Pregnant? Checked out the rules these days?
Don’t eat lunch meat.
Don’t eat shellfish.
Don’t eat too much fish. Don’t eat sushi.
Don’t eat raw egg. Raw cookie dough. Too much sugar. Too much salt.
If you’re wondering what you CAN still eat, read on!
(And if you need the Very Bad, No Good Foods for Pregnancy List, CLICK HERE!)
It’s important to eat enough calories during pregnancy – you’re not quite eating for two, but you should be consuming around 300 extra calories a day from the second trimester. And you want to make them healthy and nutritious calories so you can pass on those nutrients to your baby.
So, what can you eat? Here are some of the best superfoods you should be eating! Plus, how to get them into your diet.
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1. Avocado
Avocados are full of healthy fats, dietary fibre and folate. Folate is great to add to your diet because it helps reduce the risk of birth defects when consumed in early pregnancy.
Eating avocado also helps keep you full for longer and helps keep your blood sugar stable. All good things while pregnant!
Enjoy It This Way:
- On toast – classic! Just slice the avocado open and scoop out some of the flesh and spread it on your toast.
- Add it to your salads – avocado is perfect tossed on top of any salad to give it a boost of healthy vitamins and minerals.
- Make guacamole – have you made this before? It’s so easy! Simply mash up your avocado, add lime and a pinch of salt to taste and you’re done. Grab some vege sticks or crackers and enjoy!
2. Sweet Potato
Sweet potato is another great vegetable to eat while pregnant. Why? It’s full of fibre, which helps ward off constipation, keeps you full, and helps keep your blood sugar stable.
Sweet potato is a great source of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A by the body.
Enjoy It This Way
- As a Mash – mashed sweet potato is a great alternative to white potatoes. Add some parmesan cheese and a splash of milk and butter for a creamy and delicious side dish.
- Added to Curries and Casseroles – sweet potato is a great vegetable to include in your every day curry or casserole.
- Baked or Fried – sweet potato fries are delicious and baked sweet potato is just the same. You can eat it as a side to a main meal or use it to top a salad. Delicious!
3. Berries
Are you a berry girl? Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries… if it’s got berry in the name, I’m so there!
Berries are more than just a tasty treat. They also pack a powerful nutritional punch and are loaded with Vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants.
Enjoy It This Way
- Whole and plain – berries don’t need any dressing up. They’re delicious snacks all on their own.
- In a salad – get fancy with a strawberry spinach salad!
- Make a breakfast parfait – layer granola, Greek yogurt and sliced, mashed, or macerated berries for a decadent breakfast that tastes amazing and is healthy too!
4. Eggs
Eggs are a great pregnancy super food – so long as you eat them fully cooked. They’re packed with vitamins and minerals and high-quality protein and fats.
Eggs also contain choline which is an essential nutrient for healthy brain development.
Enjoy It This Way
- Plain and Hard Boiled/Fried – just make sure the yolk is completely set.
- In a quiche – quiche is a delicious way to up your egg and vege intake.
- Homemade custard – homemade custard is a scrumptious way to treat yourself to more egg!
5. Bananas
Bananas are delicious, easily portable and full of goodness! They’re a great source of potassium (helps blood pressure). Bananas are also full of fibre, Vitamin C and B6.
Enjoy It This Way
- Sliced into hot oatmeal – tastes so creamy!
- As ‘nice’cream – freeze chopped banana and blend in a high powered blender until smooth and creamy.
- In a smoothie. Bananas add sweetness and creaminess to smoothies so you won’t need much (if any) sugar.
6. Salmon
Should you eat fish during pregnancy? What about mercury? There are definitely some fish that you should avoid eating when you’re pregnant. However, Wild-caught Alaska Salmon is on the ‘good’ list. Salmon contains Omega-3 fatty acids which promotes brain health and lower your risk of preeclampsia.
Enjoy It This Way
- Freshly grilled with lemon and a side salad.
- Turn leftover salmon into salmon cakes
- Bake it with herbs and lemon
7. Lean Meat
Lean meats are important to your diet for the protein. The best meat to choose is lean, high-quality, with the fat trimmed off.
Enjoy It This Way
- Grilled with a salad
- Stir-fried with vegetables and a splash of soy sauce
- Baked in a tin foil packet with vegetables
8. Beans
Beans are powerhouses of nutrition – they contain loads of fibre, protein, iron, folate, calcium, and zinc. There are many different types to choose from, be it chickpeas, lentils, black beans, soy beans, or other!
Not only are beans packed with nutritional punch, they’re also very filling.
Enjoy It This Way
- Enjoy lentils added into ground beef dishes for a nutritious boost
- Add beans to your salads
- Roast chickpeas and enjoy as a snack, lightly salted.
9. Nuts and Seeds
There are many different types of nuts and seeds and all are packed with healthy fats and nutrients. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3’s, while pecans and pistachios also have small amounts of omega-3’s.
Enjoy It This Way
- Add a small handful of chopped nuts to your breakfast cereal or oatmeal
- Add some toasted chopped nuts to your salad
- Make nut-based energy bites using dates, nuts, coconut and a high powered blender.
10. Oatmeal
Oatmeal makes a delicious and filling breakfast. It’s full of fibre, B vitamins, iron, and folic acid. My favorite way to have oatmeal is overnight oats – it’s like having dessert for breakfast!
Enjoy It This Way
- Overnight oats – you can make these in almost any flavor, pop them in the fridge, and eat them in the morning for a delicious and creamy breakfast you won’t believe is actually healthy.
- Baked Oatmeal – a hearty way to start the day. Baked oatmeal changes it up a little from the average.
- Oatmeal – a winter breakfast staple. Jazz it up by adding slices of banana, coconut, and almond slivers while cooking. Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors!
Over to you…
Have you been eating these super foods? Pumped to add them into your diet? Let us know!
