For my first 16 weeks of this pregnancy I felt so bad that I pretty much ate whatever, whenever. Anything that sounded appealing I would eat, and I ate pretty much all the time to try to keep the nausea away. Now I will caveat that I'm normally a pretty heathy eater, so even eating terribly isn't too bad for me, but I had gotten used to a ton of pretty empty calories (think toast, cereal, etc.) and lots of sweets. But about halfway through 2nd trimester something hit me and I realized I had like 20 more weeks of this pregnancy and could not keep gaining 2-3 lbs a week!
So, I kicked my butt into gear and started doing short pilates sessions every morning, as well as going for at least a 30 minute walk every day.
But I also really revved-up what I was eating. And it totally helped.
Here's what a "normal" day of meals looks like for me right now:
Breakfast
Always the same: 1 egg, usually pan-fried in a little butter, often with a sprinkle of shredded cheese & sometimes with some ripped up spinach. Add a piece of buttered sourdough toast & a cup of tea and this is basically the same breakfast I've been eating every day since forever. Lately we've been trying to eat more veggies so I've been adding either chopped up bell pepper & onion or mushrooms & onions to the pan before the egg. Every now and then I'll add a side piece of bacon or turkey bacon. Taylor usually eats the same as me, except he does 2 eggs and no toast. The kids usually get the same as me, just cut up (though for them I alternate days where they get oatmeal/raisins/peanut butter). I'm super particular about my sourdough bread. I only ever get it from one very specific bakery!!
Morning snack(s)
I've learned that I need at least 1 but sometimes 2 snacks at work between breakfast and lunch. I eat breakfast about 530am and lunch usually around noon so it's basically a snack every 3 hours or so.
Lately I've been cooking up a big batch of steel cut oats on the weekend & portioning into containers for my first mid-morning snack. I add a sprinkle of cinnamon & tsp (or two) of brown sugar, and a bit of milk (sometimes some blueberries too), and it's been delish! I don't think I've ever particularly craved steel cut oats before but right now I'm loving them. If I need a second snack before lunch my go-to is a Fage yogurt cup. I've been opting for the full-fat version, always strawberry, and each of them has 11g of protein! Other options for a second snack: a handful of an almonds & craisins mix (I pretty much keep with me all the time in my purse!), or a banana and some peanut butter.
Lunch
Totally depends on the day if I have something going on at work, but over the past few weeks Taylor and I have been perfecting salads. We do a mix of spinach, arugula, and kale as a base and then top with some combination of: cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, sprouts, slivered almonds, black beans (usually just for Taylor), goat or feta cheese (usually just for me) & grilled chicken. Taylor tops his salads with a squeeze of lemon & I opt for just a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. These salads have been SO good and so filling! I usually pair my salad with some fruit, which lately has been raspberries & blackberries, a bag of grapes, or an apple.
Afternoon snack(s)
These vary depending on the day but generally I pack 2-3 of the following and eat them throughout the afternoon at work or on the way home:
-Baby carrots & a small container of hummus
-Celery stalks paired with some peanut butter
-Bag of grapes
-Apple
-More almonds/craisins!
Dinner
This has probably been the most challenging meal area for us. Taylor has been following Tim Ferriss' "slow carb" eating plan for a while now so I usually try to make meals that fit into that. It's pretty clean eating so generally pretty healthy, which works well for both of us! It's usually some kind of protein and lots of veggies (usually two since I'm trading the veggie for a carb). No dairy/cheese/carbs can be challenging when I'm feeding the kids so they sometimes get a slightly different meal than we have, but usually I try to only cook 1 meal a night so often I just modify what we're having for them (and then give them a side of fruit, or cheese, or avocado or something like that).
Here are a few new recipes we've tried recently that we really liked:
-Chicken zucchini poppers (w/ a side of guacamole & some green beans) - the kids loved these, and we did too!
-Cauliflower Rice Taco Bowls (w/ all the usual veggie-friendly taco toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado) - the kids liked this too and I gave them the freedom to choose their own toppings so they ended up with just cheese, avocado, and greek yogurt (aka our "sour cream") on top.
-Chicken & Asparagus Lemon Stir-Fry (everyone liked this! I separated out the asparagus for the kids so they had chicken, a few pieces of asparagus (not loved), and then fruit)
-Edamame Fried Rice (I even added tofu for a little extra protein and everyone loved this!)
