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What Are Healthy, Fast Foods For Pregnant Moms?
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
by Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I craved cheese curls. A lot. And I gave into that craving. A lot. Now, I may have just completely discredited myself from being able to write a blog recommending healthy foods for pregnant moms, but I’ve learned a lot since then. And, I’ve met a lot of people much wiser than I who have the actual training to make valid recommendations. Today, I offer a few of those sage recommendations to all of you pregnant mamas out there and hope you enjoy them in good health!
- Fruits & veggies. This might be a no-brainer, but fresh produce is a stellar source of nutrition. Eat a wide variety of colors for maximum impact. Here are a few tips for choosing and prepping your produce:
- Opt for organic, but if you can’t always find or afford it, prioritize the Dirty Dozen fruits and veggies that the Environmental Working Group identified as having the highest levels of pesticide residues: apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines (imported), grapes (imported), sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries (domestic), lettuce, kale/collard greens. Find the Clean Fifteen conventional options that are safe to eat here.
- If you’re on WIC, check out your local farmers’ market. Thirty-five states accept WIC vouchers at farmers’ markets and they usually have organic or pesticide-free produce. Learn more about farmers’ markets and how to find one near you.
- When you get home, wash & prep all your produce. It’s a real time-saver to prepare everything in one fell swoop. It also makes it super fast and easy to grab a healthy snack from your fridge whenever hunger sets in.
- Bump up the nutrition punch by dipping produce in nut butters or hummus.
- Hard boiled eggs. One egg packs in 6 grams of protein and some women swear by their power to quell morning sickness. Boil a dozen at a time and store in the refrigerator for another quick and healthy snack. (Learn whether or not it’s worth it to buy organic.)
- Smoothies. I am NOT talking about the caloric monsters you find at the mall. I mean DIY; there are a million different ways. Smoothies are a tasty, fast and easy way to pack in a ton of nutrients. Consider the combinations you can make using healthy ingredients like almond milk, coconut water, yogurt & berries. Sneak in extra nutrients by tossing in some spinach or kale (trust me, you won’t taste them mixed into the other delicious flavors).
- Trail mix. Skip the pre-made versions and whip up some trail mix using your favorite ingredients. Watch this video with nutritionist, mom and pregnancy wellness guru, Latham Thomas, about how eating protein snacks & maintaining a healthy blood sugar level all day can help eliminate morning sickness & nausea. Her solution is to keep a little bag of trail mix in your bag, she calls it the Pregnancy Pantry To-Go. (By the way, this video was submitted to us by Parent Earth, an awesome on-line video library and organization working to promote healthy eating. We’re super excited to announce we’ll be partnering with them on a bunch of cool projects in the near future!)
One more idea: check out “Feeding Baby Green” by pediatrician, author and Healthy Child Advisory Board member, Dr. Alan Greene. This amazing book has month-by-month advice for eating right during pregnancy and beyond - to really lay a foundation of good health and eating habits for your child.
What healthy, fast foods do you recommend? Any novel food ideas for morning sickness? Any crazy cravings you’d like to share?
Find Out More:
Posted by jenna on 09/09/2011 at 01:41 PM
Mmm smoothies! I crave milkshakes when I’m pregnant, so smoothies are a great, healthy alternative. And when I’m in the office and can’t make a smoothie, I just make a fruit and yogurt parfait. (www.yocrunch.com has a bunch a different flavors, and they come w/ granola, which I love). Easy for on the go, and a great source of protein. Of course, I still give in to the milkshakes every so often :)
Posted by Andrea on 08/21/2011 at 03:35 PM
Great info. I am a vegetarian living in Jamaica and love smoothies; try having one every morning for breakfast. I use almond milk which I make and throw in seasonal tropical fruits . Yummy!! Also make my own trail mix to munch when I am on the road.
Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 07/27/2011 at 10:08 AM
Jan - Thanks SO MUCH for pointing out the flax seed risk and the protein in egg error!! I’ve edited the blog to reflect your comments and left your comments because they have some really great information. (I’ve actually been looking for some healthy desserts for my kids and your oatmeal cake looks like I winner! I’m definitely going to try it.)
