This list was updated on January 7th, 2020 to include a bunch of new recipe ideas!
When my wife, Betsy was in her first two trimesters of her first pregnancy meals weren’t always a walk in the park. Over the years, I’ve been compiling these tips and meals for pregnant women to hopefully help out with meal-time struggles!
Feeding my wife healthy and delicious meals during her pregnancy was an area that I was positive (like, absolutely) that I would be able to nail. After all, feeding people is kind of what I do. If I can’t feed my own wife during cravings, sickness, and other strange pregnancy states, I should probably just hang up my blogging boots.
In the beginning, I was ready and, I thought, armed with the following theories about feeding a pregnant momma:
– How hard could it be? She’s going to be hungry all the time. (NOT TRUE)
– She’s growing a human. She needs to eat a lot. (NOT TRUE)
– Just find out her cravings and then it will be easy to satisfy them. (NOT EVEN REMOTELY TRUE)
Pregnancy Aversion to Foods
Betsy and I were somewhat mentally ready for the dreaded morning sickness of pregnancy. Bets was ready to feel gross on occasion and I was ready to play around with different recipes to find pregnancy meals she could enjoy.
What we weren’t exactly ready for was a lingering four month slog where Bets couldn’t eat a shifting field of foods. Some days it was almost hour to hour. Some days it would be super specific (no eggs allowed) and some days it would drift into the vague abyss (no cooked vegetables… like none at all).
Try to find a recipe on my site that doesn’t include any cooked vegetables. It’s pretty damn tough. I struggled with that one.
Betsy and I weren’t really ready to go public with the news so I wasn’t writing much about this issue, but now that it’s out there and most of the sickness issues are behind us, I thought it would be fun to share some of the recipes (and tips) that actually worked for us.
Maybe this list of Easy Meals for Pregnant Women will help you now, or in the future.
And, by all means, if you happen to have some recipes that helped you or your significant other get through the first few months of baby growing, please leave a comment below!
Tip 1: Think Smells
One big rule I learned is to not just think about how a food tastes, but how it smells. This not only includes the finished version but in all of the food states.
One of Betsy’s biggest aversions was to cooked onions. Or more specifically, her aversion was to the smell of onions cooking.
Smells are very different than flavors and it helps to be aware of strong smells that might be off-putting.
Tip 2: Focus on Textures
This is actually a good rule for cooking in general, but many times I think Betsy wasn’t against the food exactly, but the texture of the dish.
She tended to do well with super-crunchy dishes or creamy things. So a really fresh crunchy salad was totally fine or a big bowl of creamy potato soup.
Of course, not every person will be the same, but it’s helpful to try to identify what textures work and then find other dishes that have those textures.
MEALS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN – 23 RECIPES THAT WORKED FOR US!
Here’s a roundup of the recipe types that worked really well for Betsy, after much trial and error. Of course, some of these may or may not work for you depending on your personal aversions, but you should find some things in the list that sound good!
This recipe is one of many that I’ve found might work for lunches. It has some strong flavors (spicy), but the coconut is actually pretty mellow and a refreshing flavor that can be easy on the stomach.
Another good wrap idea that has good textures in it if you prefer crunchy things. The crunchy bacon and crispy tomato and lettuce is a great combo. Plus, the wrap has no strong vegetable flavors (onions) so it’s pretty mild.
This wrap was a lunch that Betsy could easily eat (and enjoy). The wrap would change a bit each week, but her favorite was basically this marinated chicken, grilled, and wrapped with really crunchy lettuce, crunchy bacon, tomato and avocado.
If you happen to have a slight sweet tooth during pregnancy, this oatmeal bowl is an awesome option. It basically tastes like a cinnamon roll but has whole oats so there are worse things you could start your day with!
I feel like Betsy didn’t have more sickness in the morning. It was more of a constant annoyance, but breakfasts definitely were an issue. We landed on oats as a cure. The good thing about oats is they are completely bland and you can change them up depending on the food aversion of the day.
We would tend to go with some sort of berry and nut butter most days of the week but even just oatmeal and butter could be a great breakfast option.
Okay. Ignore the Brussels sprouts on the above photo because that was a big NO GO in our house. But, this mashed potato pizza (and pizza in general) was generally something Betsy could eat as long as didn’t have a ton of vegetables on it. The carb-on-carb combo on this pizza was sometimes exactly what Betsy was craving.
I also did not complain.
More options in the pizza category, this one a bit more classic. Easy-to-make and always delicious. If the homemade crust is too much, just use a store-bought pound of dough – you probably have enough to worry about anyway!
The onions and peppers might be a trigger for some women, but you can easily leave them out. Sometimes Betsy was craving STEAK and this is a great quick option for a meat-heavy meal.