These are some of our regular go-tos:
-Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
-Green Onion Salmon
-Meatloaf w/ sweet potato fries & green beans
And this week we're trying these new recipes:
-Steak Taco Lettuce Wraps (w/ Mexi-Cauli Rice)
-Veggie, Ham and Cheese Bake (I just left out the cheese on half of it for Taylor)
Dessert
We are not regular dessert people. Don't get me wrong, I love me some sweet treats, but in general we don't regularly have "dessert" after dinner. The kids sometimes get a bowl of fruit if they finish their meals, but just as often I give them fruit with their meals so I wouldn't say they expect any kind of dessert. In general we treat sweets as "treats" and our rule (mainly for our sanity) is that the kiddos don't get treats during the week, but on the weekend we are okay with one a day (usually depending on what we're doing like a birthday party, or cookie decorating, or something like that).
However, one of my absolute favorite mom-treats is to sit down in the evenings with a piece of (good) chocolate & a small glass of milk and relax for a second after the kids are in bed (or sometimes after dinner while we're watching TV). This has been my splurgy treat forever and usually I don't do this every night but especially during pregnancy I let myself more often (especially when Taylor is having a glass of wine!!). Taylor knows my love of good chocolate bars well and keeps me well stocked :) He got me a set of these a while back and they are hands down my favorite chocolate EVER. I can make a chocolate bar last for quite a long time and so I always have a few good options in the fridge....aaaand I may or may not have an entire shelf in the door of the fridge with my chocolate stash. Oh one last thing: these macaroons are absolutely delish & a current pregnancy favorite!
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
2nd Trimester Meals & Snacks
For my first 16 weeks of this pregnancy I felt so bad that I pretty much ate whatever, whenever. Anything that sounded appealing I would eat, and I ate pretty much all the time to try to keep the nausea away. Now I will caveat that I'm normally a pretty heathy eater, so even eating terribly isn't too bad for me, but I had gotten used to a ton of pretty empty calories (think toast, cereal, etc.) and lots of sweets. But about halfway through 2nd trimester something hit me and I realized I had like 20 more weeks of this pregnancy and could not keep gaining 2-3 lbs a week!
So, I kicked my butt into gear and started doing short pilates sessions every morning, as well as going for at least a 30 minute walk every day.
But I also really revved-up what I was eating. And it totally helped.
Here's what a "normal" day of meals looks like for me right now:
Breakfast
Always the same: 1 egg, usually pan-fried in a little butter, often with a sprinkle of shredded cheese & sometimes with some ripped up spinach. Add a piece of buttered sourdough toast & a cup of tea and this is basically the same breakfast I've been eating every day since forever. Lately we've been trying to eat more veggies so I've been adding either chopped up bell pepper & onion or mushrooms & onions to the pan before the egg. Every now and then I'll add a side piece of bacon or turkey bacon. Taylor usually eats the same as me, except he does 2 eggs and no toast. The kids usually get the same as me, just cut up (though for them I alternate days where they get oatmeal/raisins/peanut butter). I'm super particular about my sourdough bread. I only ever get it from one very specific bakery!!
Morning snack(s)
I've learned that I need at least 1 but sometimes 2 snacks at work between breakfast and lunch. I eat breakfast about 530am and lunch usually around noon so it's basically a snack every 3 hours or so.
Lately I've been cooking up a big batch of steel cut oats on the weekend & portioning into containers for my first mid-morning snack. I add a sprinkle of cinnamon & tsp (or two) of brown sugar, and a bit of milk (sometimes some blueberries too), and it's been delish! I don't think I've ever particularly craved steel cut oats before but right now I'm loving them. If I need a second snack before lunch my go-to is a Fage yogurt cup. I've been opting for the full-fat version, always strawberry, and each of them has 11g of protein! Other options for a second snack: a handful of an almonds & craisins mix (I pretty much keep with me all the time in my purse!), or a banana and some peanut butter.
Lunch
Totally depends on the day if I have something going on at work, but over the past few weeks Taylor and I have been perfecting salads. We do a mix of spinach, arugula, and kale as a base and then top with some combination of: cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, sprouts, slivered almonds, black beans (usually just for Taylor), goat or feta cheese (usually just for me) & grilled chicken. Taylor tops his salads with a squeeze of lemon & I opt for just a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. These salads have been SO good and so filling! I usually pair my salad with some fruit, which lately has been raspberries & blackberries, a bag of grapes, or an apple.
