Having been an avid fruits and vegetable lover for years, I found myself disgusted by the thought of them in my first trimester. The thought of munching on raw carrots and zucchini made my stomach churn. The smell of Whole Foods made me want to run (I haven’t made a visit there in 9 weeks! Thank heavens for my mother who shops there regularly and picks up what I need), and the sight of kale or spinach made my stomach weak. The dreaded food aversions had taken over and mine was “anything good for me,” as I told my friends and family. I was initially worried. I wanted to provide our little growing olive with enough vitamins and nutrients to grow into a happy and healthy baby. I was certain that abstaining from them, and noshing on more nutrient-less food, would be disastrous. So I reached out to my girlfriends who had so bravely gone before me and asked about their aversions, cravings, and overall patterns in the first trimester. The response I received provided me with the validation that I needed:
“I didn’t touch a fruit of vegetable in my first trimester, the thought of them repulsed me.”
“I only craved white bread and saltine crackers.” (this one was quite possibly my favorite!)
“I was too busy at the toilet that I didn’t have time to even think about being nutritious.”
You get the drift right? I wasn’t being a bad mommy-to-be, I was just listening to my body. I was a ravenous carnivore, craving meats… and then I was a a salt lover… sweet and salty trail mix and chips/guacamole were two cravings I gave into regularly. Yet, listening to my body also meant listening to it when those food aversions started to dissipated and I was ready to venture back into the realm of fruits (these came first) and then vegetables (first masked in soups and other dishes and then I moved back to eating them raw). I can happily say that I am back on a meal plan that I feel allows me to give our little one the nutrients she needs to grow, and me the energy I need to get through the day!
I have also been sure to increase my daily caloric value. Although, I consulted with my doctor before doing so as I wanted to make sure I was taking in the right amount to be healthy during, and after, my pregnancy! So, we came up with a number based on my activity level (which has decreased slightly, but I still work out 5-6 days a week, with a lessened intensity). Below, you can find a healthy meal plan that I gladly partook in last week!
Monday:
Breakfast: 1 cup of rolled oats (cooked according to instructions) + 1 tsp almond butter + 1/2 banana sliced + dash of cinnamon
Snack: 1 hard boiled egg
Lunch: Amy’s bean and rice burrito (dairy free) + a mixed greens salad topped with carrots, celery, cabbage, and jicama, with Annie’s Natural Honey Mustard Dressing (2 tbsp)
Snack: Peach, Pineapple, Banana, and Kale Smoothie
Dinner: Vegetable loaded pizza (recipe here) (3 slices)
Dessert: 1 chocolate square
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal (same as Monday)
Snack: Hard boiled egg + 1 cup sliced watermelon
Lunch: 2 pieces of left over pizza + 1 cup carrots
Snack: Peanut Butter Lara Bar (GF/DF, a new favorite)
Dinner: Panini (1 piece cracked wheat sourdough bread, halved, topped with 1 tablespoon hummus, tomato slices, spinach, and 1 slice of DF cheese) + a bowl of golden lentil soup (recipe here)
Dessert: 1 cup air popped popcorn + 1 chocolate square
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Sprouted Wheat Bagel (from Trader Joe’s) + 2 tbsp DF cream cheese (Trader Joe’s) top bagel and cream cheese with sliced tomatoes and chopped spinach (pictured above)
Snack: Bowl of berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
Lunch: 2 slices of left over pizza + 2 sliced bell peppers + 2 tbsp hummus
Snack: Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Mango, Banana, and Blueberry smoothie
Dinner: Grilled pork loin (4oz) + baked sweet potato fries (4 oz) + broccoli (1 cup)
Dessert: 1 square of chocolate
Thursday:
Breakfast: Bagel Sandwich: cook 1/4 cup of egg whites in a pan. While they are cooking top your bagel with 2 tbsp of DF cream cheese. When the egg is complete, place on top of one half of the bagel. On the other half, add sliced tomatoes and chopped spinach. Place on top of the other half. Place in a panini maker for about 1 minute.
Snack: Hard boiled egg + bowl of berries
Lunch: Shrimp Salad: 8 pieces of shrimp (grilled), 1/2 cup cooked Quinoa, 4 cups of mixed greens, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp dried cranberries + Annie’s Natural Honey Mustard Dressing (2 tbsp) + 1 cup of carrots
Snack: 1 medium banana topped with 1 tsp of almond butter
Dinner: Pollo Asado Tacos: 4 oz Chicken, heirloom tomatoes, chopped spinach, salsa verde divided among 3 corn tortillas. Meal = Three tacos + 1/2 cup of black beans.
Dessert: Pressed Juicery Soft Serve
Friday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal (same as Monday, Tuesday)
Snack: Hard Boiled Egg
Lunch: Cup of tomato basil soup + 1/2 Chinese chicken salad
Snack: Nourish Snacks granola + chocolate chip + banana bites
Dinner: 4 ounces filet mignon (grilled on the BBQ) + 4 ounces baked sweet potato fries + grilled asparagus
Dessert: Frozen Yogurt!! My weekend indulgence
Saturday:
Breakfast: Out with friends at Zinc Cafe: opted for the healthy scramble plate
Lunch: Lemon, arugula chicken salad from Trader Joe’s
Snack: 1 Pear
Appetizers: Brushetta (recipe here) on triscuit crackers + hummus and carrots + sauteed shisito peppers
Dinner: BBQ margarita pizza
Dessert: Frozen Yogurt (again)
Sunday:
Breakfast: Purely Elizabeth granola + 1/2 sliced banana + sliced strawberries topped with 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Lunch: left over pizza 🙂
Snack: 1 pear + a bunch of grapes
Dinner: Halibut Fish Tacos + 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s reduced fat refried beans (these were a 1st trimester obsession!!)
Snack: 1 cup air popped popcorn