I checked out your website, too - and it looks like a fantastic resource for parents. Thanks again for sharing your expertise!
Posted by Jan katzen-Luchenta on 07/26/2011 at 02:15 PM
I forgot a very important point - pregnant and lactating women should not be eating flax!
Here is a bit about flaxseed and oil. It seems that flaxseed is really an ages and stages food. It supports male fertility and yet later in life it can promote prostate tumor growth! The mayo clinic advises against flax oil in pregnancy and lactation.
susceptibility to carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17398067?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Decrease in Arachidonic acid
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12738189?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA
Effecting reproduction and development
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12738187?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA
Affects pregnancy outcome and reproductive development in rats
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9808635?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA
A safe bet for good elimination would be split peas, legumes, barley, grains, greens, raspberries, cauliflower, wheat and/or oat bran (I have a jar in the kitchen which is a mixture of both). Approx.1/3 of a cup daily is all that is needed.
Eat more greens, grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables not only for the fiber content but for the nutrients that support total health during all stages of familial development.
Eat more grass-fed animals, walnuts, greens, and walnut oil, . to get LNA (plant based omega-3’s) in place of the flax.
Jan
www.nutritionforlearning.com
Posted by Jan katzen-Luchenta on 07/26/2011 at 02:07 PM
An egg contains 6 grams of protein. It is important to eat three eggs; 2 yolks and 3 egg whites to get 18 grams of protein. Make sure that the eggs are from free-range, pecking in the dirt (getting more minerals), and grass (more omega-3s, vitamins A, D, E, and K,) and less cholesterol (the chickens are getting exercise; not force fed - so less fat).
Equally important to meal composition is timing. The key to healthy pregnancy is blood sugar stability. This metabolic equilibrium supports all body systems; metabolic, adrenal, (maternal hormone release), vascular, and neurological.
Whole grains (stone ground corn chips, (oatmeal cake - recipe to follow) legumes (hummus), pumpkin and sunflower seed trail mixes, good quality protein including Greek yogurt, brilliantly colored fruit, vegetables and more vegetables - Now that we are feeding the developing cells (embryo, fetus) we need to make sure they are protected with lots of antioxidants!
Oatmeal Cake
12 OZ steel-cut oats ~ (½ cylinder quick cook or regular)
Almond milk (low or no sugar) ~ enough to completely cover the oats in a medium saucepan. If using regular steel-cut oats add more almond milk ~ about an inch higher than oats.
2-3 capfuls of vanilla
½ cup raisins
Crushed walnuts
Raw honey or real maple syrup to taste
A few shakes of cinnamon
Topping Ideas
Blueberries, strawberries, apples, cherries, pineapple (upside-down cake), dark chocolate pieces, dried cranberries, pumpkin
Preparation
Pour the oats into a medium saucepan. Add the almond milk. Do not stir. Pour in the vanilla, raisins, crushed walnuts, and swirl the honey or maple syrup on the top. Do not stir. Finish with several shakes of cinnamon. Add any topping or combination of toppings on top of the mixture.
Turn stove on the lowest possible heat. Cover the saucepan. Cook for ½ hour or more. Sides of cake will be firm and slightly browned. Regular oats may take a bit longer ~ closer to an hour. Just remember not to stir the cake at any time.
When cake is done let cool .Loosen edges. Place a plate on top of the cake and turn it upside down. It should come out of the saucepan easily. Turn the cake over and there you have it unless you want to serve an upside-down cake.
When using dark chocolate pieces allow cake to cool in the refrigerator before taking out of the saucepan.
Enjoy
This cake is so rich and delicious you can make it plain and serve it with a touch of butter, honey, maple syrup, or peanut butter.
Jan Katzen-Luchenta AMI CFP
Preconception/Prenatal and Children’s nutritionist
www.nutritionforlearning.com
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