Anyone else finding it hard to eat healthy?

MithK · January 2017

Hi all! I'm 18wks along now and I'm finding it incredibly hard to eat healthy! I wasn't the best with fruits and vegetables before I got pregnant, so I've been finding it incredibly hard to get myself into the habit of adding them to my diet now. I've been trying to eat some fruits at least twice a week and I haven't really been making a conscious effort to eat vegetables either....if it's there in front of me, then I do eat it, otherwise I don't really bother. I'm still getting over the excitement of not having morning sickness anymore and being able to actually enjoy food....though its been about 5 wks now since tht happened and I'm not sure whether it's time to start eating for the baby. It's making me feel like such a terrible mother! Anyone else having these problems?

Stankonia2014 · January 2017

Seriously don't be so hard or rigid on yourself. If you manage to get some fruits and veggies in your diet that's great, if not, oh well, it's really not that serious.

I have gestational diabetes, so fruits are somewhat off limits because of the sugar, my children still came out beautiful and smart.

LMMama · January 2017

I find it difficult in the sense that I've been eating out a lot more. I just had all of last week off and didn't go grocery shopping once. We have been living off of leftover Christmas foods and going out. I feel like I just have so much going on and cooking well has really fallen low on my list,

I am going to suck it up and go shopping today but to try and remain semi healthy regularly I always keep a ton of clementines and apples on hand because they are easy to grab. I also am always stocked on frozen vegetables. I always add a side of spinach or broccoli to most meals because it takes 2 mins to heat up. But my French fry intake has been off the charts.

Xath · January 2017

I don't know what you're talking about.

(In the process of eating a bag of cookies as I read this thread.) But with milk....milk is healthy?

wifeinraleigh28 · January 2017

I'm finding it so hard too and I'm constantly feeling guilty! I know I'm getting plenty of protein and calcium in my diet, but I've been having a serious aversion to vegetables this entire pregnancy so far. I know I could probably make myself eat them, but it's hard.

doodleoodle · January 2017

It's challenging for me as well. The only way I can trick myself into enjoying veggies is making a fruit smoothie and adding kale. You could also try making baked kale chips with olive oil and sea salt. They're seriously addictive so I try not to make them that often because they end up being all I eat that day, which isn't good either.

meg2704 · January 2017

My stomach tends to do better these days if I make sure I have carbs, protein, and some sort of fat with my meals. So Saturday morning I thought I had the perfect breakfast picked out, avocado toast and scrambled eggs. Almost as soon as I finished eating I was in the bathroom throwing it up! For lunch I had a chicken quesadilla and felt great.

Conclusion - my baby and my body don't want the healthy fat. I'll eat what I can keep down. I'm sure we're all doing the best we can!

kat0607 · January 2017

**lurking**

Ive found that smoothies make it really easy to get my fruits and veggies in for the day, when I'm craving mostly junk food. Spinach or kale, some frozen fruit, milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond or coconut) makes for a really filling, and healthy breakfast/lunch/snack! I also found smoothies easier to stomach when I was nauseous, although you may be past that phase if you're 18w now.

virginiaunicorn11 · January 2017

OP, I think it is great that you are aware of your food choices and are making an effort to do what you can. Keep at it, mama! Maybe a yummy berry or banana smoothie, even if made with chocolate milk or other sweetener, could be helpful?

For me personally, a balanced diet that includes daily fruits and vegetables is so important. I eat too many potato chips and certainly my kid gets too many crackers. But I think we should be encouraging each other to do better with our pre-natal nutrition, not letting each other off the hook. So here's my tough love, emphasis on love. It's great to see everyone say they're really trying hard to do better - that's all we can ask of ourselves, really.

michaela0704 · January 2017

I'm not a new years resolution person but now that my nausea is getting better... it was pretty much gone around 19/20w with my last pregnancy... I have decided I have about 5 months to get my butt in gear and making my next 'starting point' the best it can be... so I'm going to be dialing in my diet in addition to maintaining my walks and yoga 2x per week.

I found a few dairy free/broth based soups that are balanced with protein, vegetables, and carbs. They are easy to just eat however much I want so that is my new approach... this way I'm getting lots of veggies without feeling like a rabbit.

danij0 · January 2017

I'm doing a fine job getting all the healthy stuff required but in addition I'm eating a bunch of junk.. so really just getting extra calories of unhealthy stuff I don't need. I'm luckily not up too much weight yet and continue to stay active but I'm worried I will gain too quickly from all the junk food.

