Curious how I fuel my body as a holistic nutritionist during pregnancy? Join me as I share what I eat in a day during pregnancy to support both my health and my baby’s growth!
I’ve spoken extensively about the importance of nutrition during pregnancy so I won’t go into it here. However, if you need some background info or want to understand why it’s important and which nutrients to focus on, I’ve got you covered. Check out this blog post on why nutrition during pregnancy is so important, and this one on what to eat for a healthy pregnancy.
Now, onto the good stuff.
The Principles Guiding What I Eat During Pregnancy
Going into pregnancy, I knew nutrition would be a cornerstone of growing my baby and supporting my changing body. Because of that, I intentionally adapted my pre-pregnancy diet to include certain foods I wasn’t eating before. What I eat during pregnancy is not so different from what I was eating before, but I have made a few changes.
- I incorporated some specific animal foods back into my diet
- I lowered my carbohydrate intake slightly
- I increased my protein consumption
- I significantly cut down on vegan ultra-processed meat and dairy substitutes
- I added snacks between my main meals, especially in the third trimester, to meet my nutrient needs
Key Nutrients I’m Focused on Eating During Pregnancy:
- Extra protein from both plant and animal sources
- Lots of healthy fats from both plant and animal sources
- Folate
- Calcium
- Omega-3 DHA & EPA
- Minerals
- Iron
- Hydration
Although my prenatal vitamin includes lots of these, I like to think of a prenatal as an insurance policy and take a food-first approach to getting these nutrients. Some key foods I’m focusing on eating during pregnancy include pasture-raised organic eggs, small fatty fish like sardines and mackerel, full-fat yogurt, plenty of dark leafy greens, lots of beans and lentils, and organic in-season berries.
I also make a point to buy organic as much as possible, and make whole foods the majority of my diet. These days my meals are plant-based, nutrient-dense, with small amounts of high-quality pregnancy-supporting animal foods. And most importantly, they taste delicious and nurture my body, my baby, and my soul!
A Typical Day of What I Eat During Pregnancy
Pre-breakfast
I start the day around 7:30 or 8 am with a mineral mocktail in bed. I take this time to meditate, say good morning to my baby, and write down 3-5 things I’m grateful for. It’s a small, 10-minute ritual that sets the tone for my day and gives me a positive outlook on all the physical changes (and challenges) pregnancy brings.
My go-to mineral mocktail includes fresh squeezed lemon juice, magnesium glycinate from a capsule, cream of tartar (source of potassium), and a pinch of Celtic Grey sea salt in warm water. I love the cozy feeling of drinking something warm first thing in the morning. The warm water provides a much-needed dose of hydration following sleep and kickstarts my digestive system (which helps me stay regular during pregnancy!). And the electrolytes help combat swelling legs and muscle cramping, both common and unpleasant symptoms in the third trimester.
Breakfast
After my 10-minute morning ritual in bed, it’s time for breakfast. Eating breakfast first thing upon waking is something I changed since becoming pregnant. Previously I would do a morning workout first and then have breakfast 1-1.5 hrs after waking. During pregnancy, however, I’ve been trying to break my overnight fast before it goes past 12 hours, as fasting more than 13 hours while pregnant isn’t recommended. Breakfast immediately upon waking has been one of the things that has helped me with this.
I like to change up my breakfasts and not eat the same thing every day, but I generally follow a few simple themes. Most often, I enjoy a slice of flourless seeded bread topped with a source of healthy fat and protein. This can be homemade whipped cashew tofu spread, sliced tomato, baby arugula, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt & pepper. Or a classic avocado toast with a sunny side-up egg and a drizzle of Red Clay hot sauce (a favorite I discovered during our time in Charleston). When I’m not in the mood for toast or I need something quick, I’ll have a bowl of homemade protein granola with a few spoonfuls of my favorite organic three-ingredient soy yogurt and fresh berries.
After finishing my food, I enjoy a mug of black tea with organic two-ingredient soy milk and a spoonful of marine collagen peptides. Collagen is another thing specific to my prenatal diet that I incorporated in the third trimester to support skin elasticity, reduce joint pain, and improve postpartum healing.
