Pregnancy most times can disrupt your choice of meals, and this includes breakfast meals. It can leave you feeling confused with what to eat, but do not worry, as this has made up compile some of the best breakfast idea for pregnancy which would help pregnant women get a handy idea on what breakfast meals to go for during pregnancy.
Asides the fact that pregnancy sometimes comes with food aversions and nausea, eating right is an unavoidable exercise. This may be difficult for people who are already selective eaters. Regardless of what the situation is, there are lovely alternatives to help manage it.
Breakfast is an important part of the pregnancy diet. And when it comes to breakfast, it’s easy to run out of ideas. Also, the fear of not knowing what may be harmful to the baby can contribute to this. In this article, we will cover all you need to know on the best breakfast meals for pregnant women and recommended best breakfast ideas for pregnancy.
Best Breakfast Idea for Pregnancy
Low Carb Breakfast Ideas For Pregnancy
Gestational diabetes is one of the reasons most pregnant women go with low carb foods. More so, pregnancy is a period when a lot of women add weight that becomes difficult to shed. Also, many women have diet plans prior to pregnancy and balancing the two goals becomes a little difficult.
There are plenty of low carb alternatives along with recipes for pregnant women. The best part is, they can be tweaked to taste.
Also Read: Can You Eat Asparagus During Pregnancy
Below is a list of six low carb breakfast ideas for pregnancy:
1. Omelettes
This is an easy breakfast alternative that requires the use of eggs. You can try adding some unconventional ingredients to give it a better taste. Vegetables are great and taste nice in omelettes. You can also consider enjoying this dish with milk or tea.
2. Pancakes
Good old pancakes are a healthy breakfast alternative. You get to control the quantity of sugar you eat with it. Try adding less sugar and more milk. Most importantly, consult with your doctor or dietitian or nutritionist to know how much sugar is safe for consumption. You will be missing out on a nice combination if you fail to add waffles. Waffles and pancakes make a tasty combo.
3. Cottage Cheese
This is perfect for pregnant women who love cheese and do not have cheese avertions. During the preparation, from the product selected to the amount used, you can control the fat consumption by working with sizable portions. Nuts and berries give the cheese a fresher appeal and a better taste.
4. Sunflower Cookies
Cookies remain one of the best breakfast choices for pregnancy. Cookies made with sunflower are healthy, light and tasty. There are different ways to make sunflower cookies and they are all easy to prepare.
5. Salad
Fruit or vegetable salad can add color to your morning. Both salad choices are easy to make, tasty and nutritious.
Also Read: Can you Have Tapioca Pearls During Pregnancy
High Protein Breakfast For Pregnancy
Protein rich diets are a must have for pregnant women because their bodies require double the amount of iron previously needed in order to supply the growing baby with oxygen. Now, the trouble lies in finding the best foods high in protein for pregnancy.
Most food sources are rich in carbohydrates but low in proteins. However, there are a few foods with high protein composition. Some of these foods include:
1. Baked Beans
Baked beans are a tasty and wonderful dish when prepared right. You can easily order the already prepared ones or make it at home. The procedures involved in its preparation are very simple. To get started, get your ingredients ready: cannellini beans, olive oil, onions, garlic, bay leaves, cherry tomatoes, vinegar, dark sugar, tomato puree and mustard powder.
The preparation:
i. Place the beans in a bowl of cold water. Allow the water to get over the surface. Leave the beans to soak overnight. The next morning, drain it.
ii. Put it in a saucepan or a convenient pan with bay leaves and enough water. Allow it to cook for 30 minutes then drain it. Get your oil in the pan and heat it. Add onions, garlic and other ingredients including the beans. Add sizable portions of salt and pepper then leave it to boil and simmer. It takes a maximum of two hours to finish cooking.
2. Milk
There are many dishes that can be made from milk and with milk. Most are easy to make. Some of them include: mango shake, fruit cream, cake, chicken and milk stew and many more.
3. Eggs
There are lots of lovely dishes made with eggs. Meals prepared from eggs include: boiled eggs, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, shirred eggs, poached eggs.
Other protein food sources include poultry, fish, lean meat, nuts, lentils and many more.
