I need a healthy eating plan for pregnancy. Can anyone help?

[AngelofTroy]

I gained way too much weight with my son. I lost it afterwards but it was hard work and I don't think it has to be that way again.

This pregnancy is following the same pattern so far. I lose weight in first trimestre from dreadful nausea and sickness, but I began to gain it back around now (11/12 weeks) because although I'm still sick regularly, I load up on carbs and snacks to keep the nausea at bay for justba few minutes. I am miserable and weak from weeks hardly able to leave the house and exercise has gone out the window.
I usually walk or cycle everywhere but I don't leave the house now unless I have a lift somewhere. I'm finally back to work tonight but getting a lift there and backback as I'm so weak.

I keep relying on convenience foods whereas I normally cook mostly from scratch, because I hate the cooking smells.

I want to limit my carbs a bit but meat is entirely unappealing right now. I can manage fish and cheese.

Here's a typical day at the moment (please don't judge too much, I've been so ill):

Breakfast: 2 Crumpets with buttery spread, then an hour later toast and honey
Snack: bag of doritos
Lunch: instant noodles or a pasty
Snacks: mini trifle, more crisps, some crackers
Dinner: frozen potato wedges and veggie sausage roll with a few peas / massive bowl of pasta
Snacks: more crisps, maybe a pudding like a slice of cake or a doughnut .

I need help!

Can anyone make me a meal plan that is healthy, easy to make/eat and that is safe for pregnancy, I am not overweight (BMI 22) and I don't want to lose any weight, I just want to eat well for me and baby.

Thanks

 

[cscbeth8421]

Eat more fruits and veggies and dairy. Healthier snacks (hummus and veggies, or even have your favorite dip with veggies, cheese sticks, yogurt, almonds or trail mix. You can still have what youre eating but bulk them up with veggies....so have a huge bowl of pasta but sautee veegies into it (asparagas, mushrooms, onions, peppers, anything really). And as terrible as it sounds, i calorie count/food journal. I use my fitness pal, set my setting for 2000 calories per day and eat what i want but make sure i add it to my calories. Keeps me accountable and keeps me from going crazy! Still eat sweets, ice cream, cookies, candy and whatever i want, just try to keep it in check.

 

[Lues]

I have a few small things that may help. They're not SUPER healthy. But they're slightly healthier and may be an easy change.

instead of the crumpets, try a piece (or if you're me, a ripped off chunk) of whole grain bread. Might even help more, it'll keep you full a little more and give you more nourishment.

Instead of the Doritos/crisps, try to find some sort of chip-LIKE thing that's not actually a chip. Like... baked green beans (they're dehydrated and then baked, JUST as crispy as chips) or they make lentil crackers/chips, again JUST as crispy same satisfied, salty feeling, but more nourishment.

Just FYI: they are likely to not really have many less calories than some chips, but they have protein and fiber and things that help to nourish you.

I also do baked chick peas. Tons of recipes online. They are crunchy and can be any flavor you want. They hit the same cravings, and are actually pretty healthy.

I would agree, if there are any veggies you like, throw them in with the pasta.

And then I say rock out your pudding or slice of cake! I mean, obviously you could try fruit (maybe something like apple chips?) instead, but let's be honest, fruit and cake are NOT the same. lol. Maybe something lighter like lady fingers? That might work.

What works for me is trying to find things that are just a LITTLE bit healthier, supply a bit more nutrition, but hit the same cravings.

Salt craving... maybe try a piece of cheese
salt/carb/crunchy craving... something that's chip-ish but isn't
sweet... fruit

And certainly no judgement for anything that you DO eat. That just makes things worse. You have to do what works for YOU no matter what.

 

[babybambi]

I've just printed out some excellent healthy meal plans from baby centre they have them for each trimester. I'm shopping this weekend so im hoping to try it asap.

 

[MrsAmk]

Make a smoothie every morning and pack it with good stuff that you wont even taste. I start out with plain greek yogurt or milk as a base. Then add a handful of spinach or kale (SO good for you and baby and you wont taste it), frozen berries and/or bananas, a big scoop of peanut butter, honey or stevia to sweeten more, chia or hemp seeds, and a scoop of protein powder if you have some. You can also add avocado for AWESOME fat and nutrition (again you cant taste it!) Pack in a bunch of nutrients and calories and sip through a straw. Mine end up tasting like milkshakes (I use chocolate protein powder or add cocoa powder)

 

[minties]

I'm finding food hard to stomach, with my other kids all I ate was bread and cheap mushroom soup.

