If you’re reading this I’m guessing your pregnant, so CONGRATS are in order! I loved being pregnant and everyone kept giving me advice like “sleep while you can”… this is good advice he he he 🙂 Now I’m going to share some advice with you, on how to nourish your beautiful growing baby and your body.
When I was pregnant with Vienna . I had a few food aversions right from the get-go. Fish was a big one for me… we ate a lot in our home prior to pregnancy and then even the thought of it made me gag! This was really disappointing because fish is such a great source of iron, protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Surprisingly, it is just as common to have food aversions as it is to have cravings. It can be easy to fall into a trap of eating the same foods day after day when you have aversions or cravings or both.
The key to good nutrition during pregnancy is to eat a variety of nourishing foods.
Enjoy this list of pregnancy power nutrients, foods and more than 20 recipes!
Iron
When you’re pregnant, you need about twice the amount of iron as you did before you were expecting because your body uses iron to make extra blood for your baby. In fact, your blood volume doubles! Iron also helps move oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body — and to your babys. Too little iron results in iron deficiency anemia, which is a common cause of fatigue during pregnancy. Here are some food sources of iron and recipe ideas:
- lentils and beans: Lentil Quinoa Loaf
- spinach: Easy Peasy Spinach Pesto Pizza
- sesame seeds (tahini): Chewy Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
- chick peas: Chickpea Bread with Sunflower Seed Pesto
- asparagus: Roasted Lemon Asparagus with Pecans
Calcium
You probably know that calcium is essential to build strong bones and teeth in your baby but did you also know that it is essential to grow a healthy heart, nerves, and muscles; and to develop a normal heart rhythm and blood-clotting abilities? Calcium deficiency during pregnancy will cause your baby to draw the calcium it needs from development from your bones, which can lead to health problems such as osteoporosis later in life. Here are some food sources of calcium and recipe ideas:
- leafy greens such as spinach and kale: Kale Crunch Salad
- broccoli: Broccoli and Goji Berry Antioxidant Salad
- sheep or goats milk yogurt: Chickpea Savoury Pancakes
- sesame seeds: Sesame Banana Cookie Bites
- beet greens: The BBB: Beet Bean Burgers
Folate
Folate is essential for development of babys neural tube (which develops into brain and spinal cord). It also helps prevent birth defects of your baby’s brain and spinal cord that can occur at 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. It plays an important role in the production of red blood cells and may reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. Here are some food sources of folate and recipe ideas:
- beans and lentils: Black Bean Chia Brownies
- chick peas
- spinach: Spinach Pesto Pizza
- asparagus
- cauliflower: Curry Cauliflower Quinoa Stew
Note: Many prenatal supplements contain folic acid which is the synthetic form of folate and should be avoided during pregnancy.
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Potassium
Potassium’s main role is maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in your body’s cells. Since your blood volume expands by up to 50% during pregnancy, you’ll need slightly more electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride, working together) to keep the extra fluid in the right chemical balance. If you suffer from leg cramps during pregnancy, potassium-rich foods can help, as can magnesium. Here are some food sources of potassium and recipe ideas:
- avocado: Apple Avocado Collard Wraps
- spinach
- sweet potato: Sweet Potato Wedges
- tomatoes: Uncomplicated Tomato Salad
- fennel
Protein
Protein when broken down into it’s smallest parts become amino acids. These are the building blocks of your body’s cells and of your baby’s body as well. Pregnant women need about 70g of protein. This means eating protein at every single meal and snack as much as you might want to only eat carbs! 😉 Protein is essential for growth of tissues including muscles in your baby. Here are some food sources of protein and recipe ideas:
- eggs: Zucchini Frittata Cups
- quinoa, lentils, beans: How to make the Perfect Quinoa (video)
- organic chicken: Chicken with Best-Ever BBQ Sauce
- organic, grass-fed beef
- fish: Salmon Cakes
Fibre
During pregnancy your digestive system slows to a snail’s pace to ensure you absorb the nutrients you need from food. This can mean constipation and bloating are what you’re dealing with on a daily basis. Increasing your fibre intake can really help keep things moving and prevent a sluggish digestive system. Also, a higher intake of fibre can help prevent the glucose intolerance that can lead to gestational diabetes. Here are some food sources of fiber and recipe ideas:
- chia
- winter squash: Kale Squash Salad
- pears: Apple Pear Ginger Crisp
- cranberries: Cranberry Ginger Granola
- lentils and beans
Vitamin D
Vitamin D, just like calcium helps build healthy, strong bones. It prevents a condition called pre-eclampsia which can cause a lot of serious problems during pregnancy. At this time, 40-60% of the entire U.S. population is vitamin D deficient, including pregnant women! Here are some food sources of vitamin D and recipe ideas:
- sardines, salmon: Orange Mint Baked Salmon
- goat and sheeps milk: Best Ever Gluten-free Pizza Crust
- eggs: Guacamole Devilled Eggs
- shiitake mushrooms
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Vitamin D is not abundant in foods which makes it necessary to supplement. Be sure to speak with your natural healthcare practitioner regarding supplementation of any nutrient mentioned above. I wish you a joyous pregnancy, labour and delivery!
