As an RD, I have a deep background in health and nutrition science. Learning and reading all about pregnancy nutrition has made my inner RD so happy! I wanted to share some of the foods I’ve been prioritizing now that I’m in my third trimester. Read more about the pregnancy books I’ve been reading in this post.

I’m so proud of where I’m at with my health. I’m in my 30’s, and pregnant, and feeling healthier and stronger than ever. I believe that my nutrient-rich diet and consistent exercise leading up to pregnancy has made my experience so positive and enjoyable. Because of what I’ve seen and read about pregnancy on social media, I was prepared to feel terrible and nauseous the entire time so needless to say I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

Based on what I know and what I’ve learned about pregnancy nutrition, there are 5 major food groups I’m prioritizing. Read more and get all the details below!

Eggs

I eat eggs pretty much every single day for breakfast, lunch, or a high-protein snack. My hyper-fixation meal is 3 fried eggs over sourdough toast with 3 Applegate Chicken & Sage Breakfast Sausages on the side. Eggs are literally natures multi-vitamin and a true superfood, especially during pregnancy. Eggs are rich in choline, DHA (a key Omega-3 fat), folate, B-vitamins, antioxidants and trace minerals.

I always buy organic pasture-raise eggs because they are overall more nutrient dense than conventional eggs, and you can 100% taste the difference.

Animal Protein

Meat and bone broth are super important to pregnancy nutrition. The nutrients from meat are hard to find in other sources, including complete protein, minerals, B-vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, and the most readily absorbed forms of iron and zinc.

Aside from meat, the bones, skin and connective tissues of animals are rich in protein, gelatin, collagen, and more. Enjoying high-quality bone broth is great to get additional calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and other trace minerals into your diet.

I’ve been loving using my crockpot more often to batch prepare slow-cooked meat. Two of my favorite slow-cooker recipes are my viral Crockpot Pot Roast and these Chicken Tinga Tacos. I’ll post more crockpot recipes the closer I get to my due date for ease once baby comes! Even if I don’t make a slow-cooker meal for dinner, I still make an animal-protein centric dinner. And don’t worry – I’m all about convenience and flavor while prioritizing nutrition. I love using organic grass-fed ground beef and Siete taco seasoning for taco bowls or making chicken with my beloved SideDish sauces (code Rachael10 for 10% off). I’m preparing for mom life with the easiest yet still delicious meals!

HIGH-PROTEIN SNACKS I LOVE WHILE PREGNANT:

Fruits & Vegetables

We’ll never stop hearing about the importance of high-quality fruits and vegetables in our diet. But, they become even more important for pregnancy nutrition. Veggies especially are packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that significantly impact your level of health. I prefer buying organically grown produce to minimize pesticide exposure.

Maybe you’ve heard this before – eating a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables ensures a wide range of nutrients. I love getting one serving of fruit in my daily smoothie, with high-quality protein and fat for blood sugar balance. I usually love blueberries, raspberries, peaches, bananas, cherries, etc. And, I have an apple with peanut butter every single day (mostly a personal craving vs pregnancy nutrition)!

I’ll add a few specific examples below:

Leafy greens, for example, are high in folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. Folate is so important for fetal development, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Dark-green colored veggies are a great source of folate!

Sweet potatoes and carrots (dark orange colored veggies) are rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and more. Beta-carotene is essential for fetal growth and development, especially for the baby’s eyes, skin, and bones, as well as immune function.

Bell peppers (I love red bell peppers for a snack!) are loaded with vitamin C, folate, vitamin A and fiber. The nutrients present in bell peppers, especially the high level of vitamin C, are important to collagen formation, immune function, and absorption of iron.

Healthy Fats

Avocado, olive oil, grass-fed butter or ghee, nuts & seeds, wild-caught salmon, cheese – what’s not to love? Healthy fats are so important in pregnancy nutrition, vital for baby’s brain development, eyes, and nervous system. They’re also vital to nutrient absorption: Vitamin A, D, E and K require fat for absorption.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and more are great during pregnancy. The food-based probiotics that are present in fermented foods help maintain healthy gut bacteria which is essential for digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function.