i want to preface this entire post with the fact that i am NOT a doctor. far from it. i work in finance. but i know what i’ve researched, what my doc has said, and what feels good for my body. i’m only here to share what works for me!
third trimester – it truly feels like the second trimester crawled by, and all of a sudden BAM, kid is going to be here in less than two months. once my morning sickness subsided in weeks 18-20ish, i was able to actually stomach veggies + most meats again. that being said, i’ve really doubled down in this last trimester on maximizing the nutrients i’m trying to get this kiddo. the way i see it, eating healthy and keeping myself in tip top shape benefits me, the baby, logan, and everyone else i show up for in my life. i’m slightly ashamed to admit it [actually, not really, because i’m human], but in my third trimester with logan i pretty much lived on reeses [trees + hearts], yogurt, and cheese. yes, calcium, but i really wasn’t focusing on getting a wide variety of nutrients like i am now. again, i’m far from perfect, but i’m really trying to put an emphasis on making the healthy choice. here’s some of what i’ve been eating + how:
blueberries: these little guys pack a punch of antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin c, and fiber amongst a ton of other benefits. here’s how i get them in:
+ by the handful out of the fridge 🙂
+ add them to salads: regardless of type of salad, they add a sweet pop and really level up my at-home lunches
+ smoothies: i keep frozen ones on hand and add them to my smoothies every so often, keeping it to 1/4 a cup so as not to flood my bod with fructose [thanks kelly leveque]
salmon: this one is still a little harder than it was not pregnant, because the salmon has to be JUST RIGHT in texture and taste, but i am convinced it makes my babies smart, so i’m trying to opt for salmon whenever i get the chance.
arugala + kale: for some reason i’m not really a fan of romaine lettuce … it’s too hard to eat or something? i feel like it gets dressing on my face. random, i know. because of this, i find myself eating a lot of arugala and kale, but since getting pregnant i’m trying to up that in every way possible. my salads are typically made with an arugala base, and i’ll keep kale on hand for adding in there as well. when i order salads at work [downtown minneapolis has a ton of great fresh salad places], i’ll usually get a mix. sometimes i’ll pre-make a big batch of kale salad for the week ahead and let it sit in my refrigerator because the kale stays firm for a while compared to other lettuces. i’ll share the recipe for that soon!
eggs: back to eating my two-ish hardboiled eggs everyday. i couldn’t deal the first trimester with the texture, but they’re back to an almost every-day staple. since minnesota is so cold right now, i’ll sometimes leave them in my car and eat them on my way home as a snack, since they’re full of protein and hold me over from work –> dinner. the choline in eggs are good for baby’s brain, and the protein keeps me full. win-win.
collagen: collagen powder is a SUPER easy way to up my protein intake, and it’s good for baby + my health. there are a ton of benefits to collagen like skin, hair, and nail health, but i notice it more in my joints to be completely honest. [if you haven’t already, check out this post on why i love it so much].
nutritional yeast: high in folate, nutritional yeast is a great cheese sub. to be honest, i am totally #procheese, but sometimes i want to really amp up the cheesy factor and add this to my already cheese-ified salads + dishes. nutritional yeast also has significant levels of iron, which is something i can feel myself deficient in from time-to-time [thanks, increased blood volume!].
i haven’t cut out any major food groups while pregnant and eat a TON of nuts and nut butter. while i know that’s controversial, my doc is all about it an i thank her for that, because when i’m hungry at midnight, there’s nothing, NOTHING better than a spoonful of peanut butter washed down with some sparkling water. brb, going to get some right now.
thanks for reading + following along!