This is kind of a combo between the steak idea and the wrap concept. Betsy couldn’t eat mustard (and actually still doesn’t like it) but again that’s an easy leave-out option for the wraps. It’s a hearty wrap that can be served for lunch or dinner.
If your pregnant momma is craving comfort food, this chicken fried steak is worth the work. Crispy breading with a creamy gravy could satisfy certain cravings for sure. Plus, limited vegetable smells, which was always a trigger in our house.
After we exhausted the chicken wrap situation for lunch, we learned that Betsy could handle a very simple quinoa salad. The one we landed on was actually much simpler than the one in the above recipe. Essentially, I would just cook quinoa and toss it with crunchy snap peas, pumpkin seeds, and a very light dressing.
This worked well and I felt good for feeding her something I could generally qualify as healthy.
This salad is so healthy and can be customized easily based on tastes. The basics of it have a nice mix of protein ingredients and crunchy ingredients without any super-strong flavors. The eggs might be a reach for some though!
I love the chicken and noodle combo for this dish and since it’s cold the flavors are pretty mild. The scallions were a no-go for my wife, but they are easy to leave off.
Not ALL Tex-Mex is a hit with pregnant cravings, but Betsy generally liked crunchy Tex-Mex items. So nachos like this were a pretty sure-fire win for dinner.
More Tex-Mex! Crunchy tacos were always a hit, but these were like the pinnacle of Taco love. Basically double-wrapped tacos with cheese between the two layers. Crushing cravings!
Again, these are all about texture. Crunchy is the name of the game here and these little tacos get super crispy on a griddle.
After four months of pregnancy, Betsy had actually lost weight. The doctor was very quick to inform us that this was not a good situation.
She prescribed daily milkshakes. Betsy had no problem housing some milkshakes. When she couldn’t overcome, I helped.
While some days were sweets focused, most days for Betsy involved a salty craving. Good seasoned popcorn was something she could always eat for her entire pregnancy.
It was bland, but salty and had a good texture. That combo seemed to work for her.
I really pride myself on making good pasta sauces and interesting pasta combinations. This was not to time to do this. Betsy craved pasta, but it had to have almost nothing on it. Maybe a super light tomato sauce or butter sauce was fine, but simple was the rule for sure.
In the complete option direction, sometimes Betsy craved big flavor pasta and this cheeseburger pasta was a good combo of comfort food, noodles, and protein.
These Baked Nuggets are one of my favorite takes on chicken nuggets. They are crispy and perfect for dipping. Bets didn’t like many dipping options but did like them just normal!
The Crispier the better for Betsy and these super-crispy smashed breakfast potatoes were generally okay for a breakfast options. She would skip the egg, but just have a big pile of potatoes, sometimes with ketchup.
When the sweet tooth craving hit, it hit hard and big-flavored cakes were a good solution. This cake has chocolate, caramel, and a whipped cream topping. A favorite!
Have any Tips!?
I’m sure there are many out there that are going through pregnancy meal woes now or will in the future. It’s always good to have a list of ideas of tips and tricks, like this list of Meals for pregnant Women, that might work.
If you have a favorite recipe that was all you (or your sig. other) craved while pregnant, leave a comment!
Let’s feed pregnant mommas!
Adrienne
Oh man, the ONLY things I wanted to eat in the first trimester were beige/white. Bagels, toast, mashed potatoes… and yet I didn’t gain an ounce. Also all the brassicas were off the list for the entire pregnancy – I still haven’t had a brussels sprout and my kiddo is nearly four months old. Once I had to sit on the back porch and wait while Adam set up a bunch of fans to move the smell out after he had roasted some broccoli while he thought I was gone for a few hours. I’m glad to hear Betsy’s feeling better!
Nick
yea… The open window fan situation happened in our house also one day… so it goes! And yea… Bets still can’t do the brassica family so that sounds about right.
Jean Gogolin
I remember morning sickness that lasted all day and it was 50 years ago! Not fun. But Betsey is in good company with Duchess Kate, for whatever that’s worth.
Nick
Ha! That’s true. Famous people are just like us!!! :)
Liyana
Love all the ideas. I’m 7 weeks in. You’re spot on about texture. I’m going through a crunchy texture phase. Those tacos and crunchy lettuce wraps sound nice! Ive been living on tiny bites of bread and plain white rice. Right now it sound alike my tummy is going through acid explosions and I need to change up what I’m eating. May give your dishes a try with modification because I don’t think I can stomach any chicken or meat at the moment! Potato’s on potato’s on potato’s sounds like a start
Laura C
My little one is 7 months old, so all of this is very fresh in our household’s history. My most ridiculous aversion was raw tomatoes: I called my husband on the way home from work so that he could hide some tomatoes that I knew were on the counter so that I didn’t have to even look at them when I got home. In my normal not pregnant state I had always (and do again) loved snacking on grape tomatoes.