Get the recipes
You can find the recipe for my whipped tofu toast with tomato in The Ultimate Guide to Eating Plant-Based, along with twenty other delicious plant-based recipes. Check it out here.
I buy my seeded bread from Mestemacher, a German health food brand available here in Portugal, but you could also make your own. Check out this recipe for a gluten-free, plant-based seeded bread recipe.
Mid-Morning Snack
Around 11 am I’ll have a mid-morning snack. I like to prep a couple of different snack options over the weekend so there’s always a healthy option in my fridge. Changing up what snacks I make each week is also a great way to avoid feeling like I’m eating the same thing every day. I usually make a mix of sweet and savory snacks. This way, if I’ve had a savory breakfast, I’ll go for a sweet snack, whereas if breakfast was granola with yogurt and berries, I’ll opt for a savory snack instead.
A current favorite snack I’ve been loving is banana spice chia pudding. Chia pudding is so easy to prep over the weekend and stays fresh all week. The combo of bananas, spices, and chia seeds is a great nutrient-dense option for pregnancy as well. The potassium in the bananas helps with leg cramps, the chia seeds are a great source of protein and omega-3 fats, and the cinnamon encourages stable blood sugar.
I like to store chia pudding in single-serve glass jars so that the only thing I need to do to enjoy my snack is unscrew the lid.
Along with the chia pudding, I’ll also often have a glass of iced raspberry leaf and nettle tea at this time. Red raspberry leaf tea, a pregnancy staple, is supposed to help tone the uterus for an easier birth. Nettle is less known for pregnancy, but is a great source of minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium, and vitamins including A, C, and B, making it a pregnancy powerhouse. Combined, these two herbs make a potent nutritious tea that I find delicious.
Get the recipes
There are hundreds of recipes for chia pudding out there, some better than others. I like to make this Banana Chia Pudding recipe and add in ¼ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and cardamom.
The red raspberry nettle tea couldn’t be simpler to make and barely counts as a recipe. Here’s how you make it.
Red Raspberry Leaf & Nettle Pregnancy Tea
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons lose leaf nettle tea
- 4 tablespoons lose leaf red raspberry leaf tea
- 1 litre boiling water
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- Two 1 litre glass bottles or jars
Method:
- Simply combine both teas in the bottle and fill the bottle up with just-boiled water. Cover loosely with the lid, and leave to steep for 4 hours.
- Strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve or tea strainer and stir in the honey. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before enjoying.
The tea lasts at least 5 days in the fridge, although you’ll likely finish it before then.
Lunch
When 12:30 rolls around, it’s time to prepare lunch! I usually spend about an hour making lunch every day. Cooking healthy meals isn’t a chore to me, it’s a privilege and something I love doing.
During pregnancy, I’ve made a point to eat eggs several times a week, and lunch is my favorite time of the day to include them. Eggs are one of the best sources of choline and folate, both essential pregnancy nutrients, and also contain lots of omega-3 fats, protein, iron and vitamins A, D, E. I always choose and recommend organic eggs from free-range pasture-raised chickens.
There are so many ways to make eggs, but recently I’ve been really enjoying them in Spanish tortilla de patatas. Because I don’t have a nonstick pan (essential for making a Spanish tortilla properly), I cook mine more like a frittata, initially on the stove and then transferred to the oven. I like adding some veggies to my tortilla and serving it alongside a big green salad. Cubed zucchini cut to the same size as the potatoes is a favorite.
Leafy greens are another great source of folate during pregnancy and are loaded with many other important nutrients. I make a point to include dark leafy greens in at least two, if not all three meals each day. This is most often in the form of baby arugula with breakfast and a big green salad at lunch and dinner.
Get the recipes
Making a good Spanish tortilla is all about the quality of your ingredients. It’s such a simple recipe, there’s no hiding low-quality eggs or floury potatoes behind spices or sauces. The best quality extra virgin olive oil is also a must for this. Check out this recipe for Spanish Tortilla de Patatas from my favorite cookbook author and Spanish native.
Salads are one of my favorite easy ways of adding extra leafy greens to any meal. The secret is a really good homemade dressing! Here’s a link to my go-to simple Dijon dressing. You won’t be disappointed.
Afternoon Snack
Following lunch, it’s time for another snack! I’ll usually have a matcha latte with organic unsweetened soy milk, and a piece of homemade cake drizzled with peanut butter and topped with fresh fruit.