Here's what I do to make sure I get extra healthy stuff.. I have a green smoothie (milk, flax seed, frozen banana, spinach and peanut butter) every morning and I pack my work lunch to avoid unhealthy options. Since its the only food I get to eat during the day I make sure to bring a veggie and a fruit as snacks and then I'll have to eat it because I'm always hungry. Always a veggie at dinner. I also have a protein shake everyday to get extra protein for baby.

edit: words.

Mtnmommy · January 2017

It's so hard. I struggled with this during my last pregnancy too. I'm going to try substituting veggies in place of starches, and include veggies where I can with foods I enjoy so I don't notice them as much. But I think doing what you can, and not beating yourself up is key. Then eating better feels that much more difficult.

mkrel · January 2017

I'm loving the smoothie idea... we have had family in town for the past two weeks and have eaten out almost every day. I REALLY need to start on a more balanced diet now that everyone has left.

sevenn · January 2017

I'm with ya. I'm also finding it hard to be (I'll admit it- emotionally) satisfied after eating nearly anything except the greasiest, most abundant of bad choices. I'm starting out with a normal BMI but I already have gained more weight that I should.

I think i need to try smoothies. Can anyone share their favorite recipe books or websites? Keeping it whole food (would rather stay away from packets/powders unless it makes a big difference)

neludelu · January 2017

I've been on a fruit kick lately. The only kicker is that it has to be dipped in chocolate. Yesterday I ate a pound of strawberries but took a half a jar of Nutella with it. I win some I lose some.

LMMama · January 2017

@sevenn We make a lot of smoothies at my house and I try to keep them as basic as possible. Two that we make all the time:

Green:
Water, spinach, frozen mango, 1 banana.

We call this the "breakfast" smoothie. It's kinda high in fat but still has good stuff and is filling:
Almond milk, banana, oats, peanut butter (sometimes blueberries to make it a blueberry muffin smoothie)

wifeinraleigh28 · January 2017

Damn, I need to buy a good blender so I can make smoothies!!!

swanbrooner · January 2017

I ate so much healthier and cleaner prior to pregnancy. I've had more fast food in the past four months than I've probably had in the last two years! I'm not giving myself any excuse to go crazy, but that's what has regularly not offended my stomach.

Sometimes the texture of veggies alone is enough to make me gag. Now that I'm feeling better, I do want to make a stronger effort to eat better for me and this babe.

BellaO21 · January 2017

I think I will be making a stop at Smoothie King at some point today... lol

I've been doing pretty well with the healthy eating, but that's never been something I've had an issue with. I grew up in a bakery so once I was old enough to make my own grocery list I basically stopped buying any kind of junk food. However, I suck at the working out part... especially once I got pregnant..I really need to get back into that. Lol

Sirius37 · January 2017

I am also on the smoothie bandwagon; it is about the only way I can get all the stuff I feel like I should be having. I've always been awful about my fruit and veggie intake (it's a texture thing for me), but blend it all up into a smooth concoction of awesome and I can get through it no problem. For me personally, I found the best time to ensure I get my smoothie in is when I get home from work and am starving too much to wait for dinner. It helps to tide me over and I feel like I accomplished a dietary goal for the day.

alm52386 · January 2017

Most days I won't eat protein. And rarely veggies. Unless it's mixed in something. Like Taco Bell or culvers! I got chicken Alfredo on Saturday and wouldn't eat the chicken! Also have picked sausage and pepperoni off pizza. And these are things I normally like. Pregnancy is so strange.

acrose0226 · January 2017

Smoothies are a great way to get fruits and veggies in; I make one for breakfast every day that includes plant-based protein powder, almond milk, spinach and then a variety of fruits. If I want to make it even heartier, I'll add some gluten-free oats and spoonful of peanut or cashew butter.

I've found that convenience is really important for me. If I'm hungry or in the mood for snacking, I will gravitate toward whatever is most easily accessible. So at the beginning of each week I take extra time to slice up veggies (peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, etc.) for easy dipping in hummus, and wash a bunch of fruit (TONS of berries and grapes, I can't seem to get enough of them!) and leave them in containers in the fridge. Of course sometimes I just NEED to have something salty so will have some chips and guac or some crackers.