This time I'm finding I can handle a boiled egg (not fried though, GROSS), avocado, nuts and seeds. Nuts have good macronutrient levels and are such a power food, and don't require cooking.

I'm a much much higher BMI than you so I'm looking to keep slowly losing weight though and will be using myfitnesspal to monitor my intake, and having my fitbit charge hr also.

 

[Boo44]

Angel I love you - you have basically just described my current diet. Today I've eaten two wives of toast for breakfast, a dairylea dunker and some hula hoops mid morning, a cheese and ham sandwich with crisps for lunch and snack I've had cheese. Oh dear. My booking BMI is also 22!
I feel like as soon as my nausea settles I can return to cereal for breakfast and banana for snacks etc. But right now there's no way. I had special k for breakfast yesterday and was crying with nausea by mid morning and couldn't get it to settle. Someone mentioned smoothie on here - the thought of drinking a smoothie in the morning is completely impossible right now! It's all I can do to stomach my toast...

Hope once the nausea goes the normal diet can resume......

 

[Nibblenic]

Are you in the UK? You can follow slimming world whilst pregnant with your midwifes consent.

 

[AngelofTroy]

Angel I love you - you have basically just described my current diet. Today I've eaten two wives of toast for breakfast, a dairylea dunker and some hula hoops mid morning, a cheese and ham sandwich with crisps for lunch and snack I've had cheese. Oh dear. My booking BMI is also 22!
I feel like as soon as my nausea settles I can return to cereal for breakfast and banana for snacks etc. But right now there's no way. I had special k for breakfast yesterday and was crying with nausea by mid morning and couldn't get it to settle. Someone mentioned smoothie on here - the thought of drinking a smoothie in the morning is completely impossible right now! It's all I can do to stomach my toast...

Hope once the nausea goes the normal diet can resume......

It's so nice to have someone who relates! Yeah I tried a sip if Hubby's innocent Smoothie the other morning... Not successful! I remember you mentioned about magnesium levels on another post, what is magnesium rich other than bananas (I don't even enjoying them not pregnant) ?

Minties - I managed an avocado this evening, what you wrote makes sense, I am trying to up my fats and protein and lower my crazy amount of carbs. Avocado mashed into tuna with my bakes potato went down well this evening but I already feel hungry/ nauseous and theam craving sweet or salty things to take the nasty taste away.

Lues- the chick peas sound interesting, do you bake the dried kind or the canned kind?

 

[minties]

I was thinking about this thread and wanted to come back and say that what you are going through sounds like an absolute nightmare, and I think I would just eat whatever foods I could tolerate until/if you ever feel any better and not even worry about it for now. You're such an amazing person to be handling all that you are, without worrying about food or getting fat on top of that. If you know that you might feel better in the second/third tri and are worried about gaining weight when you do, then tackle it then I reckon.

I've never had HG so I don't have a clue what it's like, I only get general morning sickness, and I find regular foods and smells hard enough to tolerate then, let alone being so absolutely mega ill like you are. You know what a low-carb advocate I am, and even I want to only eat carbs. It must be the right thing to do I guess or our bodies wouldn't beg us for it so badly.

My breakfast today is a can of coke zero and a packet of pork cracklin...I tried a plate of cheese covered broccoli and thought F@#K that, I just can't do it. The smell and texture of vegetation isn't my favourite thing at the best of times, now it may as well be a plate of poo.

 

[Lues]

I love the chickpeas!

There's TONS of ways to do it, but basically:

Take a can of chickpeas. Drain. Pat dry a bit (no need to go crazy). Toss on a cookie sheet with olive oil (umm... I dunno, enough to coat them, but you don't want them SOAKING or swimming it... maybe 1.5-3 TBS?). Add whatever seasonings you want (half a ranch packet, cajun seasoning, just salt and pepper, garlic salt, whatever)

Then toss the whole tray in a 410 degree oven for about a half hour (this can vary with different ovens!!). Start opening the oven about 20 minutes in, stir and check.

To tell when they're done... take one or two out, place on the counter, and wait 3 minutes. Then eat. (not only are they SCALDING hot when they come out, but they actually crisp up when you let them sit a few minutes). When they're crispy like you want... they're done!

