Suggestions for Meal Planning while Pregnant

Doradarling

Hi Ladies,

I'm finishing up first trimester and starting to get some energy and appetite back. My goals are to eat nutrient dense food and limit weight gain to a healthy range. I've set my MFP goals to gain 0.5 pounds per week and am logging my food. But my appetite is so unpredictable right now. Sometimes I eat just to keep from feeling nauseous, and other times I can't even look at food. Any pre-logging goes straight out the window by 10am. This morning, peanut butter and ritz crackers are settling my stomach. I brought and logged fruit salad (so healthy!) for my planned snack, but the thought of it turns my stomach!

For me it has been a lot of carbs, and anything sweet, salty, sour: bread, crackers, spaghetti light on the sauce, plain white rice.

How are you handling the unpredictable nature of your stomach right now? I feel like even if I plan out my food for the day, half the time I can't stand the sight of it when it comes time to eat. Also, can you suggest some foods that have helped you feel settled and also healthy? Also, tell me this gets better and you all are less restricted in your food choices by second trimester!

steph2strong

For me, first trimester I just ate what didn't make me barf. The nausea got so bad at times I would just lie in my bed and cry. I ate a lot of salty carbs and chicken soup, but I also couldn't eat a lot, because that made me feel sick too. It all went away by week 14 for me and then I was ravenous. I still had a few food aversions throughout my whole pregnancy, mainly to sweet things, but it didn't affect my healthy eating at all.

kristisanchez11

Honestly, I'm still in my first trimester and have given up logging just while feeling nauseous. I'm doing my best to keep trying to eat the most nutritious options, but giving myself leeway if I just need to nibble on saltines or something else to feel better.

Don't be too hard on yourself. If pre-logging is frustrating you, pack yourself different options and then just log what you eat for awhile.

Doradarling

Thanks! Bringing different options is a great idea. I keep putting random stuff on our grocery list with the hopes of finding something healthy that I can tolerate. Yesterday was pickles, cheese, ice cream, soy milk, and kashi cereal! Hoping to round the corner soon.

FluttershySweetie

In my first trimester I had the worst nausea and "all day" sickness ever!
It lasted 10 weeks and I honestly ate whatever didnt make me want to vomit... Sometimes it was really healthy and sometimes it was deep-fried or fast food.
My Dr advised that as long as I could eat something to help keep down liquids and not dehydrate that was the best way to get through the first trimester. She told me once the sickness went away that's when I should focus on healthy choices as much as possible.
Better to eat something than nothing because you've limited yourself.

ashliedelgado

My doc says the official first trimester diet is "does it sound like it will stay down?"
I keep my desk at work full of things like peanut butter (Jif PB to-go is my life saver), and I like the belvita breakfast biscuits. And my lunch bag is full of different options to choose from - fresh fruit, veggies, hard boiled eggs, etc, and sometimes nothing sounds good and I go to the convenience store next door and get potato chips. It's all about balance . Hopefully your tummy mellows out soon! For now, just keep lots of alternatives handy and don't worry about pre-logging!

LisaTcan

I basically ate whatever seemed appealing in the first trimester, which changed every minute. Now that I'm in the second trimester and my morning sickness is over I'm gaining weight and focusing more on pre-logging and meeting my macros.

LoveToDance9

I'm just starting second trimester this week... so far I've eaten whatever I could stomach (without going crazy). I haven't gained any weight (lost and gained the same 3 lbs about 5 times with weight fluctuations). Looking to only gain about 15 over the total pregnancy. The only two foods that have consistently gone down fine and stayed down have been grapefruit with salt and Amy's lentil soup.