I had morning (well… all-day) sickness for about 5-6 months, and I too ate a LOT of white starchy foods. A bowl of egg noodles with butter topped with some from-the-freezer chicken nuggets drizzled with honey was my go-to meal for probably 3 of those months. I also love to cook so I felt bad that my husband (and anyone unlucky enough to be visiting) was pretty much on their own food-wise for a long time.
Betsy: Stay on the prenatal vitamin train and keep those calories coming in however you can stand it (Carnation Instant Breakfast!) Babies are sneaky ninjas and will take whatever they need regardless of what you’re eating (for better or for worse) hopefully now you’re back to having an appetite – which is all well and good until the baby takes up your whole torso :/ The end is near- Take a NAP!
Nick
Thanks for the great comment Laura. Babies do appear to be sneaky ninjas. I’m assuming that continues well into their teens…
Victoria
“Morning sickness” or for some it can be off and on all day sickness. I majored in nutrition in college and had learned then that the nausea that can accompany pregnancy is due to low protein intake. Not pregnant at the time I made a mental note for later and during both my pregnancies, at the first signs of nausea, I upped my protein especially right before bed. Having hard boiled eggs and yogurt at the ready just before bed made pregnancy a breeze. Third trimester is were grouchy hunger pains can start. Be sure to have middle if the night high protein snacks in the fridge because when the baby wakes her up hungry her belly won’t let her sleep until it’s satisfied. I also had a high protein breakfast smoothly every morning with hemp powder, coconut milk, cacao powder and whatever fruit I wanted at the time, mmmmm :). Also, carb cravings are very much in her near futur because thats what the baby wants to grow. Fortunately she has you to make sure they are good and quality carbs!
Nick
Great tip Victoria! Cashew nuts were a bit hit for Betsy. A handful as a snack seemed to help level her out during the hunger pains.
Cortney
I am so glad that pizza made the list. I’m in my second trimester now and during the first trimester, I was sick all day. The one thing that would look good no matter what I was feeling was pizza. We ordered pizza, made pizza, got frozen pizzas, had pizza variations like calzones, the whole shebang. We still eat a lot of it – Pepperoni with olives and mushrooms. Yum.
The only thing that helped morning sickness/all-day sickness was to eat early and regularly, otherwise I was feeling sick and so I didn’t want to eat even if I was hungry! I had oatmeal in the morning, right when I woke up and tried to lightly and regularly snack (protein as much as possible).
I loved your ideas about what you thought you knew before…I felt the same way. We have a popcorn machine and I used to be able to eat it all the time, now, the smell of it makes me nauseous. I hope I enjoy it post pregnancy because I do not enjoy it now.
Nick
You have like, a real popcorn machine? Movie Theater style??? That’s awesome. It would be constantly running in my house.
Emily
My first pregnancy was bad with the morning sickness. I worked in a Mexican restaurant and the very strong smells of Mexican food were really hard to stomach. I was sick until about 5-6 months.
My second pregnancy was worse. I couldn’t look at any meat, I couldn’t stand the smell of coffee or tea, the texture or look of anything slimy like cucumber or pasta with oil. I basically ended up just forcing myself to eat food to get something in my stomach, and I still ended up losing 38 pounds in the first 4 months. I didn’t stop having “morning” (all day every day oh my god when is this going to stop for the love of god) sickness until the 7th month, then I finally started being able to eat and gaining back what I had lost.
Luckily, I had some extra padding to lose so I wasn’t ever in any danger and was staying super well hydrated. Thing 1 and 2 are both HUGE eaters. They just have, uh, big personalities.
Nick
Oh wow… that’s some intense weight loss! Glad to hear it normalized though and that thing 1 and 2 are healthy and happy! :)
sara
That’s how I am right now. Nothing stays down, sometines yogurt and fruit, but not even that stays down on all of the day. I’ve tried crackers, ginger and 7up, some days they help, but they din’t work entirely. Im trying to eat other things too, but only the above and bean and cheese burritos sometimes work, but it gets boring. I keep trying to broaden the food items, but anything cooked is out of the question and nuts for the most parts disgust me and oils do too. Even raw vegetables have become hard to eat. As each day passes, my options get more and more limited. At least though Im toward the end of my 3rd trimester, but my WIC counselor said I’m loosing weight too fast, but my ob/gyn said its in the 2nd and 3rd trimester I’ll need to gain weight.
Niki Cleary
I had the opposite reaction. I became almost vegetarian during pregnancies and liked milk products for the first time since I was a kid. And morning sickness was actually evening sickness for me. I remember one particular dinner out when I ate French fries and a strawberry milkshake because I knew it would be gentle to throw up. Good call on textures and smells. I could eat some cooked meat, but couldn’t handle the smell of it cooking. We ate out a lot since I’m usually the cook in our house.
