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Learn what to eat in your first trimester, including key nutrients, healthy pregnancy meals and recipe ideas to support you and your growing baby.
The first trimester can be a tricky time for food intake, with morning sickness stealing your appetite, or making you graze continually to stave off nausea. Unfortunately, this is also an important time to eat well, since creating new life really saps your resources. While we have a separate article about managing morning sickness , in this article we’re going to recap the vital nutrients you need, what to eat in your first trimester , share some recipe ideas, and briefly run through some healthy meals for pregnancy.
There are some nutrients that are especially important for the development of your baby, particularly in these first 3 months when most of the critical development is going on. Here are some foods to eat in your first trimester.
Folic acid is present in a wide variety of foods, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, beans, eggs and more. You might also see it in fortified cereals. However, folic acid is water-soluble, meaning it dissolves easily in water, so can be lost during cooking. If you’re not already, the NHS recommends you take a folic acid supplement (400 mcg per day) for the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy.
Eat lean red meat, green leafy vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, dried fruit, beans and pulses to make sure you’re getting your iron intake. During pregnancy, your body needs extra iron to ensure your baby has a sufficient blood supply and receives the necessary oxygen and nutrients. Most people can get the iron they need from their food, so iron supplements are not routinely recommended to all pregnant women – though if you think you’re experiencing signs of anaemia, talk to your midwife. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from the plant sources in your diet, so, have a glass of fruit juice with dinner to make sure you’re getting the most from your nutritious meal.
Did you know? Tannins in tea and coffee can decrease the amount of iron your body absorbs, so try not to drink these with or around mealtimes.
Dairy foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, plus – again! – those green leafy vegetables are important sources of calcium, which aids the growth and development of your baby’s bones. Although the need for additional calcium is highest in the third trimester, try to include a variety of lower fat and lower sugar dairy foods in your diet in the first trimester if you can.
Even though there are certain types of fish that should be avoided or limited during pregnancy, oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, provide an important source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for the development of your baby’s brain and eyes. Try to eat one or two portions of oily fish per week. Flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts also contain omega 3 so if you don’t eat fish, you don’t have to miss out.
As a reminder, the guidance on fish during pregnancy is to:
Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, which are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
The main source of vitamin D is from the summer sunlight on our skin, which our bodies use to create vitamin D. However, during the winter months, the sun isn’t strong enough for the body to make vitamin D, and as it is only found in a few foods – such as oily fish and eggs – all adults and children over 4 years old are recommended to take 10 mcg of vitamin D daily through the winter months and all year round for those with little or no exposure to the sun.
A daily dose of 10 mcg of vitamin D is strongly recommended during pregnancy in autumn and winter, and also advised during spring and summer.
Avoid supplements containing vitamin A, liver (including pate) and liver products like fish liver oil. This is because although Vitamin A is important for good health and for the healthy development of your baby, large amounts can harm your unborn baby.
These early months set the foundation for your baby’s development. By the end of the first month of your pregnancy, all major systems and organs have begun to form, including the neural tube, digestive system, heart and circulatory system. By eight weeks, the embryo looks human, with arms and legs and even tooth buds. By the end of the first trimester, you have an almost fully formed, albeit tiny, foetus with fingernails and eyelids. This transformation takes a lot of energy on your part and draws on the nutrients you’re consuming.
Some people wake up hungry in their first trimester, while for others it takes a little longer to feel like eating breakfast. Either way, when you are ready to eat, make it something you can look forward to. Healthy breakfasts don’t have to be boring. Porridge oats are wholegrains and high in fibre, while yoghurt with fruit can be a sweet and healthy treat. If toast is more your thing, try it with peanut butter for protein or avocado for healthy fat.
Porridge with fruit
Ingredients for two people:
Preparation
Lunch is a good opportunity to get some nutrition in – especially those all-important leafy greens.
Wholemeal pancakes with savoury filling
Ingredients for two people
Preparation
Top the pancakes with the vegetable filling in the middle, crumble the reduced fat feta over them and fold the pancakes.
Alternatively, eggs are a great source of protein, so any kind of eggs (scrambled, fried, poached) on wholemeal bread makes for a healthy, filling lunch. Add a side of raw spinach to make sure you’re getting plenty of iron and other essential nutrients.
For dinner, enjoy things like paella with chicken or oily fish, or experiment with stir fries and curries to get a mix of nutrients and flavour that sits well with your sensitive first-trimester digestion.
Spanish paella
Ingredients for two people:
Preparation
It’s miserable feeling nauseous, but there are some things you can eat that can help stave off sickness and get you through the day. Ginger and peppermint are both known to help reduce nausea, so try keeping a little stash of ginger biscuits and mints in the cupboard for when you need them. Ginger and lemon tea and peppermint tea are also good options if you’re watching your calorie intake or can’t stomach anything solid. Colder foods like frozen berries or frozen yoghurt can also help when you’re struggling to keep anything down.
If your stomach is particularly sensitive, you might be better off avoiding rich or spicy foods and stick with something blander. A nice jacket potato with plain veg and chicken has plenty of nutrition and takes a lot less effort when you don’t feel like cooking.
Remember, if your morning sickness is so bad that you can’t continue with your normal daily activities, you should talk to your midwife. You may need additional support to manage your symptoms.
The first trimester is a bit of a rollercoaster. First, you find out you’re pregnant, then you might really struggle with morning sickness, but by the end of those first 12 weeks you’re looking forward to your first ultrasound and hopefully beginning to feel much better. Maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet through this first three months is a good goal – and hopefully these recipe ideas will help! – but it’s perfectly normal to have days or even weeks where diet is the furthest thing from your mind and it’s all you can do to stay upright. On these days, make sure you stay hydrated – very important! – and if you succumb to the plate of cheesy chips, don’t beat yourself up. The most important thing is to look after yourself in whichever way feels best.
If you’d like to eat better, but can’t face cooking – share this article with your partner or family and encourage them to look after you, too! After all, your body is doing something amazing, and you deserve all the care and attention you need.
Finally, if you’re worried about your diet, your weight, or sickness during the first trimester, don’t hesitate to talk to your healthcare provider. Your midwife and GP are there to support you.
