5 Easy Superfood Recipes For Early Pregnancy
January 15, 2024
So many incredible things happen in the first trimester of pregnancy! During the first 12 weeks, your baby’s neural tube starts forming, their bones begin to develop, and they start to move around. All of these changes affect your body, too.
Morning sickness is common during early pregnancy, as well as fatigue due to the increase in progesterone. Hormonal shifts can also lead to heartburn; Mayo Clinic explains, “Pregnancy hormones relaxing the valve between your stomach and esophagus can allow stomach acid to leak into your esophagus, causing heartburn.”
Noticing some burning in your chest after eating? We’ve got you, mama! With this guide, you’ll have a list of heartburn-free foods, trigger foods you should avoid, and tips for snacking and meal times. Eat it up!
A peek inside:
- Which foods are best for preventing pregnancy heartburn
- Which ingredients you should avoid at all costs
- Hot tips for when and how much to eat
To support the early development of your baby and the changes in your body, paying close attention to your nutrition is vital. This includes focusing on whole foods including animal proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds. There are also a few first trimester superfoods to include in your pregnancy diet.
What Are Superfoods For Early Pregnancy?
Salmon
One of the reasons why salmon is considered to be a pregnancy superfood is its content of omega-3 fatty acids. “Omega-3s have been found to be essential for both neurological and early visual development of the baby,” says the American Pregnancy Association.
Fish and seafood are safe to eat during pregnancy, as long as it’s low in mercury and fully cooked (never eat raw, undercooked, or smoked varieties of salmon during pregnancy). The FDA recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women eat two to three four-ounce servings of pregnancy-safe fish a week.Eggs
Egg yolks are one of the best sources of choline, a vital nutrient in a healthy pregnancy diet as it plays an important role in a baby’s brain development and preventing birth defects. Whenever you eat eggs, ensure that they’re 100% cooked as undercooked or raw eggs may contain Salmonella.Avocado
It’s essential for pregnant women to include sources of healthy fats in their diet. Healthy fats – like what’s found in avocados – help enhance the absorption of vitamins and are a source of energy. Pregnancy can make you extremely fatigued, so it’s important to support your increased energy demands.
The Best Energy-Boosting Foods to Eat During Pregnancy
A List of Nutrient-Rich Foods for Expecting Moms
Get the GuideIt’s not uncommon to feel exhausted or sleep-deprived during your pregnancy and postpartum period (also known as the fourth trimester). So, if you’re ready to add some energy-boosting ingredients to your daily meals, you’ll find this guide has exactly what you’ve been craving.
A peek inside:
- Energy-boosting fruits
- Vivacious vegetables
- Packed proteins: meat, seafood, dairy
- Supercharged seeds and nuts
- Life-giving leafy greens, legumes, and grains
- A few tips for other ways to naturally boost your energy that don’t include caffeine
Spinach
Did you know that your body needs to increase your blood volume by 45% when you’re pregnant? To support this incredible feat, eat sources of iron, like spinach.
Tip: To increase your body’s absorption of iron from plant sources, include an ingredient high in vitamin C.
Nuts and Seeds
Keep a bunch of nuts and seeds on hand to sprinkle on soups, salads, smoothie bowls, and oatmeal. Almonds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pine nuts, and walnuts are nutrient dense, full of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and minerals.
Sweet Potato
It’s important to eat a range of fruits and vegetables during pregnancy – make sure sweet potatoes are on your grocery list! This veggie is rich in vitamin A which plays a role in cellular differentiation and division as well as the development of your baby’s immune system.
Here are healthy pregnancy recipes featuring superfoods for your first trimester meal plan:
We Put the Chill In These Pork Enchiladas
These pork enchiladas are a fantastic edition to your first trimester pregnancy diet.
Not only is pork an excellent source of protein (essential for the growth of the placenta) but it’s also high in vitamin B6. This vitamin can be used to help treat nausea!
From how many meals to eat to which foods to skip, this guide’s got proven tips, helpful recommendations, and mama-approved suggestions to help ease your nausea when “morning sickness” strikes.
A peek inside:
- The best way to start your day off to avoid nausea
- Recommendations for ways to split up your meals
- Tricks for staying hydrated
- Foods to skip and ingredients to indulge in to fight off nausea
- Mama-approved suggestions that help with morning sickness and make life easier
The pepitas in this recipe will give you a dose of iodine – getting enough of this mineral will help ensure that your baby develops a healthy thyroid. “In very rare cases where a fetus has an underdeveloped thyroid, it can lead to negative effects later in life, like developmental delays, deafness, impaired growth, cognitive deficiencies, and other problems,” says What To Expect.
Garnish with sliced avocado for extra healthy fats, folate, and vitamin C.
Get the full recipe here.
Egg-traordinary Deviled Eggs with Peas
These eggs are a delicious healthy snack to include in your meal plan!
Eggs high in choline, iodine, as well as niacin, a B vitamin that extracts fuel from food to give you energy and plays a role in fetal brain development.Get the full recipe here.
Everything But The Kitchen Sink Crunchy Veggie Slaw
The added lemon in the dressing will help your body absorb the iron in the spinach.
Spinach is also high in calcium! To support the development of your baby’s skeleton, extra calcium is a must. Your body will take calcium from your own bones to facilitate the development of your baby, which could put you at risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.Don’t skip sprinkling this slaw with sesame seeds – they’re rich in fiber and magnesium.
Get the full recipe here.
Oh My Gourd Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
The main ingredients in this soup are sweet potatoes and butternut squash, so you’ll get vitamin A as well as vitamin C.
This recipe also calls for ginger, a fantastic ingredient to eat more of during pregnancy as it helps reduce nausea and heartburn.
Tip: Make a big batch of this soup and freeze into pre-portioned blocks to heat up for healthy pregnancy work lunches.
Get the full recipe here.
Feelin’ Extra Fine Baked Salmon with Sticky Walnut Thyme Sauce
This dish is bursting with omega-3 fatty acid thanks to the salmon and walnuts!
Salmon isn’t just a superfood due to its content of healthy fats – it’s also high in calcium!If you’ve got a sugar craving, this is a great recipe for you as the dressing includes maple syrup for a healthy sweet kick.
Get the full recipe here.
Eating healthy during pregnancy doesn’t have to be difficult, Mama. Pregnant and Hungry is here to help! Subscribe now to gain unlimited access to hundreds of pregnancy-safe recipes. Through this platform, you can save your favorite recipes, filter by pregnancy ailments or dietary restrictions, and create comprehensive grocery lists based on your custom weekly meal plans. Be supported throughout your pregnancy and into the postpartum period!
