pregnancy protein bowl | 3-ways
now that I’m in my second trimester Ive started to really get my appetite back. food isn’t such a struggle, which I am thankful for, and I am enjoying food again. while I wasn’t terribly nauseous or feeling like I was going to throw up all the time, food just really wasn’t interesting to me AT ALL.
I’ve been focusing on smaller meals that are high in nutrients, fiber, and protein. back a couple, err four years ago when I was pregnant with the twins I started eating this fruit/yogurt bowl that was insanely high in protein and I’ve found myself back into that swing because fruit is my favorite when I’m pregnant. now, I’ve designated these as breakfast + lunch + dinner options, but there has been many times that I’ve eaten the fruit bowl for dinner and the quinoa/hummus bowl for lunch.. or even breakfast! SO, mix and match however your heart + tummy desires:)
these bowls are about 400-500 calories each and range from 25-45 grams of protein per bowl!
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breakfast // 1/4-1/2 cooked whole oats + 1-2 tablespoons almond butter + 2 tablespoons slivered almonds + 2-3 strawberries, sliced, 1 teaspoon chia seeds.
lunch // 5-6oz plain greek yogurt (I use FAGE 0%) + 1/2 or 1 full scoop protein powder (about 25 g protein) + 1 apple + 3-4 strawberries + 1/2 cup grapes + 1/2 banana, sliced
dinner // 1/2 cup cooked plain quinoa + 1/4 cup hummus (I love white bean hummus) + baby kale + 4-8 chicken sausage meatballs
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a couple tips for making these bowls..
lunch // I typically use one of the single serving cups of greek yogurt, which ends up being a little less than 6 whole ounces. as far as protein powder goes- I love the isopure zero carb. since I’m adding so much fruit (carbs) to my bowl I don’t need the extra I get from some protein powder- so look for one thats lower in carbohydrates. the isopure vanilla is delicious and so is the strawberry! either would work in this bowl. I picked up some optimum gold standard whey from Costco because it was on super sale and have been using that and love it, too. none of these people know who I am, but after lots of tasting of protein powder these are the ones I love the most!
dinner // if you can find the single serve pouches of quinoa in the frozen food section of your grocery- thats your best bet for making this a quick and easy meal. you can also make a large serving of quinoa on the stove top ahead of time and keep it in the fridge when you need it! you can use any hummus you love- I really love white bean hummus (they have no idea who I am either..) because it has less tahini flavor than most hummus I have had. I found this chicken sausage at Costco last weekend, and I’m so thankful! before now I’ve been making this bowl with Baker’s chicken meatballs, so finally I can stop dipping into her (rather expensive) meatball stash. lastly, stir in the baby kale when you are cooking the quinoa OR right after its come out of the microwave while its still hot. the kale will wilt down an make it softer and easier to eat and blend in with this bowl.
what are your go-to fixes for getting in protein and energy while pregnant? I would love to hear!!
for more info like this.. check out my pregnancy food journal HERE.
October 25, 2016
You should look for the Quinoa kale pre cooked packs at Costco. They are amazing! 4 min in the microwave and you've got enough for at least three meals. They are usually over by the frozen fruit and to.die.for.
I love your food posts! They are so quick, easy and bursting with nutrition. As a mama I often have 5 minutes to throw something together. I want it packed full of energy and nutrient dense and to keep me full. But processed stuff is a nono for me because of a dairy allergy and cost. So I've had a hard time finding good options. Thanks again.
Can you move to McKinney and cook for me? I'll pay in signs 😉
Yum to all three!