The matcha latte is my second and final caffeinated drink for the day. I love the grassy taste of matcha and feel good drinking this in the afternoon. As a non-coffee drinker, it’s nice to be able to enjoy a warm milky drink every day. 😀
Perfect on its own, my afternoon matcha is even better when paired with a slice of homemade cake! Baking is one of my favorite weekend activities, which means there’s always something delicious in my kitchen during the week. I gravitate toward healthier, lighter recipes, and have a particular love for simple olive oil cakes with seasonal fruit, lightly sweetened with unrefined sugar.
I like to add a generous drizzle of natural peanut butter, a dusting of cinnamon, and some fresh berries to top of my cake for extra deliciousness and to support blood sugar balance. These added ingredients help keep my blood sugar stable with the addition of protein & fats in the peanut butter, antioxidants in the cinnamon, and fiber in the berries. It’s a win-win on the deliciousness and health fronts in my book.
Get the recipes
You can find my all-time favorite gluten-free baking recipes in Aran Goyoaga’s third cookbook: Cannelle Vanille Bakes Simple. If you’re reading this in real-time at the end of summer/early fall, here’s one of her amazing cake recipes that I bring out every autumn for apple season.
Dinner
Dinner is one of my favorite times of the day. I’ve wrapped up work and it’s time to indulge in one of my favorite daily activities: cooking and eating delicious healthy food with my husband. I follow a weekly meal plan, so preparing dinner is never a scramble. I always know what I’m making beforehand and always have the ingredients I need.
During pregnancy, I’ve added small fatty fish into my diet a few times a week. While Saturday nights are reserved for fresh fish from our weekly fish market, during the week, I’ve been experimenting with different ways of preparing canned sardines. A staple food here in Portugal, sardines are loaded with healthy omega-3 fats, protein, iron, vitamin D, and calcium, all of which are important nutrients of focus during pregnancy. One of the dishes I’ve been enjoying recently is Spanish rice with canned sardines. A cross between a paella and a risotto, this easy dish is a cheater, quicker version of both. I love to serve the fish and rice with slow-roasted garlicky Romano beans, and another simple green salad.
Get the recipes
I love adding extra fresh herbs on top of this Spanish rice and sardines recipe. Torn fresh basil and parsley are favorites. And I’ve found veggie broth to work just as well as the listed fish broth.
Romano beans are a summer specialty, so I enjoy them often while they’re in season. Try this easy recipe if you’ve never made them before!
Pre-Bed Snack
My final meal for the day is finally here! I was never much of a snacker before pregnancy, and certainly not a pre-bed snacker. But I’ve had to become one to meet increased calorie and nutrient needs during this time (particularly the third trimester)!
My favorite pre-bed snack is a few spoonfuls of full-fat yogurt with stewed spiced fruit compote. It’s easy and quick to put together and tastes like a little dessert. Plus, the stewed fruits last forever in the fridge. Seriously. I made a big batch over a month ago and they’re still going strong!
Full-fat dairy yogurt is another pregnancy-specific addition to my diet. I don’t tolerate dairy especially well but haven’t had issues with yogurt. As I discuss in this article, it’s important to choose full-fat organic dairy, despite the general prenatal advice being that low-fat dairy is healthier. (Spoiler, it’s not.)
Get the recipes
This easy recipe for Ayurvedic Stewed Fruits is simple and delicious. I recommend slicing the ginger into larger pieces and leaving it in the compote. It tastes delicious infused with the sweet fruit syrup!
There you have an entire day of what I eat during pregnancy!
And that’s a wrap!
I can’t overstate the importance of eating a well-rounded, nutrient-rich diet during pregnancy. I hope this look into what I eat in a day during pregnancy has given you some insight into what a healthy prenatal diet looks like, and inspiration for ways to include important nutrients into your daily meals.
If you’re expecting and looking for further support, consider applying for 1:1 prenatal nutrition coaching with me. There’s no more important time than during pregnancy to prioritize your nutrition. My prenatal coaching programs provide you with a personalized nutrition program including a prenatal-specific meal plan, custom supplement recommendations, and ongoing support and accountability. Apply here.