I am frequently asked “what do you eat when you’re pregnant?” There’s really no short answer to this. With each pregnancy I ate a little differently, but some things remained the same.
Due to popular demand, I am sharing again what I think is great to have while pregnant. In short, a balanced diet with lots of vegetables will serve you well in pregnancy. It will supply the nutrients you and baby need and the energy you need as well.
With that being said, don’t sweat it if you are nauseous in that first trimester and veggies just don’t sound good or taste good. The first trimester will pass and you can than start eating a more balanced diet. Try smoothies in the first trimester, hiding the greens.
In addition, don’t sweat it if you want a cookie or chocolate every now and again. This is okay. We all need balance. I would be lying if I said as a nutritionist, I never had sugar during my pregnancy. There are moments I crave sugar, so I keep healthy snacks on hand, or I make a lot of my own bites or chocolate coconut macaroons. I even do frozen grapes or “nice” cream (banana ice cream) to help satisfy those sweet cravings. Head over to my snack or dessert page for some healthy inspirations. Give these popsicles a try for a healthy, cold sweet snack, breakfast or dessert.
Some women are scared that they are not getting enough calories or nutrition during their first trimester, due to their lack of appetite and nausea. I was one of those women, until I did further research.
Since the baby is so small during this time, nutrition is not as important as it would be during the second and final trimester (where you need 300-500 extra calories a day). This doesn’t give you an excuse to abuse your body and cut your calories by any means, but only offers to encourage you not to worry if you don’t have an appetite. If you feel great during the first trimester, begin eating healthy by all means.
Also, there is no need to “eat for two.” Simply adding a few extra calories (as stated above) a day is suffice for you and baby, and better so you don’t have unwanted weight gain.
The more fruits and vegetables you eat during your pregnancy, the more likely your child will like vegetables. Your baby starts gaining their taste for foods in the womb, so start them young (studies prove this)!! This should give you motivation to eat a little healthier and to try to get those greens in. I suggest eating the rainbow, lots of colors in your diet daily.
My quick tips for you:
- Eat the Rainbow – the more colorful your diet the better
- Drink up – hydrate, hydrate – you should be drinking lots of water in your pregnancy, especially as you grow bigger – everything in the body needs water and this will help keep amniotic fluid up as well as stretch marks at bay.
- Healthy fats – your baby and you need healthy fats for healthy skin development and brain development. So make sure to take a fish oil supplement
- Eliminate sugars and junk foods – I think splurging is healthy, but don’t make junk food and sugars your go to every day at every meal. Sugary foods and junk foods, increase weight gain, water weight and can negatively impact your child.
- Protein shakes – these are great for getting enough protein, especially if a vegetarian or you are nauseous; protein rich foods can help with nausea
- Increase Probiotic rich foods – I like koombucha, yogurts, kefir or kimchi for healthy probiotic rich sources.
You can find a more indepth post on eating in pregnancy at this post I shared years ago when pregnant with my first. It outlines the vitamins that are needed as well. Also, go to my post on helpful herbs and essential oils during pregnancy. You can find more helpful posts for pregnancy under my pregnancy tab as well.
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit