30 Great Meal Ideas For Hungry Pregnant Ladies

When you find out that you are pregnant you might be a little overwhelmed by all the rules there suddenly seem to be about what you can and can’t eat. In this article we will talk a little about fact and fiction when it comes to your pregnancy diet, and discuss some great meal ideas for hungry pregnant ladies. After your morning sickness passes you will generally find that you feel quite ravenous. For many women having small amounts of food in their bellies at all times helps keep the nausea at bay, so you might be looking for something to eat all the time. You naturally want to put the very best into your body to feed your growing baby, but what?

Some facts and fictions about your pregnancy diet

1. You are now eating for two

This one sadly is fiction; you do not literally just double the amount you were eating before. A better way to think about it is that you need to eat the nutrients for two. This means increasing all of the vitamins and minerals that are vital to your baby, which can be helped by a prenatal multivitamin, but is better by increasing your intake through the food you eat. The nutrients that you greatly need to increase now include:

• Folic acid (green vegetables, oranges, cauliflower, beetroot, seeds, nuts, legumes)
• Iron (meat, proteins, beans, green leafy vegetables)
• Vitamin C (oranges, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes)
• Omega 3 Fatty Acid (oily fish, nuts, some seeds)
• Calcium (dairy, green leafy vegetables)
• Fibre (fruit, vegetables, legumes and wholegrains)

2. You can’t have ham or brie anymore

This one is also fiction, sort of. You now have to watch out for two main things; listeria and toxoplasmosis. These are bacteria which live in unpasteurized dairy products, raw meat and proteins, or cooked food that is kept for too long at an unsafe temperature, which can cause birth defects or miscarriage. The way to stay safe is make sure that all your food is kept refrigerated below 4 degrees or cooked thoroughly and heated to above 75 degrees Celsius. For example you can then have a ham and cheese toasted sandwich if you want, just make sure it’s piping hot.

3. You can’t have junk food anymore

This is more like a guideline than a rule. You can eat junk food, but you really shouldn’t, for a few reasons:

• If you gain too much weight you put unreasonable pressure on your body and run the risk of pregnancy complications such as prenatal diabetes.
• There is a minimum of the nutrients you need in junk food, so you are not getting the quality food that you should be. You still need to get these nutrients in your body somehow.
• Both, too much salt and too much sugar are not good for you, and can set a pattern for your baby that she will continue to look for after she is born and through childhood.
• Food that is not prepared by you is more in danger of containing dangerous bacteria, because you don’t know that it’s been prepared and stored safely. Even healthy food options like pre-made salads or sushi are not safe choices, as bacteria grows in food such as mayonnaise and cooked rice. Basically it’s just better if you do it.

But even with all these rules and guidelines, it is still easy to make great tasty meals and get all the essential goodness that you and your baby need. Plus you get some yummy treats and you definitely don’t need to go hungry.

30 Great meal ideas for hungry pregnant ladies

Breakfast

1. Porridge with Fruits

Ingredients: ½ cup Porridge oats made with 1 cup whole milk, ½ grated Apple, a handful of sultanas, 3 fresh strawberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Rich in: Fibre, Calcium, Vitamin C

2. Eggs on Toast

Ingredients: 2 pieces of Wholegrain toast topped with ½ sliced Avocado, ½ sliced Tomato and 2 Eggs scrambled (make sure eggs are cooked well, not runny) Rich in: Fibre, Vitamin C, Iron

3. Bagel with Fruits

Ingredients: 1 toasted Wholegrain bagel topped with peanut butter and ½ sliced apple or pear Rich in: Fibre, folic acid and Omega 3

4. Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters

Ingredients: 3 Sweet potato and corn fritters with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice Rich in: Fibre, Vitamin C, folic acid, calcium

5. Healthy Juicy Smoothie

Ingredients: Smoothie of 1 mandarin, 1 cup chopped watermelon, 1 carrot, 1 cup baby spinach, and 1 cup pineapple juice Rich in: Fibre, Vitamin C, folic acid, iron, calcium

6. Banana and Mixed Berry Smoothie

Ingredients: Smoothie of 1 banana, 1 cup frozen berries, 1 handful of cashews, ½ cup yoghurt and 1 cup milk Rich in: Fibre, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, folic acid, Omega 3

7. Pancakes

Ingredients: 2 Pancakes topped with 1 scoop low-fat vanilla yoghurt, 1 cup mixed berries, 1 chopped banana and a handful of dried fruit and nuts Rich in: Fibre, calcium, Vitamin C, folic acid and Omega 3)

Lunch

8. Brown Rice with Tuna

Ingredients: 1 cup Microwave brown rice topped with a small tin of tuna, 1 cup of baby spinach, 1 small tin of 4-bean mix and a handful of chopped nuts. Rich in: Fibre, Omega 3, iron, folic acid, calcium

9. Roast Beef and Mustard Toastie

Ingredients:1 Wholemeal toasted sandwich with 1 slice of cheese, ½ sliced tomato, ¼ avocado, teaspoon of mustard and 3 slices of roast beef Rich in: Fibre, calcium, Vitamin C, Omega 3, iron, folic acid

10. Tuna Salsa Potato

Ingredients:1 Microwave steamed potato topped with a small tin of chickpeas, 1 cup of mixed salad greens, 1 chopped boiled egg, 2 tablespoons of salsa and a handful of grated cheese Rich in: Fibre, folic acid, Vitamin C, iron, calcium

11. Super Tuna Jaffle

Ingredients:1 Wholegrain jaffle filled with a small tin of baked beans, ½ small tin of tuna and a handful of grated cheese Rich in: Fibre, iron, Omega 3, calcium

