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**This post has been entered in Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist!**
I posted on what a healthy pregnancy diet is a few months back. But, it’s so important that it bears revisiting now, in this healthy pregnancy series.
Your baby is made largely of fat (most of it saturated and including cholesterol!) and protein. You need a LOT of these foods while pregnant. Some experts recommend 80 – 120 grams of protein PER DAY during pregnancy! While this is a lot, it is helping you build your baby. It may also help stave off morning sickness for some women.
As for fat — you don’t need to be afraid of it. Your baby’s body NEEDS the fat. Saturated fat is a large part of your baby’s brain! And cholesterol is found in every cell in your body (and your baby’s). There is an excellent article by Dr. Mercola explaining why we are afraid of cholesterol and why we shouldn’t be. Cholesterol is not only NOT bad, it’s absolutely NECESSARY!! To everyone!
Read the previous article (linked at the top) about what a pregnancy diet ought to include. But now let’s talk specifics: what does a pregnancy diet actually look like each day? Here is an example:
Breakfast
Fruit smoothie with juice, frozen fruit, and plain yogurt; eggs with bacon or sausage. Pregnancy tea or lemon water.
Snack
Slice of sprouted whole grain bread with peanut or almond butter; water or pregnancy tea.
Lunch
Grilled chicken breast, steamed broccoli with cheese sauce, salad with dressing. Water or pregnancy tea.
Snack
Apple slices with peanut or almond butter; or cubes of cheese and carrot sticks. Kombucha or other fermented beverage.
Dinner
Grass-fed burgers on sprouted buns with cheese and bacon, homemade French fries, fresh fruit with whipped cream or homemade raw ice cream. Water or pregnancy tea.
Note each meal has plenty of protein and fat, but few carbs. There are SOME in some of veggies (carrots and potatoes) and sprouted breads. But meals are primarily based around meat and veggies with carbs alongside, rather than as the focus of the meal. This is really how EVERYONE should eat.
This example provides a nutrient-dense set of meals that will keep you full and provide the nutrients your baby needs to grow! The lemon water is included because the sour taste can help nausea in some women.
There are plenty of other examples, of course. This one just happens to be close to something I like to eat frequently! 
No, I’m not pregnant. But when you are nursing and/or trying to conceive, eating a pregnancy diet is a good idea.
What if you’re too nauseous to eat? We’ll be covering that in the near future — how to stave off morning sickness!
How do you eat when pregnant? What does your meal plan look like?
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TESTING!
Do you stay away from caffeine when ttc? It seems I won’t be able to get rid of my coffee habit until I find out I am actually pregnant! I only have one cup a day.
Jenn,
It’s probably best to stay away from caffeine while TTC — in a perfect world. I don’t have a problem with it because I don’t drink coffee anyway. But 1 cup a day isn’t going to hurt, especially if it’s organic.
I’m currently 28 weeks pregnant and that looks very close to what I have been eating, even before getting pregnant. I’ve had such an easy pregnancy and I blame it on my diet. Oh can’t forget the fermented cod liver oil and high vitamin butter!
Hi Kate, great post! Enough can't be said about the right pregnancy diet. Thanks for visiting Monday Mania with this so very important info.
I've been looking for a post someone wrote about a lady who had been trying to get pregnant for 8 years and finally did after changing her diet. Are you familiar with that, or is anyone? I'd love to find it again and read about it since I'm having a difficult time.
Hey, most women 'in todays world' have alot of trouble meeting their recommended daily allowance.. I've always felt that a prenatal suppliments are a good way to 'play catch up'. What's your take on prenatals? What do you think the <A href="http://vitaminformom.com/">best prenatal vitamin is?
Anyone have suggestions for those with allergies? I am allergic to mill and eggs.
I have been struggling with constipation during my pregnancy (I’m still in my first trimester). Everyone says to get lots of fiber including whole grains. Historically (before I was pregnant), I was always able to combat constipation pretty quickly and easily by decreasing fat consumption and increasing fiber consumption. This isn’t working now that I’m pregnant. Do you have advice on how to help with constipation during pregnancy?
Thanks!
Extra vitamin E can help, more fat, less fiber (it actually can hurt the digestive tract). Plenty of water too!