Over the weekend I was craving a dessert so I made a banana puree (bananas, agave, maple syrup and vanilla extract) and layered it in a glass with coconut yogurt (could also use greek yogurt for extra protein but I'm having to stay away from dairy) and walnuts. It was DELICIOUS, relatively "healthy" and totally satisfied my craving.

I'm REALLY trying to focus on protein, fruits and veggies, but it can be oh so hard sometimes. For example, one of my co-workers gave me a chocolate cat this morning. Half of it is gone already.

amberp1528 · January 2017

I am a VERY picky eater so this has also been hard for me as I do not eat a lot of either ever. I did have some carrots and ranch with my wings earlier and I do love already sliced apples but I am out. We eat out ALOT so that is also a struggle but I also have major heart burn causing me to only eat 2 meals a day tops but I am working on getting better that's all we can do.

tjvan · January 2017

I've been eating so bad since I've been pregnant, but definitely trying to make a change in the new year. Feeling like it's now or never. Great idea with the smoothies. Hoping my blender is up to it!

BelhurstBride · January 2017

Well, I'm halfway through a jar of cookie butter and, thanks to @FSUNole31's suggestion, well into a gallon of chocolate milk.

Jendink · January 2017

Do veggie straws count as a vegetable?!?!?! lol I am so bad able eating fruits and vegetables. I'm actually better able eating vegetables, but its usually canned veggies and it's only with dinner. Fruit on the other hand is a whole different story. I will eat them if I am out and they are there but I'm horrible able buying them (for myself, I buy them for my 2 year old) My daughter loves blueberries and I am not a fan of blueberries. I do drink a TON of milk so that's healthy right?!?! I wish I had time in the morning to make a smoothie, but I wake up at 4:45 and I just CANT get out of bed any earlier than that! lol
ETA; do fruit snacks count for fruit?!? they are the "better" ones that are made from fruits and veggies....HAHAHAHAHA

hjphillips · January 2017

I am a terrible eater this time around. I worked at an upscale retirement home my last pregnancy, and because I worked in the kitchen, I got free lunches because we ate the leftovers that would otherwise get thrown out, and also would often bring home extra food for dinner. It was a lot easier to eat healthy food then, as compared to now when I can hardly cook without puking. So. We've been ordering a lot of pizza.

LMMama · January 2017

I went on a rampage when I got home from work (which included cheese curls and candy) and I think that one of the big things for me is that I need to make sure my meals are filling enough. I tend to eat snack sized meals that have a good amount of healthy things and then justify more snacks that end up being unhealthy because I haven't eaten a lot yet.

I just Pinterested a healthy pregnancy meal plan for the week. We'll see how that works out.

zseirecarg · January 2017

I have had a hard time figuring out what to eat since I became pregnant. The things that I found worked early on aren't working anymore. There is very little that actually sounds good to me and what does is usually not healthy (like a half a bag of nacho cheese Doritos). My appetite is also all over the place, at moments I'm starving (and usually can't figure out what sounds good to eat) and others I haven't eaten in a while and don't want too.

My go to breakfast before pregnancy and since has been vanilla greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and granola. It's the only thing I look forward to and enjoy each day. Otherwise I am riding the struggle bus desperately trying to find stuff that works.

Totally had a guilty feeling moment today of "I'm not eating enough and I'm not eating healthy enough". But I swear I am doing the best I can. The struggle is real.

MithK · January 2017

Thank you so much ladies! Loved the smoothie idea and decided to give it a try and it was a lot easier to get through than actually having to eat fruits! Will definitely keep this up! Thanks for the smoothie recipe suggestions too! But most importantly, this has made me feel a lot better! Felt terrible that I wasn't putting baby's needs first and that I was just eating whatever I wanted, which equates to all things chocolate lol. It's a struggle finding something to satisfy our appetites and trying to be healthy at the same time! On that note, now that I've had my fruit smoothie and fulfilled baby's needs, I think I deserve a Snickers bar!

kcrocetto27 · January 2017

I want all of the cheese all of the time! I do agree with the smoothie, I drink a kale, yogurt, carrot, strawberry and banana smoothie every morning. It has helped with the cheese guilt

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