Best Breakfast Idea For Pregnancy
There are great breakfast meal ideas you can try out. The best of them all will be based on what you love to eat and what you crave at the moment. However, any diet added to your meal plan has to be nutritious. The following are some of the best breakfast ideas for pregnancy.
1. Wheat Pancakes and Berries
Wheat flour is low in carbohydrates and high in other essential nutritional requirements. Pancakes prepared with wheat flour are a delight to the taste buds. Eating it with blueberries or strawberries creates the heavenly feel.
The wheat flour can be substituted with other types of flours and the taste and nutritional value will still be obtained. Also, as an addition, you can explore other kinds of berries like raspberries.
2. Berry Smoothies
Smoothies are not just yummy but delicious. There are myths that it helps with nausea. The good thing is, you can try out at least five other kinds of berries when making smoothies for breakfast. You can enjoy your smoothie with fries or cookies.
3. Muffins
With every bite of a muffin, you can hear your taste buds screaming for more. Muffins are a healthy breakfast idea for pregnancy. You can enjoy this with fruit juice or tea.
Also Read: Is Safe to Eat Imitation Crab During Pregnancy
4. Avocado With Toasts
Avocados are super healthy and contain lots of essential vitamins and minerals. You can have it for breakfast with bread toasts.
5. Fried Eggs With Vegetables
Fried eggs with vegetables seem like the perfect, balanced combination for breakfast. The eggs supply the energy and protein needs of the body and the vegetables fill in for the needed vitamins and minerals.
Best Breakfast For Pregnancy Nausea
A large percentage of pregnant women suffer from nausea or morning sickness. This steals their appetite for food and sometimes puts them at risk of developing nutritional deficiency diseases. The best way to manage nausea in pregnancy is to be sensitive to your gut and feed your body with what it’s open to.
Finding out what your body wants may take awhile but the following will serve as a guide.
1. Boiled Eggs and Rice or Noodles
You do not have to overcook your eggs as a short moment of boiling is enough to get rid of possible disease causing particles that come with it. It tastes nice when eaten with noodles or rice. Due to the quiet aroma of both the cooked egg and noodle or rice, you’ll be able to manage your nausea and eat well.
2. Nuts and Smoothies
The milk from nuts has a way of reducing the burning urge to vomit. You can have a mash of different kinds of nuts and a fruit smoothie with a complementary taste. Adding nuts with a bit of mint will also help with the nausea.
3. Salad
Salad is the perfect breakfast meal for pregnancy because of the flexibility in its preparation. You can choose to have a fruit salad with all your favorite fruits or a vegetable salad with tasty vegetables. Regardless of how your combination looks, you cannot get it wrong because all fruits and vegetables contain reasonable amounts of nutritional essentials.
4. Cakes
Sugar helps some pregnant women win the fight against nausea. Cakes are often sweet and soft. Your gut will be proud of you for feeding your body with this especially if it’s what you crave.
Breakfast To Avoid When Pregnant
There are a handful of foods you must avoid during pregnancy. These meals have adverse effects on the health of pregnant women. You should not just avoid them during breakfast but at all times. Some of these foods may be your favorites but count this as one of the sacrifices you will be making for yourself and your baby.
Foods to avoid during pregnancy include:
1. Foods With Caffeine
Caffeine filled teas, drinks and foods are dangerous for your health and that of your baby. Your body cannot take more than 200mg of caffeine daily. As you avoid this in your homemade meals, be sure to check the contents of teas and drinks you purchase on a regular basis.
2. Unpasteurized Milk and Dairy Products
Milk and dairy products must undergo pasteurization so that the disease causing microbes in it can be effectively eliminated. Skipping this process will expose your body to harmful bacteria that will cause you ill health.
3. Foods With Lots of Sugar
Most pregnant women are at risk of becoming diabetic. Avoiding sugar means staying in your safe zone. This will ensure your sugar levels stay in the normal range.
Conclusion
If you have had the habit of skipping breakfast prior to pregnancy, you have to unlearn this habit for the good of your baby. Deciding on the right breakfast every morning can be a daunting task. The examples contained in this article will help you spice up your diet plan and never run out of ideas on what to eat all through your pregnancy.
