First of all congrats! Pregnancy must be one of the most exciting times of our lives. It is special time and you won’t be experiencing it that often in life so enjoy it while you can! I believe nutrition plays a very big part in pregnancy so that you will feel good and have energy to function. Diet also has a big effect on your baby! We know how badly drugs and alcohol can affect children while they are still in the womb so we also know eating well will have a positive effect. Many don’t really think babies will become addicted to sugar like they become addicted to drugs but this can actually happen as well. This is why it is good to eat a healthy balanced diet during your pregnancy and enjoy natural sugars that occur in fruits for example. Cooking your own meals is also a good way to make sure your food doesn’t include any added sugars like the processed foods you often buy from stores. Sugar addiction on a child can cause behaviour problems. 

So what is a well balanced diet? What not to eat? How many calories you need to eat during pregnancy? We will be going through all that through this meal plan and more!

These 3 meal plans are created for one day. I realize no one eats the same stuff every day but I hope this will help you get started and get the bigger picture. You can create your own meals according to what you like. Check out the good and bad foods list from the end of this post to know what your diet should consist of and what to avoid.

Since your baby get nutrients from you it is good to add some extra nutrients into your diet than normally. This diet includes some extra omega-3, magnesium and vitamin D, protein, 1000 mg calcium, 400-600 micrograms folate, 220 micrograms iodine, 2.6 micrograms B 12 and 27mg iron.

CALORIES

Many women will take it easy and just eat when they are hungry but that can become an issue if you’re hungry all the time. It is very common to gain some extra kilos during pregnancy but if you want less pregnancy scars and less dieting after labor it is good to make sure not to gain extra weight. So how many calories is the recommended during pregnancy? You’ll need approximately 300 extra calories daily to maintain a healthy pregnancy. You can also follow this calorie plan:

1st Trimester 1 900 calories a day
2nd Trimester 2 000 calories a day
3rd Trimester 2 100 calories a day
(Normally need 1800cal to maintain weight)

Anyhow we are all different and some need less. Add an extra 100 into your maintenance each trimester. Remember you’ll burn about twice as many calories during pregnancy than normally!

1ST TRIMESTER MEAL PLAN

This plan is 1806 calories a day which is by the way my normal daily calorie intake to maintain weight.

This Meal plan includes 3.5g omega-3, 508mg magnesium, 653 IU  vitamin D, 103g protein, 1054mg calcium, 867 micrograms folate, 7.5 micrograms B 12 and 20mg iron. Feel free to have an iron supplement to reach 27mg.

Snacks

We start with an important part of the diet which includes seaweed. 15 g Ceres organics roasted seaweed snacks (3 packs of 5g each) gives you 255 micrograms of iodine so it’s very important if you want your iodine from a natural source. 
Other snacks include 2 small apples, 2 cups fresh coconut water, 4 small fresh figs, 2 tbsp walnuts, 28g fresh blueberries and 28g avocado.

Breakfast

Make a nice egg omelet by whisking 3 eggs and adding a medium tomato, 28g chopped leek and 14g mushrooms. After you have cooked your eggs well put 2 Tbsp of grated cheddar cheese in between the egg omelet.

Lunch

For lunch you can enjoy 80grams of lean grass-fed steak. use a tsp of olive oil when cooking your steak. In the side have 1 cup of broccoli cooked from fresh, 105g of peas, 200g cooked potato.

Dinner

For dinner prepare 105g of peas, 56g jasmine rice, 2 cups broccoli, 1 can wild caught salmon 92g, Spread 1 Tbsp of tahini on top as the sauce.

2ND TRIMESTER MEAL PLAN

This plan is for 2190 calories. 

This Meal plan includes 2.0g omega-3, 687mg magnesium, 610 IU  vitamin D, 110g protein, 1021mg calcium, 995 micrograms folate, 5.4 micrograms B 12 and 18.6mg iron. Remember to have iron supplement to reach 27mg.

Snacks

Remember your seaweed snack! 15g roasted seaweed or iodine supplement. Enjoy also 4 medium oranges, 8 almonds, 1 medium pear, 1 cup pomegranate juice. 

