Published on May 3rd, 2023 and Updated on January 15th, 2024
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For those 9 months your baby is growing, it may feel like every decision is worth reconsidering, from the type of detergent you buy to the OTC painkiller you use to soften a headache. And for many, few decisions can seem more daunting than what you choose to fill your fridge with.
Here’s the good news: For most women, the so-called “pregnancy diet” requires just two basic (albeit important) variables:
- A well-rounded daily intake focused on whole, non-processed foods
- A stellar prenatal supplement to ensure you’re meeting your daily quota for key minerals, like folic
When combined with self-care basics, like adequate hydration and sleep, there’s no need to obsess over the exact ingredients on your grocery list. With a solid understanding of your nutritional needs during this time, you’ll be able to stock your home with a cornucopia of delicious, nourishing ingredients—nine of which we’re exploring below.
9 Foods To Prioritize During Pregnancy
For most prenatal health specialists, the following nutrients, vitamins, and minerals are most important during a healthy pregnancy:
- Lean protein, which will ensure your baby grows at a healthy rate of development
- Folate and folic acid, a form of vitamin B, which is crucial for supporting central nervous system development (your baby’s future brain and spinal cord)
- Calcium and vitamin D, both of which are crucial for growing your baby’s bones and skeletal system
- Iron, which helps sustain adequate levels of red blood cells—a critical part of both maternal and fetal health
If you’re keen on introducing some baby-growing allies to your menu, the following ingredients are excellent for keeping you and your future baby in tip-top shape.
#1 Leafy Greens
Spend a moment Googling “what to eat while pregnant,” and you’re likely to see one mineral make headlines above all others: folate (or folic acid).
Folate is a crucial ingredient for supporting a healthy pregnancy in all three trimesters, but it’s particularly vital in the first. That’s because, on a cellular level, the body needs folic acid to support nucleic acid synthesis, which ensures DNA is replicated properly.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, dark, leafy green veggies are the best healthy food source of this mineral. This means filling your fridge with:
- Broccoli (stems and leaves included!)
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Brussels sprouts
In many cases, it can be difficult to meet your recommended quota for folate from food sources alone—600 mcg per day, for pregnant women. Your OBGYN will likely recommend you take a folate supplement, or a prenatal supplement containing adequate amounts of it.
#2 Eggs
Eggs are an excellent lean protein source on their own, but they’re also a rich source of one seldom-discussed, pro-pregnancy ingredient: choline. Each egg contains about 147mg of choline, which is primarily concentrated in the yolk (pregnancy is no time to order an egg white omelet!).
Like folate, choline is crucial for supporting fetal brain and spinal cord development, and it’s recommended pregnant women have 450 mg per day (and up to 550 mg when nursing).
Interestingly, recent evidence suggests that supplementing with choline during pregnancy could have benefits that far outlast your baby’s time in utero: In one study from Cornell University, 7-year-olds whose mothers had doubled their consumption of chlorine during pregnancy exhibited a higher capacity to focus and concentrate on cognitively-intensive tasks than their peers. Additionally, you might want to consider the benefits of prenatal massage.
#3 Fatty Fish
Myths abound when it comes to eating fish during pregnancy, largely due to some varietals’ high mercury content. However, many fatty types of fish aren’t only safe to eat—they can also be enormously beneficial for a baby’s brain and eye development, thanks to their juicy supplies of omega-3 fatty acids.
Mayo Clinic recommends the following types of omega-3-dense fish for pregnant women:
- Salmon
- Herring
- Anchovies
- Sardines
#4 Lentils and Legumes
If you maintain a plant-based diet, it can be a challenge to secure the nutrients you and your baby need during those 9 months as a dining duo. Fortunately, mean, lean bean protein does a pretty knockout job of filling in the blanks!
Legumes pack an impressive nutritional punch with plenty of:
- Protein (18g in each cup)
- Folate (358g in each cup)
- Fiber (up to over 50% DV)
- Calcium (up to 19% DV)
Many types of beans, like soybeans, chickpeas, and navy beans, are also powerhouse sources of iron. When it comes to supporting maternal prenatal health, iron is particularly important, as it helps moms keep up with their blood volumes’ rapid and drastic increase in the first trimester.
#5 Sweet Potatoes
Vitamin A is a key vitamin for supporting cell division in the first trimester. However, taking vitamin A in supplement form is inadvisable as it can result in vitamin A toxicity, which can lead to complications in fetal development.
Fortunately, sweet potatoes are a superb, natural source of vitamin A, containing around 4x as much as your daily recommended dose. Plus, plant-based starches like sweet potatoes are an excellent way to fill up on the fiber and whole carbohydrates you need to stay full and satisfied.
#6 Cucumber
Sure, a few slices over the eyes can do wonders for soothing pre-baby stress, but cucumbers and other water-dense foods are also excellent for helping you stay hydrated during pregnancy nutrition.
Hydration is crucial when you’re growing a baby, but not everyone has an easy time adjusting to the recommended water intake (80 oz. per day). If you’re struggling to meet your quota (or you still haven’t kicked the caffeine habit), eating foods like cucumbers (which contain 95% water) is an excellent way to keep up.
For more snacking options of high water content foods, try:
- Watermelon
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Zucchini
#7 Basil
Not all pregnancy superfoods play a starring role on the plate. One of the best foods to eat during a pregnancy diet is a culinary herb: green, summery basil.
