Meal Plan to Help Manage Morning Sickness
The below meal, snack, and recipe ideas may help alleviate nausea, including Vitamin B6, ginger, and citrus. Other ways to help manage this symptom include eating frequent, small portions as well as choosing low fat foods. As always, be sure to meet your fluid needs, which for pregnancy is ten 8 ounce cups per day.Vitamin B6 is found in both animal proteins such as tuna*, turkey, beef, chicken, and salmon; as well as in plants such as sweet potato, cabbage, winter squash, pinto beans, avocado, lentils, sunflower seeds, spinach, and bananas.
Pro tip:
Try nibbling on a mild yet nutritious food like citrus fruits or whole grain crackers throughout the day.
Choosing meals and snacks from the below might help manage your morning sickness while still including healthy food choices!
Breakfast
Option 1: Strawberry Banana Smoothie made with low fat yogurt, milk or milk alternative
Option 2: Whole grain toast with sunflower seed butter and a sliced grapefruit
Option 3: Oatmeal, sliced peaches and walnuts
Option 4: High fiber cereal, low fat milk or milk alternative, berries
Option 5: Whole grain toast topped with mashed avocado and a squeeze of lemon
Lunch
Option 1: Baby spinach salad with canned salmon, dried cranberries, walnuts, and ginger dressing
Option 2: Whole grain bread, canned chunk-light tuna* made with chopped veggies, seasoning, and light mayo or olive oil; apple
Option 3: Whole grain wrap with turkey**, avocado, hummus, and spinach
Option 4: Low-fat plain yogurt with sliced almonds, and blueberries
Option 5: Whole grain pasta mixed with your favorite veggies like peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms tossed with olive oil and vinegar
Dinner
Option 1: Oven roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans
Option 2: Grilled or baked salmon, spinach salad with sunflower seeds, brown rice
Option 3: Roast turkey, roasted winter squash, quinoa
Option 4: Spaghetti sauce with ground beef or turkey, whole grain pasta and sautéed spinach
Option 5: Bean tacos with corn tortillas, black beans, chopped tomatoes, sliced peppers, salsa
Snacks
Option 1: Fresh steeped ginger tea: peel and cut up a 1-inch cube of fresh ginger. Steep in hot water for about 5-10 minutes. Drink with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (drink throughout day as desired with snacks/meals or between)
Option 2: Avocado-Bean salad: chopped avocado, pinto beans, chopped bell pepper, chopped carrots, sunflower seeds, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Option 3: Cottage cheese with diced pineapple
Option 4: Banana and nut butter
Option 5: Whole grain crackers
*Pregnant women should eat no more than 6 ounces of high mercury fish per week
**If using deli turkey, be sure to heat in pan or microwave until steaming
For more on this topic, check out the following article: