Welcome, Gorgeous! And if you’re here, I can only imagine that a grand congratulations! is in order. I can’t wait to share these super foods with you for a glowing pregnancy!
When I wrote this post about the best prenatals out there, I got a beautiful question about folic acid vs. folate. While I added my current take on it at the bottom of that article, I also added that while I don’t see as terrifying a take on synthetic folic acid as some blogs are boasting, I will always lean towards whole foods and the incredible nutrients that come out of them first, and then move onto super-helpful supplements.
So while I absolutely stand behind it being an amazing practice to take a good quality prenatal each day during pregnancy (depending on your brand, perhaps 2 or 3 times a day), and prior to conception, I think it’s even more important to eat really wholesome foods, focusing on a few specific nutrients from whole foods that are known to do magical things in pregnancy (like ward off morning sickness or lower the risk of spina bifida).
So, here are some great nutrients to focus on, alongside the reasons they’re so important, ultimately leading you to the foods with known-high (but safe!) concentrations of those nutrients.
Note: while organic liver from animals provides high quantities of some of these nutrients, it also contains really high amounts of already-converted Vitamin A. Taking in high amounts of Vitamin A can lead to birth defects, so for that reason, I do not recommend it being consistently in your diet, or a food to focus on heavily, throughout pregnancy.
Vitamin B6 For Morning Sickness Prevention + Healing:
I put this right at the top, because morning sickness and the thought of its possibility always used to TERRIFY me.
It makes sense, food (as a Holistic Nutritionist) is my life. My point of healing. My way of staying strong, fit and energized.
And morning sickness can make people NOT WANT TO EAT! Ahhhhh.
In more recent years, I’ve been less stressed about the thought. I’ve learned to understand a lot more why morning sickness happens, and how one can be in control of it. (For more on this, I have an awesome free pdf download with strategies to overcome morning sickness right over here)
But back to it: Vitamin B6 is known to help alleviate morning sickness. Whether its the deficiency of it that causes morning sickness, or the extra amounts of it that help the body process food more effectively, this nutrient is a power-house for both preventing and alleviating morning sickness.
And here are some incredible whole-food sources of it to focus on:
Note: preventing morning sickness by eating lots of these foods is one of the most powerful strategies. Once you’re already feeling nauseous, it can be pretty hard to eat much of anything. If you already have nausea at any time of the day, try to incorporate these foods at any other point you can, and consider taking a good-quality Vitamin B6 supplement as an easier way to get it in when you’re really feeling averse to food.
- Spinach
- Bell Peppers
- Cod
- Garlic
- Bananas
- Watermelon
- Asparagus, and
- Broccoli
All have lots of Vitamin B6. Tuna is a really rich source of Vitamin B6, but I wanted to leave that out to note that because of the mercury levels in bluefin tuna and even albacore/yellowfin, troll/pole caught, it’s best not to eat it during pregnancy often, or at all. Both atlantic and pacific cod are known to have low levels of mercury.
Folic Acid for Lowering The Risk of Neural Tube Defects:
Folic acid is needed in the first 24-28 days of pregnancy, which is why it’s so important to include lots of these foods before you’re even trying to conceive (or as soon as you stop NOT trying). At 24 to 28 days, you may just be finding out you’re pregnant, at which point it’ll be too late to make a difference with folic acid in that way.
So, here are some foods every woman in child-bearing years should be eating regularly, and women taking the pill should LOAD up on (as the pill depletes folic acid in the body):
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Romaine Lettuce
- Black Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Chickpeas
- Collard Greens, and
- Lima Beans
Load up on these while trying to conceive, coming off of the pill, and just generally, because they’re all incredibly nutrient-dense foods.
Fiber for Healthy Intestines and Reducing Morning Sickness:
Fiber is SO essential to the body. From lowering risks of colon cancer to lowering cholesterol to helping the liver to improving the health of the good bacteria hanging out in your intestines and colon, you NEED fiber, and a great amount of it.
