7 Steps to Pregnancy Meal Planning (Using Pinterest)

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Trying to figure out how to eat healthier while pregnant? Having a meal plan can help you ensure that you are eating well and daily getting the best nutrients to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.  This post is going to walk you through setting up an easy pregnancy meal planning system for nourishing your pregnant body so that you can have a healthy pregnancy!

This easy meal planning system can make it easier for you to get healthy meals on the table (and in your belly).

It’s all based on nourishing your body with superfoods. And on the premise that what you put in your body matters and will effect your pregnancy experience.

Let’s face it – most of know what we should be eating during pregnancy. We just don’t know how to go from our ideal (in our heads and hearts) to our reality.

A reality where:

Because if you want to have a healthy pregnancy, it’s important to look at the whole picture of how your ideals go with your habits and actions.

Perhaps you know that eating a diet rich in healthy fats is good for you and the baby’s development, but you still need to take the action of actually buying the coconut oil, and then eating it. Not just once, but daily. Like every time you cook on the stove, or add it to your morning smoothie, or by the spoonful when you are preparing lunch.

It’s not enough to just know what makes up a healthy pregnancy diet and have lots of pretty Pinterest boards filled with recipes you are never going to make.

You need doable pregnancy recipes.

And you need a flexible plan in conjunction with that to help you make it happen.

Does that sound like a reality you’d like to see?

Let’s dive in!

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Pregnancy Meal Planning System

It starts with a plan and an ideal. Ideally, you’d like to eat 3 meals a day and have 2-3 snacks mixed in. (You are growing a baby so this is totally reasonable!)

You want those meals to be made up of superfoods and adhear to the basic principles of nourishing your pregnant body.

The goal is to load as many nutrient dense superfoods in as possible each time you eat.

No worries, I’ve made a list for you of all the best superfoods to eat during pregnancy and postpartum. (Yes, I went through like 50 lists on Google and Pinterest and combined them all into one super cute checklist you can hang on your fridge or save to your phone.)

Step #1 (after you download your list!)

Collect recipes that include superfoods that you like to eat. Choose recipes that include 3 or more superfoods so that you are totally rocking it.

Aim to collect:

Why this many recipes? By repeating a few of your favorite recipes for breakfast and lunch, it makes meal prep easier, saves time and brain power. This also gives space to have a night out or eat up any leftovers.

Need recipe ideas? Head over to my Pinterest board – Superfood Recipes for Pregnancy for a good place to get started! Remember you need options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. The recipes on this Board are real food based and gluten free. There are also lots of whole 30, paleo and vegan recipes.

Another important thing to keep in mind when picking recipes, is how much time you will have to prepare meals. If evenings are super busy for you and you are always exhausted, choose easy 15-minute and 20-minute meals. Or better yet, slow cooker meals or freezer meals that you can make ahead of time.

You will be more likely to follow and stick to a meal plan that works with your life, routine and cooking ability.

Step #2

Make a Pinterest Board with just the recipes you plan to make and include in your meal plan. That way you don’t get distracted by the other pretty pictures. All your recipes will be in one place and ready for the next step.

 

Easy healthy pregnancy meal planing with Pinterest.

 

Step #3

Make a grocery list of all the items you need to make your healthy pregnancy meals. Pinterest makes this easy by displaying the ingredient list on the pin. This saves time by not needing to click through to each recipe!

Go through each recipe and write exactly what is needed on 1 piece of paper or Google doc, or note (etc). If it is a pantry item that you already have, you can leave it off. But other than that, write it all on the list.

Step #4

Put the meals you plan to eat on a meal planning chart or calendar for the week. If you like more flexibility, just work from your meal planning board and move to the next step.

Step #5

Place an  Amazon Prime Order and figure out a day when you can grocery shop for the fresh and local items. Grocery shop at a time when you are not rushed and not hungry. And when you will have a little time after to prep the meats and veggies.


Step #6

Prep the meats and chop the vegetables ahead of time to save time later in the week. You can read more about strategies for doing this in my post 21 Time Saving Kitchen Tips for Pregnant and Busy Moms.

Step #7

Throughout the week work from your plan. Each morning and evening look at your plan and determine what needs to be defrosted or prepared for the next meal.  Take notes about what works and what doesn’t. Then adjust the following week.

Follow through with your good intentions. Make meal planning a priority and take actions to make it happen so that you can have a healthy pregnancy.

Have questions? Want support for a healthy, joyful pregnancy and a positive birth experience? Come join the Birth Eat Love Group on Facebook and connect with our wonderful community of moms.

Make sure to download your Ultimate Superfood List below to get started planning healthy pregnancy meals today. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, leave a comment below and let me know, or share the post on your favorite social media channel. Follow Birth Eat Love on Facebook and Pinterest for more tips on natural pregnancy, self care and superfood meal planning.

Pregnancy Cookbook

Are you struggling with what to eat during pregnancy? Want a done for you solution?

Are you ready to plan healthy pregnancy meals? What’s on your meal plan?

Disclaimer: All opinions are those of the author based on personal research and first hand experience. Please do your own research and consult your care provider when making decisions regarding your pregnancy. 

More on Healthy Eating during Pregnancy

Top Real Food Pregnancy Diet Questions Answered

15 Healthy Pregnancy Drinks (that are yummy and actually good for you)

15 Date Fruit Recipes for Pregnancy

7 Reason to Love Real Food for Pregnancy (Book Review)

 

Nourishing Your Pregnant Body

Throughout this Nourishing Your Pregnant Body Series, I’ve been sharing some of my best tips for eating during pregnancy. Read the about the basic principles of nourishing yourself during pregnancy here.

Nourishing Your Pregnant Body Series - Your guide to discovering how to eat during pregnancy

Wondering what to eat during pregnancy?

Get your ULTIMATE Superfood List - a one-page printable list with 50+ of the BEST foods to eat for a healthy pregnancy!

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