How to Feed Your Family in the First Trimester of Pregnancy

The initial pregnancy excitement soon wears off as the nausea sets in during the first trimester. If you already have young children to care for, this can be an especially difficult time. The last thing you want to do is look at food, much less prepare it. Here are some tips to get meals on the table in the first trimester when the queasiness seems to be constant.

Plan Ahead

Meal planning becomes especially important during the first trimester of pregnancy when you have children to feed. Make a weekly or monthly calendar and fill in meal ideas for each day. Buy all the groceries you will need for each meal ahead of time. If are not up for grocery shopping, send your husband to the store with a detailed list.

Keep it Simple

Keep the focus on simple and nutritious meals. This is not the time to cook gourmet dinners or to experiment with new recipes. Make easy to prepare meals, like grilled cheese and soup. This is the time to let your standards slide a little. Trade the homemade macaroni and cheese for boxed. Substitute real mashed potatoes for instant. The goal is to keep preparation time to a minimum.

Keep it Healthy

While you can let food preparation standards slide, you don't want to let health take a backseat. If you buy boxed macaroni and cheese, get the best kind you can afford that has no artificial colors or flavors. Annie's Mac and Cheese is a quick, healthy alternative to homemade. Continue to serve vegetables with meals, even if you don't feel like eating them yourself. If there is one vegetable that you can stomach, serve it often, so you and the growing baby get your nutrition as well.

Take Advantage of the Good Times

If you have a time of day where the nausea subsides, plan on doing the cooking then. This may mean dusting off the crock pot and preparing dinner first thing in the morning. Or if some days are better than others, be ready to prepare several days worth of meals at once. Stock your freezer with ready to heat meals that can be pulled out on the days when you feel the worst.

Repetition is Okay

Sometimes, during the first trimester, the pregnant mother may have only a few foods that she can stomach. It is okay if you serve these same foods over and over again. Before you know it, the first trimester will be behind you, the nausea will be gone and you will be able to eat and prepare most foods again.

The first trimester of pregnancy can be difficult. Nausea can make it nearly impossible to prepare healthy, nutritious meals for the rest of your family. Do as much preparation ahead of time as possible, keep meals simple and nutritious and soon the first trimester will be behind you.