What nutrients or foods did you find had the most positive impact on your pregnancy?
37 thoughts on “Important Nutrients and Foods for a Healthy Pregnancy”
Hello Joy!
Great article! Is there any prenatal vitamins brand you would recommand??
Hi Joy!
Just curious as to why folic acid should be avoided? I had never heard of that before!
Loved this! Even though I am not pregnant and likely won’t be for a while I am always interested in reading posts like this and saving them for the future.
Brittany
Hi Joy and congrats on your bundle of “joy”! Could you elaborate on the prenatal vitamin comment? I ate well throughout my pregnancy but also took a prenatal vitamin and I have been recommended to keep taking one post partum. What are your thoughts on prenatal vitamins?
Folic acid is the synthetic form and requires a few steps for your body to convert it, unfortunately most people do not complete the conversion to folate and it is not good to have excessive amounts of folic acid in the body. When you’re buying it as a supplement always look for it to be listed as “5-methyltetrahydrofolate” or “5-MTHF” on the label.
I used NFH and Pregnavite during my pregnancy and now I am taking Perfect Prenatal by New Chapter Organics.
Thanks so much! Yes definitely take one post partum especially if you are BF’ing. I’m taking Perfect Prenatal by New Chapter Organics.
Hi Joy,
Thank you for the amazing information. I was wondering if you knew if Garden of Life, Raw Prenatal vitamins include the good folate you discussed above. I’ve looked but can’t seem to find if it is or not.
Thank you,
Laura
Great post Joy! I’m not pregnant now but am still breastfeeding and also vegetarian so I’m always keen to learn new ways to add in some extra nutrition. I love the sound of the Chickpea Detox Salad. Will be trying that. I’d love to do a detox but can’t with nursing. My little man is 2 1/2 now and I don’t know how much longer we’ll go. Are there any gentle detoxes that are safe when nursing?
Hi Joy,
In regards to protein – did you take any protein powders during your pregnancy? I would love to still incorporate a plant based protein into my morning smoothies – but most have the “check with a health practitioner” on the label so hard to know what to do there.
Hi Deb,
Some moms do continue to use protein powders throughout pregnancy, but you’ll want to check and make sure they don’t have any herbs that are contraindicated for pregnancy. Since every pregnancy is different, your best bet when in doubt is to check with your healthcare practitioner.
Kate – Joyous Health Team
Hi Joy 🙂
Can you recommend a calcium supplement to take while pregnant?
Thanks. Loves
Hi Pooja! Joy’s favourite prenatal vitamin (Perfect Prenatal by New Chapters) has calcium included. It’s a really well-rounded multivitamin! Otherwise brands can vary based on where you live. I suggest heading to your local health food store and speaking with an associate there. They are very knowledgable about the products they carry.
Heather- Joyous Health Team
Hi Heather 🙂 Thanks for the reply. Yes I am taking New Chapters Perfect prenatal but noticed that the calcium contact is quite little?
If you are taking the prenatal and enjoying a variety of whole foods, I think your calcium intake should be adequate (but always check with your healthcare provider). The form of calcium in the NC prenatal is highly absorbable vs other brands which dose at a higher level, but absorption rates are low and in general, I find that calcium is supplemented in excess not in quality. I hope that helps! Here’s a few calcium rich foods to help boost your intake: http://www.joyoushealth.com/blog/2013/04/02/confused-about-calcium-to-drink-milk-or-not/
Heather- Joyous Health team
Thanks Heather, yes this helps 🙂
I was wondering if you took a greens supplement during your pregnancy? If so, which one do you recommend?
Joy took Greens+ Kids while pregnant and continues to take it while nursing! It’s a great way to supplement with a wide variety of nutrients and foods while pregnant/nursing because their regular formula contains herbs that are best avoided when expecting. Bonus: it’s super tasty!
