Foods to Eat During the First Trimester of Pregnancy
Although many women in the first trimester of pregnancy want to eat as healthy as possible, morning sickness can make it difficult to keep those healthy foods in their stomachs long enough to be digested.
Although many women in the first trimester of pregnancy want to eat as healthy as possible, morning sickness can make it difficult to keep those healthy foods in their stomachs long enough to be digested. Luckily, with a little research and some trial and error, many women can find foods that are both healthy and stomach-friendly.
Foods with Folate
Folate is a B vitamin that can help prevent birth defects and therefore women in the first trimester of pregnancy should be encouraged to try to find a food containing folate that won't trigger their morning sickness. Foods that contain good amounts of folate include cereal, spinach, beans, peanuts, oranges and asparagus.
Foods with Calcium
Eat foods with calcium during pregnancy to ensure you and your baby have strong bones and teeth. Foods containing good amounts of calcium include yogurt, milk, juice, salmon, spinach and cereal. However, if those choices do not seem to agree with your stomach, consider frozen yogurt, ice cream or fruit smoothies. These typically also contain a good amount of calcium and may be a bit more stomach-friendly.
Foods with Protein
Although eating foods with protein are more important in the second and third trimesters, getting enough protein during the first trimester can still be beneficial. Foods that have a good amount of protein include fish, meat, nuts, poultry, milk, peanut butter and eggs. Try different ways of preparing these foods to see which options seem to go easier on your stomach. For example, fried eggs may trigger your morning sickness, but you may find scrambled eggs tolerable.
Stomach-Friendly Foods
Don't worry if your main priority is just finding stomach-friendly foods, says Dr. Majorie Greenfield, an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Case School of Medicine and University Hospitals in Cleveland and contributor to DrSpock.com. Sometimes, the most important thing during the first trimester is just getting the food to stay in your stomach. If you are suffering from morning sickness, foods like applesauce, ginger, grapes, bagels, frozen yogurt, avocado, lemons, mints, oatmeal, potato chips, pudding, rice cakes, potatoes, crackers, sorbet, sherbet, smoothies and tea can all be calming to the stomach and still contain vitamins and minerals you need, according to AskDrSears.com.