Afternoon snack(s)
These vary depending on the day but generally I pack 2-3 of the following and eat them throughout the afternoon at work or on the way home:
-Baby carrots & a small container of hummus
-Celery stalks paired with some peanut butter
-Bag of grapes
-Apple
-More almonds/craisins!
Dinner
This has probably been the most challenging meal area for us. Taylor has been following Tim Ferriss' "slow carb" eating plan for a while now so I usually try to make meals that fit into that. It's pretty clean eating so generally pretty healthy, which works well for both of us! It's usually some kind of protein and lots of veggies (usually two since I'm trading the veggie for a carb). No dairy/cheese/carbs can be challenging when I'm feeding the kids so they sometimes get a slightly different meal than we have, but usually I try to only cook 1 meal a night so often I just modify what we're having for them (and then give them a side of fruit, or cheese, or avocado or something like that).
Here are a few new recipes we've tried recently that we really liked:
-Chicken zucchini poppers (w/ a side of guacamole & some green beans) - the kids loved these, and we did too!
-Cauliflower Rice Taco Bowls (w/ all the usual veggie-friendly taco toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado) - the kids liked this too and I gave them the freedom to choose their own toppings so they ended up with just cheese, avocado, and greek yogurt (aka our "sour cream") on top.
-Chicken & Asparagus Lemon Stir-Fry (everyone liked this! I separated out the asparagus for the kids so they had chicken, a few pieces of asparagus (not loved), and then fruit)
-Edamame Fried Rice (I even added tofu for a little extra protein and everyone loved this!)
These are some of our regular go-tos:
-Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
-Green Onion Salmon
-Meatloaf w/ sweet potato fries & green beans
And this week we're trying these new recipes:
-Steak Taco Lettuce Wraps (w/ Mexi-Cauli Rice)
-Veggie, Ham and Cheese Bake (I just left out the cheese on half of it for Taylor)
Dessert
We are not regular dessert people. Don't get me wrong, I love me some sweet treats, but in general we don't regularly have "dessert" after dinner. The kids sometimes get a bowl of fruit if they finish their meals, but just as often I give them fruit with their meals so I wouldn't say they expect any kind of dessert. In general we treat sweets as "treats" and our rule (mainly for our sanity) is that the kiddos don't get treats during the week, but on the weekend we are okay with one a day (usually depending on what we're doing like a birthday party, or cookie decorating, or something like that).
However, one of my absolute favorite mom-treats is to sit down in the evenings with a piece of (good) chocolate & a small glass of milk and relax for a second after the kids are in bed (or sometimes after dinner while we're watching TV). This has been my splurgy treat forever and usually I don't do this every night but especially during pregnancy I let myself more often (especially when Taylor is having a glass of wine!!). Taylor knows my love of good chocolate bars well and keeps me well stocked :) He got me a set of these a while back and they are hands down my favorite chocolate EVER. I can make a chocolate bar last for quite a long time and so I always have a few good options in the fridge....aaaand I may or may not have an entire shelf in the door of the fridge with my chocolate stash. Oh one last thing: these macaroons are absolutely delish & a current pregnancy favorite!
So, I kicked my butt into gear and started doing short pilates sessions every morning, as well as going for at least a 30 minute walk every day.
But I also really revved-up what I was eating. And it totally helped.
Here's what a "normal" day of meals looks like for me right now:
Breakfast
Always the same: 1 egg, usually pan-fried in a little butter, often with a sprinkle of shredded cheese & sometimes with some ripped up spinach. Add a piece of buttered sourdough toast & a cup of tea and this is basically the same breakfast I've been eating every day since forever. Lately we've been trying to eat more veggies so I've been adding either chopped up bell pepper & onion or mushrooms & onions to the pan before the egg. Every now and then I'll add a side piece of bacon or turkey bacon. Taylor usually eats the same as me, except he does 2 eggs and no toast. The kids usually get the same as me, just cut up (though for them I alternate days where they get oatmeal/raisins/peanut butter). I'm super particular about my sourdough bread. I only ever get it from one very specific bakery!!
Morning snack(s)
I've learned that I need at least 1 but sometimes 2 snacks at work between breakfast and lunch. I eat breakfast about 530am and lunch usually around noon so it's basically a snack every 3 hours or so.
