Congratulations on beginning your trimester one of pregnancy. If you’ve previously tried and failed to rein in your craving for takeaway ice-cream and pizza, you probably didn’t have the right incentive: nurturing a healthy, gorgeous baby. It’s now especially important to know what to eat when pregnant.
Your body uses up the energy and nutrients supplied by what you eat to keep you strong, as well as nurture a healthy baby. A healthy diet during pregnancy contains all or most of the vital nutrients your body requires, and also has the correct balance of protein, carbohydrate, and fat without excess calories.
While your dietary needs may stay the same throughout your pregnancy, you might not know what to eat on the first trimester of your pregnancy when you might be having nausea and morning sickness.
If you’re pregnant and need help on deciding what types of food should be included in your trimester one diet, this list should help you out.
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Essential Nutrients
Certain nutrients are essential throughout pregnancy to keep things ticking over nicely. You probably feel utterly exhausted and fed up all the time. This is due to your body working hard nonstop.
You can take nutrient supplements or vitamins during pregnancy but it’s vital to consult your doctor or pharmacist first. Here are the most important nutrients in your first trimester and their sources:
Folic acid: Sources include citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and prenatal vitamins.
Choline: Found in eggs and red meat.
Iron: Found in poultry, red meat, seafood, greens, and beans.
Calcium: Sources include dark leafy greens and dairy (yogurt, cheese, and milk)
Vitamin A and D: Found in eggs and milk, as well as yellow, orange, and green vegetables and fruits.
Vitamin B12: Sources include red meat, seafood, poultry, and fortified cereals and breads.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Sources include fatty fish, fortified foods, flax seeds, and chia seeds.
Best Foods to Eat in the First Trimester
You require all the vital minerals and nutrients from an assorted diet in your first trimester. So, here are some of the best foods to eat for your first trimester diet.
Vegetables
Aim for 3-5 servings daily.
For the best range of nutrients, choose all sorts of vegetable colors. Select dark green vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli), orange vegetables (pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots), red vegetables (red peppers, tomatoes), and yellow vegetables (yellow peppers, corn).
Even better if you have a cup of fresh leafy greens like lettuce, or half a cup of chopped vegetables – raw or cooked.
Fruits
Best to take 3-4 servings daily.
Pick fresh or canned natural juice instead of heavy syrup, and 100% fruit juice or dried fruit. Eat at least a citrus fruit daily (orange, tangerine, grapefruit) since it’s loaded with vitamin C.
And although fruits are great sources of nutrients for your pregnancy, you should still limit your intake to just one cup daily. Unlike whole fruits, juice doesn’t provide fiber and is also higher in calories (unless you skip the sugar).
Protein
Try your best to have 2-3 servings daily.
Choose poultry, lean meats, eggs, and fish cooked with little amounts of fat. Lentils are also great protein sources, as well as beans (kidney, black, garbanzo, pinto), seeds, nuts, and split peas.
Hope you’re not allergic to nuts or dairy! ????
Dairy Foods
We recommend 3 servings daily.
Dairy foods supply the calcium that your bones need to stay strong and for your little one’s need to grow.
To get adequate calcium, eat cheese and drink yogurt or milk. To minimize the intake of saturated fat and calories, choose non-fat or low-fat dairy foods. If you can’t digest milk, select lactose-free milk products like calcium-fortified soy milk, as well as calcium-fortified foods.
Whole Grains
3 servings per day, if you can.
It’s best to eat at least 6 servings of grains daily; half of which should be purely whole grains.
Well-known fact: whole grain cereals, breads, pasta, and crackers contain fiber, which is essential for proper bowel function during pregnancy. Moreover, whole grains can give your baby more energy, which is proven as vital for the formation of the placenta.
Other Food Recommendations For Trimester One
Morning sickness and nausea may last through your first trimester. Which means, you may also want to stock up on some tummy-friendly food items like crackers, pretzels, ginger ale, and flavored popsicles!
What to Eat on First Three Months of Pregnancy
This list of what to eat and what to drink in the first trimester of pregnancy is only a starting point. You can certainly adjust it based on your doctor’s recommendations. You can even take into consideration your dietary beliefs, sensitivities, and allergens. Always remember to take prenatal vitamins, too.
Your first trimester is critical since this is when different pregnancy risks may occur such as miscarriage or birth defects. Baby’s organs are just starting to develop so you’re growing little one needs the right type of nutrition. So watch what you eat and drink, and try to stay active as much as you can.