eating for two

My sister sent me a book titled, "The Pregnancy Survival Cookbook" and the very first recipe is simply toasted egg bread (or challah) with butter. I cracked up, because all a nauseous pregnant woman wants is bread or crackers!

I thought I'd share with you what I've been eating at home. Since two of my jobs are outside the home (substitute teaching and nannying), I try to buy or make items that can be easily packed for lunch. Nothing I list here is genius, but maybe it will inspire you anyway.

A few things to keep in mind: For your first trimester you can follow the rule that any calorie is a good calorie. Once you feel better, though, you definitely need to start thinking about eating well both for your sake and the baby's sake! (This advice came straight from my doctor.) Also, don't be shy about asking a family member or a close friend to bring you dinner one night. Before I got pregnant I had visions of myself doing p90x with a baby bump while veggies roasted in the oven. Bahahaha. I'm not quite there yet! :) I have been making a point to take more walks and eat more fruit, though. Gotta start somewhere.

Oatmeal

I buy both plain instant oatmeal and low-sugar variety pack instant oatmeal. I love adding my own mix-ins to oatmeal when I have the time (like fresh chopped strawberries and shredded coconut). I keep meaning to try a baked oatmeal dish from Budget Bytes.

Mini bagel with cream cheese

I loved bagels pre-pregnancy, but they became a MUST during my first trimester. I was eating them every day for weeks! I recommend buying mini-bagels for two reasons: 1, they have half the calories, carbs and sugar as regular bagels (don't forget that butter or cream cheese is going to add calories and fat) and 2: it's recommended that pregnant women eat several small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals. I love butter, but I was obsessed with cream cheese during my first trimester. Enjoy eating lots of dairy while you're pregnant!

Homemade muffins or breakfast bread

You might not feel up to making ANYTHING during your first trimester. I know I didn't! But the first day that I had a break from what I like to call the pukies, I was in the kitchen whipping up a batch of pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips and walnuts. (These banana muffins are great, too.) Then I made strawberry bread. This recipe is similar to the one I used, except I used half whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce instead of oil and a mix of honey and sugar. 

BBQ sliders

This pulled pork recipe is SO easy and I promise you'll only be in the kitchen for a few minutes. I made it for Superbowl but used the leftovers for my school lunches. I loosely wrapped each slider in plastic wrap and then microwaved them for about 20 seconds. 

Tuna or chicken salad 

I couldn't stomach chicken salad during my first trimester, but tuna was yummy. I had a really hard time making it (several runs to the bathroom were involved), though! I like to eat tuna plain or in a tuna melt, but my latest favorite way is to toss plain canned tuna with pasta salad.

Pasta salad

See what I did there? Andy made Suddenly Salad on a whim one night and I was delighted to discover that it didn't upset my stomach. I eat it plain or with tuna, but you can also add olives, cheese, beans, etc. You can also buy pre-made pasta salad at the deli counter. If you're up for it, try my summer orzo salad.

Snack plate

This is my most common lunch. I pick two or three of my favorite snacks and arrange them on my wooden serving plate so that I feel picnic-y and fancy.

Grilled cheese with tomato soup

This one is a no-brainer. Serve with some apple slices or a quick salad. I buy Pepperidge Farm's 45 calorie per slice bread.

More soup! 

Andy told me he would happily eat chili every day for the rest of my pregnancy. Our favorite is turkey taco chili, but it's not the healthiest soup in the book. I'm planning to make turkey sausage and veggie soup some time this week. 

Chicken burritos

I can't rave about these enough. These were also perfect for wrapping up and taking to school for lunch. I've been craving beans and cheese throughout my pregnancy so far, and this is another way (other than chili) to get a filling, protein-packed meal. I tweak this recipe quite a bit, so read my notes if you want your meal to come out the way mine does.

Eggplant parmesan with turkey bolognese

You're probably tired of my constant references to this recipe. Have you tried making it yet? It's a quick dinner and it's got great nutrition for the baby.

Loaded potatoes

This is an especially great meal for when you're in your first trimester, because you can make it meat-free and it hardly takes any time (or dishes) to make. It's such a simple meal, but we get really excited about it — especially if we have green onions on hand! I'm currently obsessed with sweet potatoes, and sometimes I'll save half to wrap up for the next day's lunch.

Banana with a peanut butter sandwich

For some reason I prefer to alternate munching on the banana and sandwich, as opposed to putting the banana inside the sandwich.

Sliced apple and cheese

Can't. get. enough.

Pretzels, pita chips, sweet potato chips, popcorn or chips and salsa

Special K Chocolate and Strawberry cereal

Breakfast bars (Andy recently brought home DOZENS of new products from Kellogg's, and I'm obsessed.)

Cottage cheese with fruit

(disclaimer: sometimes lunch is Wendy's. sometimes dinner is Pizza Hut. sometimes my snack is a brownie. I aim for moderation, not perfection.)