Pregnancy-Safe Summer Recipes: What To Add To Your Pregnancy Meal Plan
July 24, 2023
In between cravings, nausea, and fatigue, finding recipes that meet your nutritional needs as a pregnant woman that you also can easily whip up and enjoy can be a challenge! In summer especially, it’s important to make sure you’re consuming pregnancy-safe meals that are hydrating.
Discover the best things to do to stay hydrated during your pregnancy in our free guide.
Staying hydrated isn’t just about drinking water, it’s about eating the right foods, too! This guide gives you a full list of all the hydrating foods and liquids you can add to your diet to fight constipation, increase maternal blood volume, and keep you hydrated!
A peek inside:
- The most hydrating fruits: citrus, melons, berries
- The best veggies and leafy greens for pregnancy hydration
- Pregnancy-safe herbal teas
- Plus a list of liquids to sip on all day long
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you become naturally intolerant to heat when you’re pregnant, “Pregnant women are more likely to get heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or other heat-related illness sooner than nonpregnant women. This is because their bodies must work harder to cool down both the pregnant woman’s body and the developing baby.”
If you’re going through a summer pregnancy, it’s crucial to be particularly mindful of your diet. Given the increased sweating and exertion you experience during the warmer months, prioritizing healthy food choices is essential. Ensure that your meal plan includes protein-rich foods as well as healthy fats from sources such as avocados, oils, nuts, and fish. Doing this will provide essential support for your well-being as well as your baby’s as you go through the heat.
Tip: To make sure you’re getting the right nutrients, plan your meals ahead of time.
Why Should You Use A Pregnancy Meal Plan?
Using a pregnancy meal plan can help you get through the days without worrying about what to make at the last minute. Remember, your pregnant body needs way more from you than it did before—good nutrition helps you handle the extra demands of actually growing a baby.
“If you are pregnant with one fetus, you need an extra 340 calories per day starting in the second trimester (and a bit more in the third trimester)…If you are carrying twins, you should get about 600 extra calories a day. If you are carrying triplets, you should take in 900 extra calories a day,” explains Parents.
It’s not only calories that matter, but vitamins, too. To help your baby grow and support a healthy birth, your meals need to include folate, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins B (B1 aka Thiamin, B2 aka Riboflavin, B3 aka Niacin), C and D to name a few.
Click here to get our free Pregnancy Eating 101 guide!
Trying to figure out which foods are safe to eat during pregnancy? From fruits and vegetables to dairy and grains, this one-sheet guide lists out the most nutrient-rich foods to eat while pregnant. We suggest printing it for your fridge and saving it to your digital camera roll for easy reference. Dig in!
A peek inside:
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Dairy
- Meat
- Herbs
- Grains
- Seafood
- Seeds
What Should You Eat In Summer While Pregnant?
Dark Leafy Greens
Vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli are rich in folate, iron, and calcium.
Fruits
Oranges, berries, bananas, and apples contain a ton of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, that pregnant mamas need.Chicken, Turkey, and Beef
Protein is essential for fetal development as it contains important nutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. If you want to have a vegetarian or vegan pregnancy, you could opt for tofu.Seafood
Yes, certain types of fish and shellfish are not only safe to eat during pregnancy, but there are many other options that provide a great source of omega-3 fatty acids!
Here are five pregnancy-safe recipes (that contain the nutrients you need) that are perfect for summer:
If You Like Piña Coladas
This is a great mocktail to whip up when you want a babymoon-esque moment from the comfort of your own kitchen. This recipe calls for pineapple and cherries, both great sources of fiber, which is an essential nutrient for maintaining healthy digestive habits and preventing constipation.
Pineapple is also high in vitamin C! “During pregnancy, vitamin C is vital for both mom and baby. You need it for tissue repair and wound healing, and it helps your baby’s bones and teeth develop, too,” says What To Expect.
Both coconut milk and coconut water is needed for this mocktail, so you get your potassium through this drink as well. It’s really important to make sure that your diet includes potassium as an inadequate amount is linked to muscle weakness, fatigue, and irregular heartbeat.
Get the full recipe here.
Dragon’s Breath Vinaigrette
During the hot summer, chances are you’re not going to crave too many heavy meals that require turning on your oven. So, stock up your fridge with all your favorite salad ingredients.
Tip: Meal prep your salads by cutting up all the ingredients separately ahead of time so you can put bits of everything into a bowl when you’re hungry.
This vinaigrette is a fantastic accompaniment to your summer salads! Plus, it’s super easy to make.
All you need is apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Olive oil is a healthy source of monounsaturated fatty acids—these fatty acids can help with the absorption of nutrients, are anti-inflammatory, and are a concentrated source of energy to help fuel you through the day.
Get the full recipe here.
Sofishticated Braised Shrimp Puttanesca
Looking for a healthy pregnancy gluten-free lunch? This puttanesca is definitely one to try!
Shrimp is the star of this dish, and is a fantastic source of protein and omega-3. “…they [omega-3s] are critical building blocks of fetal brain and retina. Omega-3 fatty acids may also play a role in determining the length of gestation and in preventing perinatal depression,” explains the National Library of Medicine.The omega-3 and protein content of this meal is further increased with anchovies.
Get the full recipe here.
Lip Smackin’ Lettuce Cups with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Carrots
This is a delicious filling recipe for mamas who want to focus on gluten-free meals.
The ground chicken that these lettuce cups call for is an amazing course of lean protein, while mushrooms will give you a dose of folate. This nutrient is essential for pregnant women as it can prevent some major birth defects including spina bifida.
Plus, the ginger in this dish may help relieve some of the nausea you may be experiencing.
Get the full recipe here.
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
Cesarian Caesar
This is a super simple summer salad that’s perfect for nourishing your body during pregnancy.
All you need is kale, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, mayo, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Kale is a fantastic leafy green to include in your pregnancy meal plan, as it is full of vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron
Get the full recipe here.
Try these pregnancy meal ideas for your summer meal plan! Not only are they delicious, but they will also provide you with the nutrients you need to support a healthy pregnancy.