A bunch of basil packs a nutritional punch, containing:
- Vitamins E, A, C, K, B6, and B3 (niacin)
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Zinc
- Copper
Whether you blend it into a pesto or garnish pizzas and salads with its lush leaves, don’t let that bundle you bought at last weekend’s farmer’s market go to waste!
#8 Fortified Cereals
“Fortified cereal” refers to a type of grain with crucial vitamins and minerals added during the manufacturing process. Fortified cereals can be an excellent source of pro-pregnancy nutrients like:
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Folic acid
Many common breakfast cereal brands, like trusty Cheerios, are fortified. You’ll also find healthy options in the bulk section of the grocery store, like whole grain oatmeal.
#9 Nuts and Seeds
Fats are vital for developing the milk glands and placenta in pregnancy health, but it’s not always easy to tell the difference between “unhealthy” and “healthy” fats at the grocery store. Generally speaking, the former refers to saturated fats, while the latter refers to unsaturated fats you’d find in whole foods.
Case in point? Nuts and seeds. Whether you snack on trail mix or slip a dollop of tahini into your morning smoothie, nuts, and seeds are an excellent way to sneak in good-for-you fats reliably. Some stand-out nuts and seeds include:
- Walnuts (also rich in folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin E)
- Pistachios (also rich in potassium, thiamine, and thiamine)
- Pecans (also rich in folate, magnesium, and zinc)
- Tahini (made of sesame seeds, also rich in thiamine, vitamin b6, and manganese)
Foods to Limit or Eliminate During Pregnancy
The majority of foods pregnant women aren’t advised to eat can introduce unhealthy bacteria to you and your baby, putting you at risk of infection. Your diet can also have correlate with prenatal depression symptoms, so following a doctor-recommended diet is best.
Deli Meats and Soft Cheese
While the foods themselves are quite different, both deli meats and soft, unpasteurized cheeses, like chevre (goat cheese) or brie, can put pregnant women at risk of certain bacterial infections. One in particular, Listeria, can even crop up on these food items during refrigeration.
If, for whatever reason, an enormous, irresistible craving for a turkey-brie sandwich occurs, clinicians recommend:
- Using ingredients that were only very recently manufactured or packaged
- Storing these in the refrigerator at a temperature of less than 39ºF (or 4ºC)
Mercury-Heavy Fish
As for the surf section of the menu to steer clear of, nix these types of fish from your diet for now:
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Marlin
- Tilefish
- Bigeye tuna
- Uncooked shellfish, like shrimp cocktail
For the most current updates, try consulting the FDA’s handy chart on what fish is and isn’t safe to eat while you’re pregnant.
SneakPeek: Prepare for Pregnancy with Confidence
During a phase of life that’s as transformative as pregnancy, it’s normal to want to make all the “right” choices. But truthfully, there are plenty of ways to make your healthy food choices baby-friendly—and it’s the effort you make that shows what a wonderful parent you’re bound to be.
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Sources:
- Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy diet: Focus on these essential nutrients. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-nutrition/art-20045082
- National Institutes of Health. Folate. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/?swcfpc=1#en33
- Harvard School of Public Health. Folate (Folic Acid) – Vitamin B9. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/folic-acid/
- Healthline. 16 Foods That Are High in Choline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-with-choline#1.-Whole-eggs
- The Cornell Chronicle. Choline during pregnancy impacts children’s sustained attention. https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/01/choline-during-pregnancy-impacts-childrens-sustained-attention
- Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy and fish: What’s safe to eat?
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-and-fish/art-20044185
- National Library of Medicine. The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diet during Pregnancy on the Health of Mothers and Offspring. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6470702/
- Parents. 27 Pregnancy Power Foods. https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/nutrition/15-pregnancy-power-foods1/
- My Food Data. 19 Beans and Legumes High in Fiber. https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/beans-legumes-high-in-fiber.php
- Healthline. Top 15 Calcium-Rich Foods (Many Are Nondairy). https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-calcium-rich-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
- Healthline. Vegetarian Foods That Are Loaded With Iron. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods
- National Institutes of Health. Iron. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron-healthprofessional/
- National Health Services. Vitamin A. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-a/
- What to Expect. 18 Best Foods to Eat During Pregnancy. https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-11/big-nutrition-small-packages.aspx
- Healthline. How Much Water Should a Pregnant Woman Drink? https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/how-much-water-should-a-pregnant-woman-drink
- Nourish by WebMD. Foods High in Water. https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-water
- Livestrong. 11 Healthy Fortified Cereals and 10 to Avoid. https://www.livestrong.com/article/86402-list-fortified-cereals/
- Healthline. Walnuts 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/walnuts
- Healthline. 9 Health Benefits of Pistachios. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-benefits-of-pistachios
- VeryWell Fit. Pecan Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. https://www.verywellfit.com/pecan-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits-4114348
- Healthline. 9 Surprising Benefits of Tahini. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tahini-benefits
- National Institutes of Health. Food-borne illnesses during pregnancy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939108/
- The Bump. So Long Seafood? Debunking Myths About Eating Fish During Pregnancy. https://www.thebump.com/a/fish-during-pregnancy-myths-recommendations
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Advice about Eating Fish. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
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SneakPeek aims to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information to help our readers make informed decisions regarding their health before, during, and after pregnancy. This article was written based upon trusted scientific research studies and/or articles. Credible information sources for this article are cited and hyperlinked.