Nick
Thanks for the comment NIki! It does seem like either craving or aversion to meat is a common dividing line.
Andi
I am currently finishing up trimester #1, and finally starting to eat more normally (except: NO raw tomatoes or dill.) I never had full-on morning sickness, but I stopped cooking almost entirely and my husband took over. That was difficult, but he put up with my ever-changing likes and dislikes. It’s good that you point out how often food aversions and cravings shift during pregnancy. I was totally unprepared for that. The food that got me through the worst times was baked potatoes. With a little salt, a little butter, and maybe a few bites of veggies or meat on the side, I was a happy camper. I also have enjoyed comfort food like Annie’s mac & cheese and peanut butter and honey sandwiches on soft bread.
As my aversions are subsiding and my appetite is growing, I’m pretty excited for the coming holidays and in general delicious fall comfort food.
Nick
Nice tip Andi. A good baked potato always worked for us also. That should be on the list for sure.
Zoe & Skyler’s Mommy
Pregnancy is different for each woman, that is certainly true when reading the previous comments! The first trimester I couldn’t eat any sausage and generally smells just bothered me. Never got sick, though. The rest of the pregnancy I was constantly thirsty and the only appetizing things were juice, chocolate milk, and any fruits or veggies that were juicy. I did eat more than that of course, but those were the big hits! Good luck with your new addition!
P.S. Your Swedish Meatball recipe is a huge hit with our now two-year-old. She’ll eat 3 toddler sized servings!
Nick
Awesome! So glad they like the recipe. That’s a great reminder. I need to bring that recipe back from the archives… it’s way buried now. :)
Splintersnstitches
Oh man. I feel her, I lost quite a bit of weight with the first and even more with the second. At least she’s getting past that stage, sometimes it can last the whole pregnancy, I’ll bet you can guess how I know! With my first, all I could eat was yogurt and string cheese–literally! I actually made my hubby cook his own food in the garage because the smell made me so sick. He’s a trooper though and got through it. With my second, it was all about the greasy fried stuff, canned peaches, and BEEF!! OMG, I probably ate a whole steer while I was pregnant with my second. Cheeseburgers, steaks, brisket, I NEEDED red meat, chicken just didn’t cut it (and the smell of raw chicken has turned my stomach ever since).
The one thing I learned about feeding a pregnant woman is that flexibility is an absolute MUST. Don’t even bother trying to make up a weekly meal plan until she’s past that stage, and don’t expect every pregnancy to come with the same food aversions. Try to eat as healthy as you can, but if you haven’t kept anything down in three days, and you think that you might be able to keep that cheeseburger down, do it. I think the carb-fest is probably a desperate bid for energy–I know that I struggled with exhaustion the second time around, and it seemed like I felt a bit more “alive” after eating them. Also, some of those food aversions are permanent (or at least semi-permanent), so don’t get too upset if she never can choke down a cooked onion again. Likewise, some of the things that she craved she may not be able to eat again–I gag on yogurt now unless it’s mixed in something, and that pregnancy was 8 years ago!
Katie
As you can tell…. most women have some story about morning sickness! Betsy is so luck to have someone that is able to cook “around” her morning sickness. I, too, was very sick with my little one until about 6.5 months. It was pretty rough and believe me, she will be happy when she no longer has to run to the bathroom after every meal! I’m glad that I’m not the only one that could always stomach pizza! It didn’t matter what time of day, it always tasted good and stayed in! Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy and congratulations on the new little one!
Mrs. Mac
Our son is just four months old, so this is all VERY fresh in my mind! Just a word of warning as you enter the home stretch: I wasn’t sick at all until the third trimester and then the sickness and aversions caught up with a vengeance. Every pregnancy is different, so be on guard for very late-pregnancy morning/afternoon/all day sickness. My only advice is that when I was having a carby day and couldn’t stomach the thought of meat or fish, one of the ways I could get protein into me was to make rice pudding without a lot of sugar and “hide” an egg or two in it. No eggy texture or flavor, just creaminess and sweet carbs, and the protein helped with the nausea sometimes. Good luck as you near the end! Congratulations!
Carolynne
I can’t help but laugh at this post. You and Betsy went through SO much struggle when it came to eating during her first half of pregnancy. WOW! I admire that you kept persevering and trying to find the perfect meal for her and your little nugget. I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and I was VERY lucky not to have any morning sickness. I also didn’t have any food aversions or cravings. Eating for this pregnancy has basically been the same as any other 9 months out of my life. However, I do like most of your suggestions. The Quinoa salad sounds fantastic. I will also have to try crunch chicken wraps because you can’t go wrong there!