12. Zucchini Slice

Ingredients:1 piece Homemade zucchini slice with 1 cup broccoli added to the mix Rich in: Fibre, calcium, folic acid, iron, Vitamin C

13. Christmas potato cakes

Ingredients: 3 Grated potato fritters made with 2 slices chopped deli turkey, a handful of cranberries, and 1 cup grated cheese added to the mix Rich in: Fibre, calcium, iron

14. Minestrone

Ingredients:1 bowl Homemade minestrone with lots of vegetables and beans Rich in: Vitamin C, fibre, folic acid, iron

Dinner

15. Vegetarian Pizza

Ingredients: 1 Homemade mini pizza with store-bought base and topped with 4 slices of pumpkin, a handful of olives, 3 chopped mushrooms and a handful of grated cheese Rich in: Fibre, Vitamin C, calcium

16. Grilled Chicken with Ham and Cheese

Ingredients:1 Baked chicken breast topped with 2 slices of grilled ham and a handful of grated cheese, served with a salad of 1 cup chopped broccoli, ½ cup chopped baby beets and a handful of pinenuts Rich in: Iron, calcium, folic acid, Vitamin C, Omega 3, fibre

17. Hot Potato Salad

Ingredients: 1 bowl Hot potato salad with 2 chopped potatoes, 1 handful baby spinach, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 cup chopped broccoli, ½ chopped apple, and a handful of cranberries and chopped nuts Rich in: Fibre, folic acid, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, Omega 3

18. Steak Sandwich

Ingredients: 200g Minute steak topped with a handful of grated cheese, ½ sliced tomato and 4 sliced and grilled mushrooms and served in a wholegrain bun Rich in: Iron, calcium, Vitamin C, fibre, folic acid

19. Pasta Tomato

Ingredients: 1 bowl of Pasta topped with 1 ladle of tomato pasta sauce, 1 small tin of tuna, a handful of olives, 1 cup chopped cauliflower, 1 cup baby spinach and a handful of grated cheese Rich in: Folic acid, fibre, Vitamin C, calcium, Omega 3, iron

20. Pasta Bolognese

Ingredients:1 bowl of Pasta Bolognese made with lots of colourful vegetables in the sauce Rich in: Fibre, folic acid, iron, Vitamin C

21. Lemon Butter Salmon

Ingredients: 1 fillet of Baked salmon topped with 1 tablespoon of lemon butter and served with 1 cup of mixed roast vegetables (think carrots, zucchini, capsicum, broccoli, Brussel sprouts) Rich in: Folic acid, Omega 3, Vitamin C, calcium, fibre, iron

22. Chicken Satay

Ingredients: I bowl of Homemade chicken satay served with 1 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of steamed green vegetables like beans and broccoli Rich in: Iron, fibre, Vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, Omega 3

23. Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients: 1 Grilled chicken breast, sliced and served over salad of 1 cup baby spinach, 1 chopped apple, 2 sticks chopped celery, and 30g sliced fresh parmesan Rich in: Iron, Vitamin C, folic acid, fibre, calcium

24. Steamed Fish Noodles

Ingredients: 2 pieces of Steamed fish served with 1 cup of soba noodles, 1 cup of steamed carrot and broccoli, 1 handful of sesame seeds and drizzle of hoisin sauce or other Asian dressing Rich in: Omega 3, fibre, Vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, iron

Snacks

25. Fruit Salad

Ingredients: 1 cup of Homemade fruit salad topped with 3 tablespoons yoghurt and a handful of dried fruit and nuts Rich in: Fibre, calcium, Omega 3, folic acid, Vitamin C

26. Cheese and Vegemite Toastie

Ingredients: 1 Wholegrain toasted cheese and vegemite sandwich and a handful of cherry tomatoes Rich in: Fibre, calcium, Vitamin C

27. Crudites and Dip

Ingredients: 1 cup Chopped vegetable sticks with 2 tablespoons of dip like hummus or salsa (keep dip in the fridge until you are ready to eat), and a handful of cubes of hard cheese and cherry tomatoes Rich in: Fibre, Vitamin C, calcium, folic acid, iron)

28. Mini Pesto Muffins

Ingredients: 2 Homemade mini savoury muffins made with a handful of grated cheese, ½ small jar of pesto, 1 small tin of salmon and 1 cup of peas in the mix Rich in: Calcium, fibre, folic acid, Omega 3, iron)

29. Frozen Banana Choc Yoghurt

Ingredients: 1 cup of Homemade frozen yoghurt made with 1 tub of greek yoghurt, 2 frozen chopped bananas, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a handful of dark choc chips, blended together then frozen Rich in: Fibre, calcium, Omega 3, folic acid

30. Tuna Cheese and Chutney Toastie

Ingredients:1 Wholegrain toasted sandwich with ½ small tin of tuna, a handful of grated cheese, ½ small tin of sweetcorn and a tablespoon of fruit relish Rich in: Fibre, Omega 3, iron, calcium

Everything in moderation

When you are pregnant, your eating habits become vitally important, now more than ever before. You may find that you benefit from eating six smaller meals spread throughout the day, especially if you have morning sickness, or if your stomach is squashed by a seemingly giant baby. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to stay satisfied, and eat small amounts of treats to keep your cravings at bay. Just don’t become overwhelmed by the rules or obsessed with everything that goes into your mouth. At this incredibly special time of your life, there are so much more important things to think about. Such as meeting your healthy new baby in a few short months’ time.