Breakfast

For breakfast make scrambled eggs from 1 tbsp milk and 1 medium egg. Add a dash of pepper and salt. 

Lunch 

Season 100g of chicken fillets with 1 tsp of each cumin, allspice, paprika, dried coriander, and 1/4 tsp salt as well as dash of black pepper. Cook 97g broccoli and 84g peas and add a salad of 1 small tomato,1 medium cucumber and 1 cup of lettuce to the side.

To make a chocolate treat put into your food processor 1 avocado, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 60g milk.

Dinner

For dinner create bell pepper boats. Cut 2 red bell peppers in half an fill them with the creamy mixture of 1 tbsp lemon, 84g sunflower seeds, 10g fresh coriander and basil and 1/4 to 3/4 cup of water depending on the consistency you want. On top add 74g diced red bell pepper, 1/4 red onion and a can of wild caught salmon 92g. On top sprinkle 1 tsp of paprika.

3RD TRIMESTER MEAL PLAN

This plan is 2405 calories a day which is the max amount of calories you might need. 

This Meal plan includes 2.8g omega-3, 498mg magnesium, 364 IU vitamin D (take a supplement!) , 108g protein, 1055mg calcium, 809 micrograms folate, 7.2 micrograms B 12 and 21mg iron. You might want to have an iron supplement to reach the 27mg.

Snacks

84g Avocado(1 avocado), 2 medium bananas, 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, 3 almonds, 2 apricots, 1 mango and 1 small apple and 3 packs of roasted seaweed 15g all together.

Breakfast

Have 4 eggs cooked on a pan with 1 tsp olive oil. This will help you stay full for longer. 

Lunch

Make risotto out of 170gmince, 84g jasmine rice, 80g peas, 1 tsp olive oil. Add some salt and pepper for taste. Enjoy this with a nice salad on the side: 1 small tomato, 1 cup lettuce, 1 large cucumber.

Dinner

For dinner enjoy some summer soup. Add 1 cup of cut cauliflower pieces, e medium spring onion stalks, dash white pepper and 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tbsp dill, 1 medium potato, 412g milk, 1 cup fresh coriander, 1 cup cut pieces of green beans, 80g peas, 1 cup leeks, 1 medium carrot. Boil potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and leeks in water before adding milk and rest of the ingredients. This is because it takes longer for them to cook.

GOOD AND BAD FOODS

Lets start with the nutritious foods that should be part of your diet during pregnancy. 

Dairy
Legumes
Fresh cooked (heated 75 C) or canned salmon as the source of omega-3 and vitamin D.
Eggs. Nutritious source of choline.
Broccoli
Lean meat and chicken for iron etc.
Berries full of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber.
Veggies and fruits in general are great source of fiber and vitamins.
Avocados
About 2.3 liter water

On the contrary you should avoid:

High mercury fish (tuna, shark, marlin etc.)
Sushi. Because it usually includes raw or undercooked fish. 
Processed meats
Raw eggs
Grapes specially black ones become non-digestible with weakened digestive system of pregnant women.
Organ meat/ liver. Consuming too much preformed vitamin A can lead to miscarriage.
Caffeine. This can cause infant death or higher risk of chronic diseases in adulthood.
Raw sprouts since they can easily grow bacteria in the humid environment.
Unwashed or unpeeled vegetables and fruits because of parasites. Overall try picking organic products that haven’t been sprayed with toxins.
Alcohol
Energy drinks
Junk food
Unripe Papaya may cause contractions leading to early labor. 
Pineapple. Bromelain can make uterine muscle smooth and lead to miscarriage.
Peaches in high amounts can produce heat in the body and lead to miscarriage.
Watermelons flush toxins out of your body which during pregnancy will expose your baby to them.
Smoked seafood
Pre-cooked prawns
Drumstick. One of the most dangerous foods that can cause miscarriages.
Aloe Vera
Sprouted potatoes
Rosemary
Licorice
Oregano
Balsamic vinegar
sesame seeds.

Miscarriages are more common during the first trimester so you want to be extra careful during that time.