Congratulations on your upcoming arrival :D
Charlotte
I found this post after Googling “easy meals for pregnancy sickness”. I’m 9 week along and sick of feeling sick! My “morning sickness” hits anytime BUT the morning, and it’s usually the worse in the evenings. Things that you, and others, mentioned definitely ring true for me right now: carbs are a must. Dairy is also sitting pretty well with me, so your pizza is going on the grocery list! (The quinoa salad too.) I can eat meat if I don’t smell it cooking, but the thought of eggs, smelling them cooking, seeing them on a plate… UGH. Nausea city. My husband has had to fend for himself more often, as I sit on the couch with my bowl of granola. I take comfort in knowing others have been in the same boat, and hopefully it will be over SOON!
Nick
Hey Charlotte! Sorry for the delay in replying. I hope you feel better soon. Good luck!
Megan
I am just about 10 weeks and this post made me feel justified in my crazy eating habits. It’s been toast, potatoes, yogurt, and crackers. I too have lost weight, but I cannot wait until (hopefully) I get my appetite back! Thank you for sharing these ideas–I used them to make my grocery list this week :)
Carolyn
Hi Megan,
At what point did your appetite come back? I’m in week 10 now and haven’t been able to eat meat for weeks now…even eggs make me want to gag. It is so inconvenient and my poor husband-I can’t even bring myself to just cook meat, either!
Erika
Thank you for these!!!! I couldn’t find anything on pregnancy/nausea related recipes or meals, rather just old wives tales about what helps the nausea – ginger, soda crackers, eating small meals throughout the day. I am in month 6 of pregnancy and still vomiting daily, looking forward to trying some of these much needed bland texture-oriented meals!
Sarah
My first pregnancy was so bad that I had to vomit atleast 3 times a day! And because I was working it made it worse!! Now I am 7 weeks pregnant with my 2nd one and I am fine in the mornings (i still feel the morning sicknes but I dont throw up) but late at night is when the nausea strikes. Anything I eat for dinner just has to go down the drain even after 5 hours. I am so confused! I am guessing it could be that my dinners are usually much more flavored and spiced up than breakfast or lunch. So will try milder foods n I REALLY HOPE IT HELPS because I hate night times now because of this terrible nausea.
If anyone has recipies for mild or bland foods please share
Nick
Hey Sarah! Thanks for the comment! One thing on the list that is helping my wife on her second go-round is just plain PB&J! She’s eating like one a day. Bland enough, but also has some good protein and stuff! Good luck!
Meg
I’m at 12 weeks now.
Nauseous all day everyday to varying degrees! Terrible indigestion/acidity in the evening if I eat too much dinner. A constant supply of quinoa crackers are in my pocket, and 50/50 clear apple juice/spring water is my go-to drink. Banana berry smoothies with a little LSA are great as a meal replacement occasionally, and very chilled milk can work well to settle/line a strung out tummy before eating.
GF toast with butter and raw tomatoes on top at lunch works a treat at the mo’ (with maybe a VERY thin layer of cheese). I loved a Hawaiian pizza a month a go, but paid for it the next day. Too greasy, got very sick.
Breakfast: cornflakes, cold milk, LSA, sliced banana. If I’m going out and away from cooking facilities, I’ll make sure I have a slice of toast with one scrambled egg. Keeps tummy happier for longer.
Things I could eat early on (even with morning sickness) included home made spinach dhal. Also refried bean taco. Wouldn’t touch it now! The onions got to me, now I can’t stand the smell/sight of them.
I’m also finding BAKED salmon with a few capers, sliced lemon on top, with steamed carrots and green beans has become my go-to for dinner every 3 days or so. Smoked salmon had way too much flavour – avoid!
My husband made a lovely light chicken casserole with lemon and simple veg (no cooked toms). Have been eating this on and off all week. Agree on the brassicas comment. Asparagus, carrots, greenbeans, peas all ok.
Finger crossed this doesn’t last too much longer!!! Good luck all…
Whitney
Great read, except for the times the ideas made me nauseous! Hahaha. I’m currently in week 11 and sick all day every day. Thanks for the ideas, I’m going to try some potato soup later.
My husband is not the cook in our house so he’s been suffering a lack of any real food. He got a recipe for quesadillas together the other night and made them, and it smelled so bad I was sick all night! Oh well.
