barley mixes. And if cocoa is perceived exclusively in the form of chocolate, you will have to replace it with other sweets.
Overseas carob
A substance that strongly resembles cocoa is made from the fruit of the Mediterranean carob tree. It's called "carob". In appearance, it is difficult to distinguish carob from cocoa: it is the same brown powder, but with a sweet taste. But the list of useful properties is more extensive:
- Rich in vitamins (A, D and group B) and trace elements (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, barium, nickel).
- Lack of harmful psychotropic substances that are contained in cocoa (caffeine, theobromine).
- The presence of natural sugars that allow diabetics to use carob.
This substance does not cause allergic reactions, and expectant mothers can use it both during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Making a drink from carob is no different from the process when cocoa is brewed: 2-3 teaspoons of powder are added to a glass of hot milk or water. In this case, it is better to pre-dilute the mixture in a small amount of cold water, and then pour it into the heated liquid. Sugar need not be added at all, since carob is sweet on its own. This exotic product is sold in health food, eco-food stores and vegetarian stores.
Various surrogates
Beverages based on roasted chicory and barley are able to replace cocoa in a certain way. They are considered more likely to be substitutes for coffee, although in taste they resemble it very distantly. Therefore, there is a chance that cocoa lovers will find something attractive in them. And if sweets and dairy products are not contraindicated for a pregnant woman, then you should try to make a drink from condensed milk with chicory. Condensed milk softens the taste of chicory and makes the liquid more dessert-like.
Chocolate substitutes
Those with a sweet tooth believe that there is no worthy substitute for cocoa products. However, for the sake of the baby's health, the expectant mother is able to limit herself, if not in everything, then in many ways. Therefore, ardent fans of chocolate will have to look for new tastes.
Pathological cravings for sweets during pregnancy can and should be interrupted with the most useful products, for example, dried fruits, honey, sweet berries and fruits. More dessert, but at the same time neutral products are marshmallows, marmalade and marshmallow.
The sweet bar is considered the closest to chocolate. It looks the same in shape and appearance. And in the composition it contains fried rye, soybeans or barley, with the addition of sugar and fats. However, it is far from the ideal taste of real chocolate.
Whatever replaces cocoa, the main thing is to choose a product that is most useful for the health of the baby and mother. And if your favorite products simply have no analogues, then it is advisable to wait, because pregnancy always has its own terms.
