You’ve heard it time and time again – pregnant mamas need to eat 200-300 more calories a day than non pregnant women. Pregnant women (and all men, women and child for that matter) should be filling up on nutrient dense foods; protein, vegetables, leafy greens, healthy fats. But sometimes that’s not always possible when you’re pregnant. Because you just feel like blah.
This is how I felt:
My appetite and interest in food was gone.
I didn’t feel like eating all the good wholesome foods I normally ate.
I lived on spelt toast and eggs.
I could have ate that for every single meal.
And sometimes I did.
I had zero desire to eat, and my heightened sense of smell just made it all that much worse.
Maybe you totally know what I’m talking about, and are going through it right now.
I wasn’t nauseous; I didn’t have morning sickness, yet for almost my whole first trimester I wanted nothing to do with food. I call it food boredom, for lack of another term or way to describe it. And as a serious meal planner and prepper, I felt like a failure while strolling through the food court at lunchtime looking for something, anything that interested me, instead of bringing a healthy home made lunch which I normally did given any other normal day of my life. How could I tell my pregnant clients they should be eating more calories and nutrient dense foods when I couldn’t even do it myself?
So if you’re faced with the same situation here are my top tips:
Eat when you need to, and eat what you can. (don’t just eat gummie bears because that’s what you ‘just feel like’ eating – if you’re going to eat gummie bears at least make sure you’re eating some real food with them too!!)
Don’t count calories. That will just drive you crazy, and make you feel bad for not eating ‘enough’, or too much. If you eat real food, you’re doing good!
Don’t beat yourself up for eating only the same two items for breakfast lunch and dinner. But if you do happen to get into this rut like I did, ask yourself if there is a way to add more nutrients to it. Could you add some coconut oil or sautéed spinach to the scrambled eggs? Can you spread some grass fed butter (hello Omega-3 healthy fats) onto your toast. Or even some avocado on that toast. How about adding some chia seeds in your cereal? Get as creative as you can, given the circumstance.
Can’t stomach the thought of eating meat? Try protein powder. Make sure to choose one that doesn’t have artificial flavors, sweeteners or colours. (stay away from ‘natural flavors’ too) Quinoa, boiled eggs, beans and lentils are all other great protein sources that hopefully won’t have you turning up your nose to.
Drink smoothies. I had no problem gulping down nutrient dense smoothies filled with frozen fruit, spinach and kale leaves, some hemp hearts and chia seed for protein, calcium and healthy fats and fiber. Protein powder would be another great addition here. Make sure you’re not just drinking fruit smoothies, which will spike your blood sugar and have you feeling hungry in no time. It’s important to add fiber from greens, and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocados, hemp or chia to keep you feeling fuller longer, and to keep your blood sugar evenly balanced.
Juice your greens. Don’t feel like a salad. How about drinking one? Juicing greens are a great way to get in all the phytonutrients, antioxidants the most nutrient dense foods on the planet that will set you and your baby up for health. (make sure to drink green juices with protein, fat or fiber to keep your blood sugar stable and your belly feeling full)
If you crave chocolate…make it worthwhile! I’m not talking candy bars – stay away from all that white sugary crap. I’m talking 75-85% cacao which usually has only 5 ingredients or less, no white sugar, and actually helps you feel relaxed because of the magnesium content. A few squares a day is all you need! (Brands I like are Giddy Yo Yo and Green & Black’s, and Lindt 80% cocoa is good too)
These helped me supplement my spelt toast and egg sandwich days during pregnancy, I hope they will help you too.
Now, you probably want to know my favourite smoothie I used to drink while I was pregnant don’t you?
Truth is, I didn’t actually have a go to recipe. It’s more like a go-to method to making smoothies. Basically whatever is in the fridge and freezer goes:
Start with your liquid: coconut water, plain water, coconut milk
Add your greens: kale, spinach, swiss chard, arugula, dandelion (make sure to switch it up each week)
Add your frozen berries: strawberries, cherries, blueberries, cherries
Add your fresh fruit: orange, banana, mango etc
Add your healthy fat: avocado, nut butter, seed butter, flax seeds
Add your superfoods: gogi berries, chia seeds, hemp hearts, cacao nibs, turmeric, cinnamon
Add your protein: my go-to protein is Genuine Health
Blend and enjoy.
You can’t really go wrong with making smoothies. But here are some tips:
*You can overdo it on the greens, especially when using dandelion or arugula. Eek, I’ve done that before! So when using the bitter greens less is more!
*I like to use frozen berries instead of ice – gives me more bang for my buck so to speak!
*Use avocado sparingly – a quarter of one goes a long way. Try this very minimally in the beginning.
*Chia seeds congeal as they absorb up to 10x their volume, so you want to add just a bit, no more than one tablespoon is sufficient. Flax seeds also congeal, so same rule applies.
*Hemp seeds mixed in smoothies do make the smoothie taste a bit different. Use no more than a tablespoon, and use less for beginner smoothie makers!
*Peanut butter and almond butter don’t mesh well with all fruits! Try with a simple banana smoothie first before using with other berries.
Check out my Instagram feed @FitTritious for other smoothies, juices, and drink recipes.
Yours in Fitness & Nutrition
