Khloé Kardashian Is Making This Big Change In Her Diet During Her Pregnancy & Here's Why

I may not keep up with the Kardashians 24/7, but as someone who has raging baby fever every 10 seconds, their pregnancy stories are a guilty pleasure of mine. Unlike little sister Kylie, who had us confused AF throughout the entire nine months she and Travis Scott were preparing for baby Stormi's arrival, Khloé Kardashian’s giving us the 411 on all things baby-related, from how to be a freak in the sheets with a baby bump, to what she’s eating in order to fuel the tiny human growing in her uterus. Surprisingly, Khloé Kardashian’s pregnancy diet isn’t an outrageous switch-up from her normal staples, though she is incorporating dairy back into her diet — which, I can only imagine, must feel freaking amazing, considering the woman’s gone a solid two years without cheese.

If there’s one thing I do know about the Kardashian women, it’s that once they figure out what works for their bodies, they stick to it. For example, even though Kourtney Kardashian has seemingly “felt fine” eating dairy and gluten throughout her life, she recently made the decision to cut both from her diet, as well as her children’s meals. According to the 38-year-old mother of three, without these types of food, she notices a positive difference in how she feels overall.

In 2016, Khloé revealed that she, too, had given up all dairy. According to the 33-year-old, following a diet free of cheese and cow's milk cleared up her skin, gave her more energy, and even cured her congestion. She told People,

If I have a taste [of dairy] now, it’s crazy how quickly I feel like it does upset my stomach and I feel more sluggish. It’s about understanding limitations.

So why, then, would Khloé reintroduce dairy into her diet, when eliminating the food group made her feel so much better?

First of all, take a second to applaud the soon-to-be-mama for giving up all-dairy-everything in the first place. As someone who struggles from a dairy sensitivity myself, I sympathize with her struggle because, even though I, too, have successfully eliminated cow’s milk and yogurt from my diet, I’m still hung up on cheese. So for Khloé to cut ties with cheese once and for all is, to me, admirable AF.

But now, not only is she finally going to live out her dream of becoming a mom, her nutritionist also just gave her the go-ahead to add dairy — and, yes, cheese — back into her diet. Clearly, this woman is now living her best life. But if life without dairy made her feel so good, why is her doctor prescribing a dairy reboot? The answer, according to Jessica Cording, a New York-based registered dietitian and nutrition consultant, is calcium. Cording told Women’s Health,

While calcium can be found in plenty of non-dairy foods like tofu, almonds, and dark leafy greens like broccoli and salmon, many women find it easier to meet their needs when they incorporate some dairy products.

Dairy products offer the mother, as well as the child, essential vitamins and nutrients that are vital during pregnancy.

It might seem like Khloé’s taking two gigantic steps backward, considering just how great her body felt without dairy, and, you know, the fact that she made up her mind and succeeded in eliminating an entire food group from her diet. But the experts say that reintroducing dairy into her diet will not only benefit Khloé's body during pregnancy, but a few slices of cheese here and a glass of milk there will also benefit her baby.

According to digital pregnancy hub BabyCenter, milk, yogurt, and cheese are all “excellent sources of calcium, protein, vitamin D, phosphorus,” and offer a wide variety of other essential vitamins and minerals that are important during an unborn child’s development. Typically, the outlet states, pregnant women should be getting about 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, but of course, you should talk to your doctor to decide how much your individual body needs to sustain both you and your baby.

It's important to note, too, that even if you're not pregnant, dairy does offer a slew of health benefits. It really all depends on your individual body.

Here's a quick low-down on dairy: True "dairy" products — as in food that is processed from animals' milk, like cows and goats — are high in calcium, contain vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, and other essential nutrients that everyone can benefit from. However, not every body digests dairy so easily.

According to the Genetics Home Reference, which is a National Library of Medicine site that provides information about genetic conditions in the general population, roughly 65 percent of people have issues digesting lactose, a sugar in milk that contains glucose, after infancy. And while some people can't consume dairy in any form, others aren't affected by foods like cheese and yogurt, because they've gone through a fermentation process that breaks down most of the lactose that would, otherwise, cause discomfort like bloating or an upset stomach.

I know myself, and personally, my body has a lot of trouble processing cow's milk and yogurts, but for some reason, isn't affected by cheese, unless I eat a lot of it. My mother, on the other hand, can add milk to her tea three times a day, pour it over cereal, eat cheese, and feel completely fine. Bottom line: It all depends on your unique genetic makeup, and what your individual body can handle.

On that note, there is a difference between having a sensitivity to dairy, and having a dairy allergy. If you're experiencing severe bloating, gas, or other symptoms when eating these types of foods, it's in your best interest to talk to your doctor to determine what sort of diet works best for your body. For now, we wish Khloé and her baby nothing but the best, and here's to eating all the cheese!