Pregnancy Meal Prep: Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas
December 11, 2023
You wake up after tossing and turning all night, get ready for work, and rush out the door. Breakfast may be far from your mind! Pregnancy can leave you fatigued and nauseous, so waking up earlier to cook some eggs does not seem like something you want to do!
However, it’s important to still eat a morning meal to support your body’s changes and baby’s development. This is where meal prep comes in! Taking a bit of time on a Sunday to whip up some make-ahead pregnancy breakfast recipes can make a huge difference to the rest of your week.
What If I’m Pregnant And Don’t Eat Breakfast?
Skipping breakfast is not a good idea for you or your baby. Health experts advise that pregnant women eat three meals a day as well as snacks in order to stabilize blood sugar levels and get the vital vitamins and minerals that are needed during this period.
You may want to avoid breakfast because of morning sickness—but unfortunately, not eating can exacerbate nausea.
Parents also adds that eating frequent small meals can reduce heartburn, “Smaller meals also minimize heartburn, a common and painful problem as pregnancy progresses and your stomach gets squeezed. So, keep some nutritious snacks around for between-meal munching.”
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
Breakfasts To Avoid When Pregnant
Pregnancy can wreak havoc on your sleeping patterns. Hormonal changes and feeling uncomfortable can make getting a full night of quality sleep more challenging. You likely will be tempted to reach for some extra caffeine to wake you up. Don’t! Coffee and tea need to be limited to around 200 mg a day as pregnancy can make you extra sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
“Caffeine slightly increases your blood pressure and heart rate and the amount of urine your body makes. Caffeine may cause you to feel jittery, have indigestion or have trouble sleeping…When you have caffeine during pregnancy, it passes through the placenta to your baby,” says March of Dimes.
If you’re a mama who is experiencing high blood pressure during your pregnancy, we’ve created a guide just for you. Inside it, you’ll learn what gestational hypertension is, ways to control it, and which ingredients help reduce high blood pressure.
A peek inside:
- The difference between gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension
- Who’s most at risk
- Contributing factors that help control high blood pressure
- Lists of foods that are high in calcium, fiber, magnesium, protein, and potassium
It’s important to focus on ingredients that are protein-dense and nutrient-rich, so steer clear of overly processed convenience foods. “Pregnant or not, starting the day off with a sugar-filled cereal, cinnamon bun, super-sweetened yogurt, donuts or sugary breakfast bars will cause your blood sugar levels to spike and then crash to the floor,” explains What To Expect.
To make eating healthy during pregnancy easier, meal prep some breakfasts that are simple to make ahead and have on the go.
4 Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas For Pregnancy
Snacky Sesame Banana Bread
This bread is a delicious way to incorporate more bananas into your pregnancy diet. But, why is this important? This fruit is high in vitamin B6 which can help reduce morning sickness and potassium to help lower blood pressure.
Besides the taste, the best thing about this banana bread is that it’s freezer-friendly, making it a great pregnancy meal prep idea.
Get the full recipe here.
Gluten-Free Granola with Coconut, Cranberries, and Hazelnuts
If you’re experiencing constipation, you’ve got to try this healthy on-the-go pregnancy breakfast.
This gluten-free granola is full of fiber thanks to hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, oats, sesame seeds, and apricots.
How to Relieve Constipation During Pregnancy
Dietary Remedies for Pregnancy Constipation Relief
Get the GuideConstipation can be a real pain in the butt. But luckily for you, we’ve got a whole resource that can help provide constipation relief during pregnancy. Download this guide to find out which foods will help get things moving along!
A peek inside:
- Which foods are best to avoid if you’re experiencing constipation
- Recommendations for activities to try and ingredients to buy
- A list of foods rich in magnesium (a mineral that helps relieve constipation!)
- The importance of staying hydrated
Eat this with Greek yogurt for extra calcium. “Yogurt is a good source of calcium, which is necessary for the development of your baby’s bones and teeth, as well as heart, nerve and muscle function. If you don’t consume enough calcium, your body will take it from your bones,” says Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Tip: Make a big batch and pre-portion the granola into five airtight containers to pair with single-portion yogurts for an easy grab-and-go breakfast during the week.
Get the full recipe here.
Wild One Blueberry Smoothie
This pregnancy breakfast smoothie is full of vitamin C thanks to the pineapple, cauliflower, lemons, and blueberries. “Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system. It also helps build strong bones and muscles. During pregnancy, you should get at least 85 mg of vitamin C each day,” advises The American College Of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The vitamin C content will assist your body in absorbing the iron found in the spinach. Iron is an essential vitamin during pregnancy as it works to increase your blood volume to support the growth of your baby.
Thanks to the vitamin B6 and magnesium in this smoothie, it’s one of the best breakfasts for pregnancy 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
Tip: There are two ways to meal prep this smoothie: Freeze the smoothie into ice cube trays and then just blend the block with some water the morning you want to drink it. Or, prepare and pre-portion the ingredients.
Get the full recipe here.
The Morning Muffin Motivation We All Need
You’ll get protein and choline from the eggs in this recipe, as well as calcium and fiber from the chia seeds. Chia seeds also contain omega-3 ALA which supports energy creation in your body. So, if pregnancy fatigue is getting you down, these are the muffins to make!
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
This healthy muffin recipe also calls for chocolate (a fantastic source of magnesium) making this a good breakfast meal prep for mamas who have sweet cravings.
Get the full recipe here.
If you weren’t much of a breakfast person before pregnancy, it can be challenging to fit it in now when you’re expecting. But it’s important that you do, Mama! Try the above make-ahead breakfast ideas to make healthy eating and pregnancy nutrition easier and more delicious.
