The Ultimate Pregnancy Grocery List

Whether it’s fatigue, morning sickness, acid reflux, or heartburn, keeping your body and mind feeling their best in pregnancy can be challenging.

Thankfully, optimizing your diet during this time is less complicated than it might seem. 

Nutritional guidance for pregnancy isn’t all that different from what’s recommended for non-pregnant individuals: eat a balanced and nutrient-rich diet that’s full of whole foods like grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables.

Though your body needs more of certain vitamins and minerals during pregnancy, adding a prenatal vitamin to an otherwise balanced diet is usually enough to satisfy your body’s changing nutritional needs in a non high-risk pregnancy.

Keep in mind that it’s also important to avoid or limit certain foods and drinks during pregnancy, including alcohol, mercury-rich seafood, and caffeine. 

Read on to learn more about how to grocery shop for a health-promoting and balanced diet in pregnancy. 

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Pregnancy Grocery List Basics

Grocery shopping for pregnancy should focus on a variety of whole foods, including sources of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

It’s also essential to keep your medicine cabinet stocked with a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy.

Both The United States Preventive Services Task Force and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend taking a daily prenatal vitamin with at least 400 mg of folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects and between 30-60 mg of iron to reduce the risk of low birth weight, maternal anemia and iron deficiency.

How Diet Affects Pregnancy and Postpartum

Eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet will help to support your body through the physical demands of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Vitamins and minerals that are especially important in pregnancy include:

• Folic acid/folate: Found in foods like dark, leafy greens and legumes, but you should supplement with a prenatal vitamin that has at least 400 mg of folic acid.

• Iron: ACOG recommends getting 27 mg of iron per day when pregnant. Iron is essential for fetal development and can be found in animal proteins, like red meat.

• Iodine: Iodine supports fetal neurocognitive development. Foods rich in iodine include dairy, eggs, seafood, and iodized table salt. The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends getting 220 micrograms of iodine per day when pregnant.

• Choline: Experts recommend getting 450 mg of choline per day in pregnancy. Choline is also important for fetal brain development, choline can be found in lentils, beans, seafood, eggs, dairy, and lean protein.

Foods to Buy During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can cause unexpected changes to your appetite and taste.

For some people, nausea, heartburn, acid reflux, and morning sickness (which, despite its name, can occur at any time of day) can make it hard to eat anything at all.

For others, physical and hormonal changes can make you crave certain foods that you’ve never eaten before and avoid other foods that you usually love to eat.

When shopping during pregnancy, it’s important to buy foods that will encourage you to eat regularly.

Though you may occasionally crave comfort foods like chocolate chip cookies or ice cream, it’s also important to buy foods that support a balanced, and nutrient-rich diet.  

Below are the building blocks of a balanced pregnancy diet:

Protein

Pregnancy places increased protein demands on the body, which is why most pregnant people should aim to eat more protein than their non-pregnant family and friends. 

According to the National Academies of Medicine, you should aim to eat an extra 10-25 grams of protein per day if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding (this amounts to a total of 1.1-1.3 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight). 

So if you weigh 140 pounds, that’s an average of 70-83 grams of protein per day. If you weigh 220 pounds, that’s an average of 110-130 grams of protein per day.

Good sources of protein in pregnancy include:

• Dairy, including eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Legumes, like beans and lentils.
• No or low mercury fish, like salmon, seabass, and halibut.
• Poultry, like chicken and turkey.
• Lean cuts of red meats, including sirloin, tenderloin, pork loin, and lamb.
• Nuts and seeds, including almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.  
• Soy products, like tofu and tempeh.

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Whole Grains

Whole grains are rich in fiber, folate, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Some research also suggests that eating more whole grains than refined grains in pregnancy may benefit the vaginal microbiome.

Maintaining a healthy vaginal microbiome may impact the neonatal microbiome and have an effect on the development of a newborn’s immune system and metabolism.

Examples of whole grains include:

• Whole grain bread.
• Whole wheat tortillas.
• Barley.
• Brown rice.
• Farro.
• Oats and oatmeal.
• Quinoa.
• Bulgur wheat.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, can also support a healthy pregnancy and are important for brain development in utero and after birth. 

Sources of healthy fats include:

• Avocado.
• Olive oil.
• Nut oils.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Low or no-mercury containing seafood, like salmon.

Fruits

Whole fruits are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. 

