Nutrition in Pregnancy Basics

One of the most common questions for pregnant women is: what do I eat?

Particularly as some of the symptoms like morning sickness start to fade, and your appetite returns, so do all of the questions about food and how to optimally nourish yourself and baby.

Please note that all the information on this blog is for educational purposes only, please consult with a qualified health care professional before making any diet or lifestyle changes. I am currently taking pregnancy nutritional therapy clients both remotely and in-person in the Denver area, please reach out if you have questions.

What’s covered in this post?

Supportive foods for pregnancy, including foods to avoid
Specific foods by macronutrient group that support pregnancy: proteins, carbohydrates, and fat
The importance of blood sugar regulation during pregnancy
Information about avoiding packaged and processed foods and why it’s important

Nutrition in Pregnancy

When you are pregnant you may have more questions and concerns about what foods are best for you and babe. You also may be working with various pregnancy symptoms that leave you not feeling very well.

Nutrition plays a huge role in how we feel each day and so I will provide some general recommendations about what foods can be supportive.

A general guideline for nutrition during pregnancy is to eat real foods, not food like substances.

For example, choose an apple versus packaged apple sauce, or choose almonds and dried cherries versus packaged cookies or crackers. Choosing foods in their whole food form will give you all the nutrients without the additives and preservatives found in packaged and processed foods. Win!

Reducing or ideally eliminating packaged and processed foods which are often full of refined sugar, is also supportive for managing morning sickness, fatigue, and acid reflux. Regulating blood sugar during pregnancy is incredibly important as it relates to your ability to balance hormones, and conditions that can develop like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

A note about nutrition during the first trimester. The first trimester can be particularly hard for many women as they might be experiencing nausea and food aversions. Even when you have the best intentions, eating a nutrient dense meal is just not going to happen. Be gentle with yourself, do what you can to get as many nutrients as possible, and try to refocus on nutrition when you are feeling better. Sometimes you just have to get through the day! When you notice that the nausea subsides, even just temporarily, this could be a good time to sneak in a nutrient-dense meal. The point here is, don’t be hard on yourself, do what you can, and take care of yourself during this often challenging trimester.

We all want the best for our bodies and our babies, therefore I feel it’s important to provide options that support various budgets, access to quality food (for those in food deserts!), and life circumstances. This article is not meant to induce fear, it’s designed to provide education and options so that you can make the best decisions each day based on your own life circumstances.

Supportive Foods in Pregnancy by Macronutrient: Proteins, Fats, and Carbs

Protein needs go up in pregnancy, and continue to increase as your pregnancy progresses. Depending on your weight, some general guidelines are that in the first half of pregnancy aim for 80g of protein per day, and in the second half of pregnancy aim for 100g per day.

Protein Rich Foods:

Whenever it’s possible for you choose organic, grass-fed animal products, pastured eggs, or wild caught fish.

Beef, lamb, pork, bison, venison, etc (ideally from pasture-raised animals)
Salmon, herring, sardines, scallops, cod (avoid fish high in mercury like swordfish, tuna, shark, tilefish, king mackrel) – for a less expensive option look for canned wild caught salmon
Eggs (ideally pasture-raised) – also a great complete protein that can be less expensive than other protein options. Eggs are also a great source of choline which is essential during pregnancy
Cheese (ideally grass-fed or pasture-raised)
Full fat yogurt (ideally organic)
Nuts & Seeds: Almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc
Nut butter – almond, cashew, peanut
Beans, peas, lentils, legumes

High Quality Fats:

Next let’s dive into fats. Incorporating fat into each meal will provide you with long lasting fuel and thus energy during the day. A simple metaphor is to think about a building and tending a fire. Fats will serve as the logs in the fire – burning low and slow for a steady heat source. Carbs will act as the kindling which will provide a quick energy boost but will also quickly burn out. Fats also slow down the absorption of sugar and starches in the body which helps to regulate blood sugar – oh so important for morning sickness and fatigue. So make sure you have some logs at each meal! As a starting point, aim for around 30% of each meal to be made of high quality fats.

Not all fats are created equal. In fact, many of the oils that are widely available can have adverse affects in the body. Generally speaking avoid all vegetable oils, including: canola, corn, soybean, peanut, cottonseed, safflower, sunflower, etc. Also avoid any partially-hydrogenated or trans fats. Instead replace with:

Extra virgin olive oil (ideally unrefined and cold pressed)
Coconut oil (ideally unrefined and cold pressed) – thanks to coconut oil’s popularity it is now widely available for purchase at various price points.
Lard, Duck Fat, Tallow (ideally from pasture-raised animals)
Butter, ghee (ideally grass-fed and organic) – butter has been demonized but is actually a wonderfully supportive food, so enjoy!
Heavy cream, full fat dairy products (ideally organic)
Fats from plants: avocado, olives, coconuts, nuts, seeds

When possible purchase oils that are in dark colored glass and not clear plastic which helps preserve the integrity of the oil and prevent rancidity. Looking for sales and buying in bulk can also be a way to reduce the cost.

Carbohydrates – oh so many options:

Carbs are found in a variety of foods and are essentially long chains of sugars that are broken down by the body when consumed. Carbohydrates naturally occur in most plant foods, like veggies and fruits, and are more concentrated in grains, fruit, legumes, and root veggies. Carbs are also found any packaged and processed foods that are using these ingredients.

Carbs are important to include during pregnancy, but like most things, not all carbs are not created equally. Out of all the macronutrients, carbs will most easily spike your blood sugar. Therefore consuming carbs in their whole form and concentrating on non-starchy veggies is important. Avoiding packaged and processed carbs like cookies, crackers, instant oatmeal, etc is recommended.

Being proactive about blood sugar is important for a variety of reasons including managing common pregnancy symptoms and avoiding potential issues that can arise like gestational diabetes.

Focus on:

Non-starchy vegetables for each meal like: dark leafy greens (kale, collards, chard, spinach), radishes, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, tomato, green beans, leek, lettuce, onion, zucchini
Aim for at least 3 colors on your plate at each meal

Avoid:

Refined grain products and anything made with while flower, including bread, pasta, pizza, bagels, chips, etc
Instant oatmeal, breakfast cereals
White rice

That concludes the deep dive into macronutrients during pregnancy. I hope this can serve as a general guide about how to nourish yourself during this precious journey. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you would like some personalized support.

Are you tired of all the research involved in planning for baby?

For postpartum nutrition recipes and tips, plus all the many other details that go into preparing for a baby and caring for yourself in postpartum, check out my 60+ page eBook. I hope this can support you on your beautiful journey!

Sources:
NTA Audio Lecture Series, Optional NANP Content, Nutritional Therapy Association, 2018
Nutritional Therapy Association, Student Guides, 2018.
Nichols, Lily. Real Food for Pregnancy: the Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition. Real Food for Pregnancy, 2018.
Howland, Genevieve. The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth. Gallery Books, 2018.