The best sources are from fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole, gluten-free grains like quinoa and brown rice, and beans and legumes (cook them with seaweed and eat them more frequently to avoid bloating and gas. That goes away completely when you stop eating meat and focus instead on protein from beans).
Here are some foods especially loaded in whole, natural fiber:
- Raspberries (which is lucky, because they’re DELICIOUS)
- Collard Greens
- Grapefruit
- Dried Peas (cooked)
- Lentils
- Pinto Beans
When you’re taking in enough fiber, you’re helping your liver and gallbladder get rid of wastes. During pregnancy, your body is dealing with any wastes from your Baby, in addition to anything it has to detoxify and get rid of from bad food choices and environmental contaminants. Nausea can set in when the liver is over-burdened, and eating fiber is one of the most simple, basic ways you can help the liver out.
Drink lots of water as you increase the fiber in your diet! Otherwise bloating can happen, especially if you immediately eat TONS of fiber-rich foods like those listed above.
Iron for Energy During Pregnancy:
One of the most astounding facts about pregnancy to me, beyond that whole miracle thing 😉 , is that your blood volume DOUBLES in the first trimester. This is a SHOCKING increase, and it means you’ll NEED a lot of iron to keep up with your body’s demand.
If you don’t get enough iron-rich foods and high-quality iron supplements in during that first trimester, you can expect to feel incredibly tired, draggy, exhausted, un-desiring/able to move or do lots, you’ll have low stamina and find yourself super moody.
Considering the wild amount of energy you’ll need to get that Baby into the world alone, besides any energy you might like to have for life while pregnant, it’s really important to get iron IN.
Here are some amazing sources of iron:
But my recommendation to every pregnant woman without an iron or blood disorder that prevents them from safely taking iron, is to be on a good quality iron supplement. That means something like SpaTone or Vital F, both of which are super-absorbable (and won’t leave you constipated).
- Organic Soybeans
- Organic Tofu
- Spinach
- Shiitake Mushrooms
- Olives
- Lentils
- Organic Venison
Here’s to you eating (and supplementing) your way to energy.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for ‘Mommy Brain’ Prevention During Pregnancy:
I don’t recommend eating fish because of the current state of our oceans, the risks of heavy metal contamination, the state of fish farming and the environmental impacts of bad fishing practices. When you keep in mind that animals (as humans do, too) won’t be able to get rid of all of the contaminants they ingest, you have to remember where they’ll store what they can’t get rid of: in their fat cells.
If you are going to eat fish as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids, I recommend eating the tiny fish and small fish rather than the big guys, and always caught wild, ideally from somewhere that has really amazing environmental fishing practices.
If you’re looking to take a fish oil, I recommend instead Nutri Vege, an oil with those amazing, already-converted brain fats you hear about, but with the least amount of contamination, as these fats are pulled from algae. The further down the food chain you go, the less contaminated a food will be. So algae, as opposed to fish, is a source I love.
Beyond that, in this video, I explain why I recommend getting in the source of these fats, rather than JUST the pre-converted fish or algae oil.
Here are some food-based amazing sources of the Essential Omega-3 Fat we Need: Alpha Linolenic Acid:
- Flax Seeds
- Chia Seeds
- Walnuts
- Organic Soybeans
- Organic Tofu
- Winter Squash
- Brussels Sprouts
Getting these in can also help to relieve skin inflammation, alleviate rashes, lubricate dry skin and improve nail health.
Of course, so many nutrients are important in pregnancy, but I wanted to give you a few with special super-powers. There are so many more that I could have included, but this provides a good base, and includes foods that contain other powerful nutrients, too.
I wish you a glowing pregnancy, a super-healthy baby (ideally with those ridiculously cute rolls, though maybe developing them after you’ve birthed them 😉 ) and the birth you so deeply desire.
Love to you!
Nathalie
Holistic Nutritionist