(they'll keep well for a day or two sitting out (maybe even three). If you want to keep them longer, stick them in a ziploc bag and put on counter (NOT fridge). I imagine they'd keep that way a week or even 10 days. But I can eat a double batch myself within 3 days so I'm not sure.

If you like crunchy, salty type stuff. I REALLY suggest trying them. They're easy, satisfying, versatile and PACKED with protein and fiber.

Sorry... i get excited. lol

 

[AngelofTroy]

I love the chickpeas!

There's TONS of ways to do it, but basically:

Take a can of chickpeas. Drain. Pat dry a bit (no need to go crazy). Toss on a cookie sheet with olive oil (umm... I dunno, enough to coat them, but you don't want them SOAKING or swimming it... maybe 1.5-3 TBS?). Add whatever seasonings you want (half a ranch packet, cajun seasoning, just salt and pepper, garlic salt, whatever)

Then toss the whole tray in a 410 degree oven for about a half hour (this can vary with different ovens!!). Start opening the oven about 20 minutes in, stir and check.

To tell when they're done... take one or two out, place on the counter, and wait 3 minutes. Then eat. (not only are they SCALDING hot when they come out, but they actually crisp up when you let them sit a few minutes). When they're crispy like you want... they're done!

(they'll keep well for a day or two sitting out (maybe even three). If you want to keep them longer, stick them in a ziploc bag and put on counter (NOT fridge). I imagine they'd keep that way a week or even 10 days. But I can eat a double batch myself within 3 days so I'm not sure.

If you like crunchy, salty type stuff. I REALLY suggest trying them. They're easy, satisfying, versatile and PACKED with protein and fiber.

Sorry... i get excited. lol

Thank you so much, I'm definitely going to try this! You also reminded me that I used to dry 'fry' sesame, pumpkin, sunflower and cumin seeds until they popped and add soy sauce and spicy seasoning when I was at uni. I'd completely forgotten about it and now I want some!

 

[Boo44]

High magnesium foods include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit, dark chocolate, and more.

I just copied that from some site. They also say magnesia should be increased before pregnancy in order to reduce your chances of ms but that's a bit late for us! The author reckons raw carrots work better than crackers to reduce queasiness but sadly I don't like raw carrots. And eggs - eggs are fantastic and are packed with protein and I can definitely stomach poached eggs (made in the microwave) I love them!

 

[minties]

All those foods boo mentioned sound fabulously healthful, good suggestions (or copying and pasting hehe). Do you have HG as well boo? It's a pity that people with it can't just hook up a feeding tube or have some sort of handy food injections or something, it must be dreadful

 

[AngelofTroy]

Dark chocolate sounds good unfortunately I can't stomach eggs ATM (smell) but raw carrots sound good I think I'll buy some ready cut ones tomorrow.

I'm 4 hours into a 16 hour shift right now! Think of me!!

 

[minties]

Good luck!

 

[Boo44]

All those foods boo mentioned sound fabulously healthful, good suggestions (or copying and pasting hehe). Do you have HG as well boo? It's a pity that people with it can't just hook up a feeding tube or have some sort of handy food injections or something, it must be dreadful

Thankfully minties I don't have hg I just have (what I consider to be!) pretty bad all day nausea and extreme exhaustion. Thankfully I haven't had the constant actual vomiting and I think people like Angel deserve medals because I feel utterly awful like this so I can only imagine what it's like for hg sufferers xx

 

[callmedan]

Ha just wanted to share my usual diet to make you feel better!
Breakfast chocolate cereal
Snack flapjacks, biscuits, cake, crackers
Lunch sandwich, crisps, Coke
Snack chocolate!! And biscuits
Dinner chips and pie or pizza or chicken nuggets
Just awful

 

[callmedan]

And all the healthy foods people are suggesting on here make me wanna be sick!!!!! I can't cope!
Taking prenatals though so that makes me feel a bit better about myself (even though they make me sick)

 

[babydustcass]

We started getting the hello fresh boxes on trial and absolutely loved them
However they are so expensive after the trial so we have now stopped them. What's great is you can still go on their website and download recipes. They are exciting delicious and very high in nutrional value. Some of the recipes have become firm family favourites. It's worth having a look on there even of you don't intend to try helloe fresh, the recipes are easy to follow and take between 30 and 45 minutes to cook. It's not rabbit food but hearty healthy and packed with flavour.