Examples of fruit to eat in pregnancy include:

• Berries, like blueberries and raspberries.  
• Apples.
• Pears.
• Bananas.
• Oranges.
• Avocados.
• Tomatoes.

Aim to eat whole fruits in place of candied fruits or fruit juices.

Vegetables

Vegetables are another source of important vitamins and minerals needed throughout pregnancy, including calcium, vitamin A, and folic acid. 

Examples of vegetables to eat in pregnancy include:

• Dark leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, and chard.
• Root vegetables, like carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, beets, and parsnips.
• Butternut squash.
• Zucchini.
• Brussel sprouts.
• Broccoli. 

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds provide protein, healthy fats, and important vitamins and minerals.    

Examples of nuts and seeds to eat during pregnancy include:

• Almonds.
• Cashews.
• Pecans.
• Walnuts.
• Sesame seeds.
• Pumpkin seeds.
• Sunflower seeds.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an essential component of a balanced diet in pregnancy.

They help your body to keep up with increased energy demands while supporting fetal development.

In fact, the results of one study show that pregnant people who ate low-carb or no-carb diets increased their risk of having an infant with neural tube defects due to inadequate folic acid. 

Examples of carbohydrates include:

• Whole grains.
• Pasta.
• Bread.
• Rice.
• Potatoes.
• Fruit.

Pantry Staples

When stocking your pantry for pregnancy, consider including shelf-stable and/or canned sources of all of the foods groups mentioned above.

For example, canned beans, canned tomatoes, tinned salmon, whole grain breads, pastas, rice, and different types of nuts and seeds. 

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Most foods are safe to eat during pregnancy.

However, there are some types of food and drink that you’ll want to avoid during this time to support your health and the development of your fetus.

Alcohol

No amount of alcohol is safe to consume during pregnancy. Avoiding alcohol altogether is recommended when you’re pregnant.

High-Mercury Fish

Mercury is a heavy metal that can harm fetal development in pregnancy.

Avoid consuming high-mercury fish when pregnant, including shark, swordfish, tilefish, and mackerel.

Limit Caffeine

There’s some debate about how much caffeine is safe to consume during pregnancy.

Many experts recommend limiting consumption of caffeine to 200mg or less per day when pregnant (or the equivalent of two cups of coffee).

However, some research suggests that consumption within that limit during pregnancy can still negatively affect fetal growth. If you’re concerned about caffeine consumption during pregnancy, consult with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian. 

Common Food Sources of Foodborne Illnesses

Pregnancy can also affect your immune system’s response to foodborne illnesses and bacteria.

These pathogens can also pose risks to your fetus.

For this reason, some healthcare providers recommend avoiding the following during pregnancy:

• Raw fish or shellfish.
• Deli meats.
• Unwashed produce.
• Unpasteurized juice, milk, or cheese.
• Raw sprouts, including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts.

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How Many Calories Should I Eat During Pregnancy?

You may have heard the old adage, “If you’re pregnant, eat for two.”

But the reality is that pregnant people require only a few extra hundred calories per day to maintain a healthy diet.

According to ACOG, if you’re pregnant with one child you need roughly 340 extra calories per day during the second trimester and an extra 450 calories per day during the third trimester. 

If you’re carrying twins, aim for 600 extra calories per day.

With triplets, aim for 900 extra calories per day.

Tips for Grocery Shopping During Pregnancy

Grocery shopping for pregnancy shouldn't be stressful.

Buy foods that you enjoy, that encourage mindful eating, and that help you meet your protein, healthy fat, and whole grain needs. 

When in doubt, aim to buy foods that “reflect the rainbow.”

Purchasing whole foods in a variety of colors will ensure that you’re incorporating a diversity of vitamins and minerals into your diet.

Takeaway

Eating a balanced and nutrient-dense diet and taking one prenatal vitamin daily will support your health in pregnancy.

Though you can enjoy most foods when you’re pregnant, there are certain foods you should avoid, including alcohol, high-mercury fish, and large amounts of caffeine.

How a Dietitian Can Help

Pregnancy can be overwhelming, but food shopping doesn’t have to be.

Pregnancy registered dietitians are a vital resource when it comes to planning balanced meals for pregnancy.

Working with a dietitian can take the pressure of building nourishing meals off your shoulders and ensure that you’re eating a variety of foods and vitamins to support you throughout your pregnancy.

You can find a dietitian through Nourish to start healing your relationship with food.