Heather- Joyous Health Team
Thanks that is super helpful!
Hi Joy,
You mention that folic acid should be avoided during pregnancy. Can you please explain? I thought it was recommended to increase your folic acid intake! Also why would it be in most prenatal vitamins if it is not good for pregnant women?
Thank you.
Hi Patricia! Folate is found naturally in foods, while folic acid is made synthetically, which is why we suggest avoiding it. We recommend sticking to the natural form of folate, as your body metabolizes it much more efficiently. It is an important nutrient for expecting momma’s but it must be in the right form so make sure to buy a prenatal that includes folate (not folic acid) on the list of ingredients. I hope that helps to clarify the difference, many people use the terms interchangeably but there is a big difference!
Heather- Joyous Health
This is awesome and remedies said here are so simple and unique.foods rich in iron
Thanks for providing Us this wonderful article.
Hey Josee! Glad you found it to be so helpful 🙂 Rachel – Joyous Health Team
Hi Joy,
I saw that someone asked you about prenatal vitamins and you answer, “I used NFH and Pregnavite during my pregnancy and now I am taking Perfect Prenatal by New Chapter Organics.”
Did you switch during your pregnancy or did you take perfect prenatal as a postpartum vitamin? I’m just trying to make sure I understand. Thanks for clarifying.
Hey there! Yes exactly, I switched while I was pregnant. And yes, the prenatal is highly recommended if you’re breastfeeding. Hope that helps!
Hi Joy, I love your work, all your articles and videos, you’re awesome! I was wondering if you have any tips for getting pregnant. Thank you.
Hey Pavlina, Joy mentions a number of resources in the following article that might be helpful for you (specifically Optimum Nutrition: Before, During and After Pregnancy). However, it may also be beneficial for you to work with a natural health care practitioner who specializes in fertility. Hope that helps 🙂 https://www.joyoushealth.com/21151-blog-video-four-resources-for-a-natural-pregnancy-and-beyond Rachel – Joyous Health Team
Hi Joy,
Just wondering…it looks as though the folate in New Chapter’s “Perfect Prenatal” is listed as Folic Acid, but you don’t recommend taking folate in this synthetic form. Could you clarify about this?
Thanks so much! I really appreciate all the resources and wellness you promote! 🙂
Hey Brianna, The type of folic acid in New Chapter is fermented and biotransformed and therefore more absorbable as a result sowe would still recommend it 🙂 Rachel – Joyous Health Team
Cm hospital pops out some of the tips on the antibiotic consumption and the issues in consuming those antibiotics over their vitamin supplements. It is also advisable to consume the folic acid by the Fertility Centre in Chennai states the cm hospital.# Gynecologist In Velachery# Gynecologist In Madipakkam# Gynecologist In Adambakkam. http://cmhospital.in/
Hi Joy, loved this article and all your other ones of nutrition during pregnancy! You mentioned the New Chapters Prefect Prenatal would you also suggest or consider it necessary to take the Wholemega for Moms Prenatal fish oil? I am going to be trying in the coming months and I want to be sure my body is extra ready for baby! I each an organic, whole foods diet so I feel I am already ahead of the game.
Hi Carly,
Glad you’ve found these articles useful. That’s very exciting you’ll be trying in the coming months and I commend you for taking positive steps to make sure you’re the healthiest mama you can be! Yes, I love New Chapter’s Wholemega for Moms 🙂 You are definitely ahead of the game by eating well!
I take AOR’s advanced b complex vitamin now. The ingredient list includes “1000 mcg Folic acid (calcium L-5-MTHF)”. Is this safe to take during pregnancy?
Thanks! 🙂
Folic acid (calcium L-5-MTHF)
Should be yes! That’s the biologically active form 🙂
Hi Joy!
Thank you for all of this information! I am interested in taking the New Chapters prenatal, and already eat whole foods, and organic fruits and veggies as part of my daily diet. Is it possible to overload on any of the additional ingredients included in the prenatal? Also – do you think it has enough vitamin D? I currently take 2000 ius daily.
I take the Genuine Health probiotic too- would you recommend stopping if I take the New Chapter prenatal? I understand it has fermented foods too.
Thanks!
Hi LC, if you’re trying to get pregnant or you are pregnant, you most definitely want to be taking a prenatal even if you’re eating whole foods. I would recommend you work with a natural healthcare practitioner like a certified nutritionist or an ND who can advise you specifically what to take.
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