Courtney
OMG this is almost spot on with what I am currently going through! This is actually what I needed to read to know that I’m not alone in the struggle and it’s completely normal. I had a small breakdown a few weeks ago because the morning sickness was so bad and like Betsy it would last all day long with mornings and nights being the worst. I was hungry all the time but couldn’t eat anything due to the nausea and a few things made me vomit immediately after eating them. I just cried because I felt unhealthy, hungry and sleep deprived. I was on strict carbs diet (pasta, pizza, bread, crackers, mashed potatoes, etc.) because it was all pretty bland and easy to keep down. Red meat eat was out of the question for me. Just the thought of some foods made me sick. Soooo weird how that is. I was eating McChicken wraps from McDonalds for several days because nothing else seemed to work. But now I’ve had chicken alfredo, pickled burger, eggs, yogurt, fruit cups, dry cereal for snacks (life saver!) and muffins. Also liquids are hard for me. I’ve had good luck with apple juice and sprite.
Nick
Wow! Good luck Courtney. It gets easier for sure. :) Hang in there!
Liz
Wow. I’m on my third pregnancy and this article just articulated all my aversions that i have never been able to connect. You are right. I didn’t realize until now I have a texture problem. I was looking through the list and its the only foods I can eat right now with a few new ideas. This explains so much. Thank you for taking the time to do this for all the women who are too sick to try to figure it out themselves.
Nick
Hey Liz! So glad it helped. Hopefully you can find some good things to eat. :) Good luck with the baby growin’! :)
Lydia
My experience during the the second pregnancy has been very different from the first one. The first i was very normal i even realised that i was pregnant when i was three months.
Then the second one, cravings is the order of the day. Until i eat something that’s when i can settle. Meal i like mixture of marooke with gnuts, cassava with beans, and any meal ova is inclusive. Veggies most of them are mied with pnut butter, smell of fish i don’t want, meat i don’t want. Thsn i have also realsed that i have to improve on the texture. Atleast i don’t throw up, no morning sicknesses
Michelle
This artlicle and all of the post have made me feel so much better. My youngest of two is 18yrs old and just left for college. To our surprise we’re starting all over again. Almost all food is nasty to me. I had no idea that what I’ve been going through is normal. I’m 9 weeks and I don’t want to cook anything, smell any food, or go to the grocery store. I can’t even watch the food network anymore. I usually have to make myself eat. The only things that are sure to work is apples, canned peaches and mandarins and pizza. My husband is also suffering because I’m the primary cook at home. Thank you everyone for sharing all the info was very supportive.
Alexandria
I was having such a hard time during my first trimester. I couldnt stomach really any meat and still to this day cannot and im 16 weeks. The only meat i can stomach lately is chicken. Even breakfeast and lunch was hard in the beginning. I was constantly throwing up after everything I ate or if I drank to much. I was living off of saltine crackers and sprite and it was awful. I felt so out of energy and i couldn’t really do anything but stay in bed. I am now currently 16 almost 17 weeks pregnant and ive been in the same routine for a while eating lots of quaker brand things. Like the overnight oats, their not the best and they get old after a while but if i eat them as soon as i wake up I feel good and refreshed they have lots of good things like quinoa and flaxseed. And the quaker morning go boxes have also been my absolute go too. I am now eating lots of fruits strawberry seem to be harder to eat and they kinda make me sick so I stick to honeydew and cantaloupe. I am just having trouble with dinners now. Ive been pushing my limits with food i Can eat and I am having trouble finding good nutritious food that keeps me feeling good and holds me over until the morning. I like fresh stuff and its really hard especially when sometimes I cant really stand for too long to cook i sometimes get lightheaded. I really like rice and potatoes just butter sometimes bothers me. Any light fresh recipes would be so appreciated. I found a few here like the quinoa. Been searching all over the internet.
Rachel
This is my first baby and I am currently 6 weeks pregnant and the nausea is killing me.
I have it from the moment I wake up till the moment I go to bed. It feels like I am in the verge of vomiting consistently it’s horrible the only thing that helps is lying down ! And food has become a nightmare, I’m so glad I found this post. It’s made me feel better about the things I can/cannot eat. Definitely going to try out some of the above recipes ! Thank you so much for sharing !!
Emily
First pregnancy and I’m 11 weeks in and I can’t even handle the idea of meat! I’ve gotten to the point where chicken is ok, but in very very small doses, and I absolutely cannot be around while it’s cooking. otherwise it’s been very veggie and fruit heavy. But I’m struggling with what to cook because I live in a place where there’s no real restaurant options, or at least nothing that isn’t deep fried and greasy. Rice is good, I did a veggie stir fry last night to mixed results, and then sometimes I just do grilled cheese. Thanks for this list though, I’ve seen some terrible sites out there (one, obviously a guy, was like, eat normal food even when you feel like you can’t! Someone needs to punch him in the throat) so it was nice to see the flexibility and that I’m not the only one who craves something one minute (salad) and then once you get all the ingredients home, the idea makes you sick :(
Nick
That sucks Emily. Hopefully it goes away soon. Good luck and congrats on the pregnancy. Try to enjoy it! It’s a wild ride!