Lately I've been cooking up a big batch of steel cut oats on the weekend & portioning into containers for my first mid-morning snack. I add a sprinkle of cinnamon & tsp (or two) of brown sugar, and a bit of milk (sometimes some blueberries too), and it's been delish! I don't think I've ever particularly craved steel cut oats before but right now I'm loving them. If I need a second snack before lunch my go-to is a Fage yogurt cup. I've been opting for the full-fat version, always strawberry, and each of them has 11g of protein! Other options for a second snack: a handful of an almonds & craisins mix (I pretty much keep with me all the time in my purse!), or a banana and some peanut butter.
Lunch
Totally depends on the day if I have something going on at work, but over the past few weeks Taylor and I have been perfecting salads. We do a mix of spinach, arugula, and kale as a base and then top with some combination of: cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, sprouts, slivered almonds, black beans (usually just for Taylor), goat or feta cheese (usually just for me) & grilled chicken. Taylor tops his salads with a squeeze of lemon & I opt for just a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. These salads have been SO good and so filling! I usually pair my salad with some fruit, which lately has been raspberries & blackberries, a bag of grapes, or an apple.
Afternoon snack(s)
These vary depending on the day but generally I pack 2-3 of the following and eat them throughout the afternoon at work or on the way home:
-Baby carrots & a small container of hummus
-Celery stalks paired with some peanut butter
-Bag of grapes
-Apple
-More almonds/craisins!
Dinner
This has probably been the most challenging meal area for us. Taylor has been following Tim Ferriss' "slow carb" eating plan for a while now so I usually try to make meals that fit into that. It's pretty clean eating so generally pretty healthy, which works well for both of us! It's usually some kind of protein and lots of veggies (usually two since I'm trading the veggie for a carb). No dairy/cheese/carbs can be challenging when I'm feeding the kids so they sometimes get a slightly different meal than we have, but usually I try to only cook 1 meal a night so often I just modify what we're having for them (and then give them a side of fruit, or cheese, or avocado or something like that).
Here are a few new recipes we've tried recently that we really liked:
-Chicken zucchini poppers (w/ a side of guacamole & some green beans) - the kids loved these, and we did too!
-Cauliflower Rice Taco Bowls (w/ all the usual veggie-friendly taco toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado) - the kids liked this too and I gave them the freedom to choose their own toppings so they ended up with just cheese, avocado, and greek yogurt (aka our "sour cream") on top.
-Chicken & Asparagus Lemon Stir-Fry (everyone liked this! I separated out the asparagus for the kids so they had chicken, a few pieces of asparagus (not loved), and then fruit)
-Edamame Fried Rice (I even added tofu for a little extra protein and everyone loved this!)
These are some of our regular go-tos:
-Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
-Green Onion Salmon
-Meatloaf w/ sweet potato fries & green beans
And this week we're trying these new recipes:
-Steak Taco Lettuce Wraps (w/ Mexi-Cauli Rice)
-Veggie, Ham and Cheese Bake (I just left out the cheese on half of it for Taylor)
Dessert
We are not regular dessert people. Don't get me wrong, I love me some sweet treats, but in general we don't regularly have "dessert" after dinner. The kids sometimes get a bowl of fruit if they finish their meals, but just as often I give them fruit with their meals so I wouldn't say they expect any kind of dessert. In general we treat sweets as "treats" and our rule (mainly for our sanity) is that the kiddos don't get treats during the week, but on the weekend we are okay with one a day (usually depending on what we're doing like a birthday party, or cookie decorating, or something like that).
However, one of my absolute favorite mom-treats is to sit down in the evenings with a piece of (good) chocolate & a small glass of milk and relax for a second after the kids are in bed (or sometimes after dinner while we're watching TV). This has been my splurgy treat forever and usually I don't do this every night but especially during pregnancy I let myself more often (especially when Taylor is having a glass of wine!!). Taylor knows my love of good chocolate bars well and keeps me well stocked :) He got me a set of these a while back and they are hands down my favorite chocolate EVER. I can make a chocolate bar last for quite a long time and so I always have a few good options in the fridge....aaaand I may or may not have an entire shelf in the door of the fridge with my chocolate stash. Oh one last thing: these macaroons are absolutely delish & a current pregnancy favorite!
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