Sometimes a nice, tart, fruity smoothie is the only thing that sounds good when you are pregnant (or am I speaking only for me???). The problem is you still might not get everything you need nutrient-wise for your growing baby. Here are a few hacks to get the extra vitamins/minerals and protein you need, without compromising on taste for your crazy sensitive taste buds.
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Coconut Milk Ice Cubes
If milk isn’t doing your body good because you can’t choke it down, try this. Use water as your main liquid in your smoothie/shake, and then instead of ice cubes to make it frothy, add a few frozen coconut milk cubes instead. Freeze them and then throw them in a ziplock in your freezer to make it easier next time you pull out the blender. Coconut milk is FULL of healthy nutrients, like calcium and fats that you desperately need while growing another human.
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Crushed Flax or Chia Seeds
Like peanut butter needs jelly to make a delicious sandwich, you need Omegas to help make a healthy baby. But often you can’t stomach the smell, let alone the taste of fish oil. We get it – it’s awful! So try crushed flax seeds in your smoothie/shake. They will blend into your drink so smoothly you will hardly notice, and you will get those Omega 3’s you need without the nasty aftertaste and/or burps throughout the day. It’s a great alternative.
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Pregnancy-safe Protein Powder
You are technically supposed to get 75-95 grams of protein every single day during pregnancy (you need more if you are having more than one baby!). Even if you are a major carnivore, it’s hard to get that much when you are pregnant. So try a pregnancy safe protein powder! If you aren’t sure about the safety, check the label. There will be a warning sign specifically for pregnant/nursing women. Or you can just try Mommi Prenatal Protein Powder! It was designed for pregnant women so it’s full of good nutrition that won’t harm you or baby while you are growing together.
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Oats Oats and more Oats!
Carb is no longer a 4-letter word when you are pregnant! It’s time to rejoice but only if you are getting the right kind of carbs and not shoveling white toast and mashed potatoes down your throat all day (but no judgment if you are – that’s what I did when I was sick and pregnant and I had 75 pounds of weight gain to show for it). Eat better carbs to improve energy, help fill your belly, add an amazing full flavor to smoothies/shakes, and wait for it… boost milk supply if you are breastfeeding! Seriously oats do WONDERS for your breastmilk supply. If you are like me you aren’t high on oatmeal or warm food while you are pregnant and not feeling great. But adding them to a smoothie is a great way to go. We have a ton of recipes on our Instagram @mommihealth.
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Drink a Rainbow
I could not keep down green smoothies while I was pregnant. No matter how hard I tried to eat like a beautiful vegan goddess, my body (or baby, who knows) rejected it EVERY TIME. However, I found that when I added a frozen banana to my smoothie/shake alongside spinach and kale, I was good to go! The tangy creaminess of the ripe and frozen banana covered up the taste of the greens but I still got all the benefits. So think about adding all the colors to your shake if you can’t keep down the pure green goodness. And if you can drink the green while expecting, then more power to you!
Do you have smoothie hacks of your own? We want to know what they are! Let us know how these work for you as well – we’d love to hear from you and make more suggestions to our pregnant/breastfeeding friends out there. Afterall, it takes a village! Happy smoothie-making mamas!