Danielle
Thank you so much for this! I’m in my fifth pregnancy, week 7 and have all day nausea. Fortunately I don’t throw up, just feel sick. Also the heartburn is already starting making it even worse. Salty things make me have heartburn but citrus stuff like oranges don’t. This baby hates sugary things, makes me sick to think about it…I guess that’s a plus. I too am a food lover, not a picky eater at all and love to cook but want nothing to do with food right now. With my last pregnancies I’ve been nauseous with the boys (3 of the last 4 and guessing that is what this one is) so I’ve been through this before but it doesn’t make it easier. This post was SO helpful as each time you forget what you did the last time to make it through this stage. It’s funny to see what some of your comments are and this is helping my husband see I’m not the only crazy one…I think he has forgotten the last times as well. I’ve been doing the eating frequently thing but it’s force feeding as I want nothing but if I don’t eat I feel even sicker. I will try more bland things and adding protein. Any suggestions on heartburn relief are great as usually it doesn’t start this early. Also I don’t like water which is usually all I drink and I’ve been insanely thirsty. Hoping this stage is short lived but I’ve had it for the entire first half with one of my boys so who knows.
Patty
My first pregnancy I had HG and was violently ill to the point of hospitalization a few times. I couldn’t keep anything down, so as gross as it sounds, I would focus on eating things that digested very quickly (carbs) and/or tasted the same coming back up (I know, I know). I survived on bland pasta, granola bars, fig newtons, and very basic unseasoned bean (black or pinto) and cheese quesadillas. Non-dairy meal replacement shakes work too. No milk, and no tomatoes. I could not eat meat and couldn’t even be in the same room with it, ESPECIALLY grilled meat!
Here I am pregnant again, and thank the Lord, I seem to have a normal amount of morning sickness this time, HG has spared me. This time I can do chicken or beef if I cut it into small pieces and stir fry it with a sauce that masks the meat flavor (Lo Mein is a favorite). I still love bean and cheese quesadillas and can eat them no matter how nauseous I am. Oranges and grapes are great. Salad too but not anything with Parmesan or Caesar (you don’t think about how vomit-y they smell/taste until you’re sick).
Thanks for the helpful thread! We’re all a big happy nauseous family.
Amanda
I am 13 weeks pregnant. I’ve been nauseous everyday and have been vomiting from about week 9/10 daily onward. I’ve had to go on anti-nausea medication (compazine) to keep working. My doctors also prescribed unisom and 12.5 mg of vitamin b6 to help combat it. Anyone taken a sleep aid and had to operate a motor vehicle and still work all day? Crazy. I went from running regularly and eating a whole foods diet to being couch bound (lucky if I could stomach being vertical for a walk) and living off of Rice Krispies Treats, Lean Cuisine Pizzas, English Muffins, Grilled Cheese, and Pasta. I lovingly called myself a walking bakery. My sickness was worse at night than in the morning – peaking around 4/5pm daily. Sleeping and going to bed was the highlight of each day because it was the only time I found relief. I loved the recipe ideas here. Sadly I developed aversions quite quickly so keeping things constantly mixed up and new was one of my best survival techniques. Eating early was critical. Not lying down after eating was a hard lesson to learn. Avoiding garlic went against every recipe I had ever cooked. Small meals helped. But sometimes none of it mattered and I ended up vomiting anyways. I’m on day 8 of no vomiting – just nausea – and finally eating salads again when I can stomach them. This blog post and subsequent thread has been one of the few saving graces that has reminded me I’m not alone – it’s not all in my head (although the mind is more powerful than I realized) – and this too shall pass.
Kusuma
I would add temperature. Heat amplifies the smells and taste of foods. Cooked food in general has been very hard for me, but when I do eat those dishes I mostly stomach them only after they have cooled down. Apples were my go-to when all else failed but it was very tenuous because they digested so quickly I would be in the same nausea-hunger predicament shortly. You nailed it with the moving target thing. Sometimes I thought I would love something and by the time it hit my tongue I was disgusted. It’s a painful situation to not know what you can eat at any given moment. But more than foods, I highly recommend the most solid trick to help me eat so far: distraction. When I focus on whatever I am eating, it churns my stomach. What I do for most meals is read a very gripping book that captures all of my attention while I robotically shove food in my mouth until I can’t anymore. Wishing you all good luck!
Stephanie
I absolutely love that you did this for your wife! I’m currently pregnant with our 3rd and in the same situation your wife was. And I love to eat!!! The roller coaster of nausea, heartburn, and aversions have been awful. I’ve been craving clean flavors like in sushi or a fruit smoothie. But when I can’t have those….especially in the current situation of our world, I go with what sounds good at the moment which changes day to day which is so frustrating but also has been a Blessing to have leftovers piling up in the freezer. Another few of my go to’s have been foods I enjoyed growing up but don’t sound good to me now at the moment haha. It’s hard too making a meal for our 2 girls and then they see I’m eating something completely different.
Anyways, long rambling that didn’t give much insight but I appreciated reading your post and checking out your recipes!
Stay healthy and safe.
Meghan
I am STRUGGLING to find food I want to eat and in my second trimester, I am now STARVING. I am so so glad I found this!! Baja wraps are on the menu ASAP.
keerthi food
Hi, thanks for sharing this tasty and healthy recipe! Keep sharing in the future!
Stay healthy and stay safe!!
Nick
Ughhh! Sorry you are going through that Meghan! So tough for a food lover. :) Good luck finding something that works!
Lin
I love the combo of General tips and specific recipes! I’m ending the first trimester but my food aversions are sticking around so far. I normally love cooking, so not having my faves has been rough emotionally and practically speaking. I tried the cacio e pepe yesterday and it hit the spot! I’m going to go for the quinoa salad next. This is absolutely the best website I’ve found on this topic, all of the standard stuff (“You might not like chicken, but that’s ok! Eat healthy!”) has been zero help with the ever present problem of “I’m so hungry and I don’t want to eat anything.” Thanks for the great resource!
Cat
This is my first pregnancy, I am 6 weeks along and have been feeling nauseous daily since a very specific day last week – otherwise before that day I could barely even tell I was pregnant. I am not sick but always have this lingering heaviness and nausea – quite annoying! In French we actually describe nausea as “mal de coeur” which literally translate to “pain of the heart” – Doesn’t really make sense, but I certainly have a broken heart from having a broken diet! I constantly feel like I should be eating more to feed my baby, but I just can’t. For me any dairy and chicken are now out of the question, and some things I enjoyed thoroughly three days ago (strawberry banana oatmeal shake) are now making me nauseous just to think about. I will be trying some of your recipes to see if they hit the spot, thank you!
Emily
I’m 7 weeks along and the all day sickness has been bad enough to keep me from work several times. My biggest problem is I’m lactose intolerant and it seems to be worse now that I’m pregnant. So, pizza sounds good, but it also makes me instantly run to the bathroom. Anyone have any good tips for dealing with lactose intolerance while pregnant?
Minenhle
I’m 7 weeks pregnant with my first baby. My morning sickness is not that bad ; mild nausea throughout the day & I throw up (sometimes) in the afternoons. I can’t eat or cook anything fried or greasy ( especially meat). I’m surviving on fruits, boiled/steamed veggies, plain yoghurt, crackers, popcorn, muesli, granola bars & white rice. I’ll definitely try the quinoa salad , I’ve never had it before. Thank you, this was so helpful & reassuring.
Kelly Smith
This is the best food blog I have found yet! I’ve been so limited into what I can eat, mostly reaching for the potatoes and chicken sandwiches. It’s nice to see the recipes listed above as many of them I believe I could tolerate and it’s something a bit more exciting than I’ve been eating for the past few weeks. Thank you for putting this together!
Nick
Of course. Thanks for reading Kelly! :)
G
These meals are so intricate! All I have been able to stomach is plain spaghetti noodles with olive oil, and sautéed/baked veggies. Oh, and tropical smoothie blueberry and banana smoothie. (Literally only blueberry + banana, custom order, lol.) I am eating this every day. I asked SO last night, “do you even remember what foods I used to eat?”…
Dani
Loved this post, I can relate so much. Going through my first pregnancy and had no idea that morning sickness was this constant all-day drag of completely changed appetites (or more specifically aversions)! Every Betsy aversion you’ve mentioned rings true for me which makes me feel less alone with it, but sadly for me in this instance, I’m vegan so the recipe inspo isn’t working too well, but I’ll keep looking for bland, crunchy dishes! Thanks for sharing ☺️
Nick
Hi Dani! That’s tough. Good luck on finding some things. Might check out my vegetarian section for inspiration! https://www.crunchtimekitchen.com/preference/vegetarian/
Good luck!
S
I am almost in tears reading this. It is so amazing to see this level of understanding and compassion for pregnancy sickness. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle any of these recipes just yet (have been surviving on plain white toast and rice for 3 months), but I’m just so grateful for the depth of your compassion — as I’m sure your wife is too.
Nick
Good luck! It was fun getting your comment and revisiting this post. Now our kiddos are 7 and 5 and this was a blast from the past. :) You’ll make it! It’s crazy how short these phases are in the grand scheme although I know in the moment it seems like it’s dragging on forever. Hang in there! :)
Hairstyles
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