With pregnancy comes a lot of changes and priority shifts. One of those is things you need to do to take care of your body and growing your baby. Getting in more protein may be something you may have to navigate at some point in your pregnancy.
My Midwife let me know my goal should be to get a gallon of fluids and 100g of protein in each day starting by 20 weeks. Yikes! That’s a lot! Make sure to follow what your doctors say for you. We are all different so everyone’s ideal numbers could be different.
When I heard those 2 numbers I was a bit overwhelmed by the idea of having to meet these goals for just one day let alone for an entire 20 weeks of my pregnancy and knowing I would still need to have lots of fluids and protein after I deliver due to me planning on breastfeeding.
With getting my fluids in I knew I’d just have to become disciplined in drinking all day and in large quantities. Fluids would be easier for me in the way that I did not need to make or prepare anything I can just pour a drink and it’s there for me to drink. The hard part of fluids for me is making sure I drink that much and every day.
I knew with needing to get in 100g a day of protein I would need to find simple solutions to fulfilling this goal. I did not want to eat a ton or feel like I was always needing to cook a big meal. So I found easy ways to include protein into my diet in a way that really takes almost no work for me to do so. Consuming protein wouldn’t be hard for me. What would be hard is not getting tired of the same things, having to plan out how I’d get that much protein in, and make it definitely was the hard part for me.
What my typical day looks like
I took some time to figure out what would be the best path for me to take so that I could consistently get 100g of protein in each day. I landed on having a few easy staples each day that are high in protein and adding more protein in there when needed or when I want a change.
So, how do I get my protein in normally?
- Milk
- Egg’s
- Greek Yogurt
- Dinner includes a meat
These are incredibly simple things that I already consumed in my diet often, I just needed to make sure I had them in a higher amount than I usually would. Look at your diet and see where you are getting your sources of protein from. Some things might surprise you that they have protein or a lot of it. Looking at what you already do and upping your intake is one of the easiest ways to include more protein in your diet.
Milk
I’m going to be honest I may be one of the weird ones, but I have always loved milk. I have always gone through about 2 gallons a week prior to being pregnant. Now that I am pregnant and need to get my fluid intake up as well as protein I was happy to up my intake of milk. Now I go through 3-2 gallons a week. I know. It’s a lot! Even though it’s a lot for I’m sure most people, it’s not for me. It has actually made it so much easier to hit my fluid and protein goals each day. This has been such a blessing for me because this was already in my routine I just had to up the intake. This makes it so much easier for me to be consistent.
Milk has 8g per cup so with me needing to drink a gallon of fluids a day and me using milk primarily as my source of fluid getting my protein in is quite easy as long as I am prioritizing my fluid intake. I could easily get my entire day’s worth of protein consumption from milk or even go above the 100g goal.
It’s honestly really nice knowing I am working on both goals at the same time. If you’re not a milk person maybe try protein drinks or powders so that you can easily work it into your normal daily routines.
If you are having cereal put a little bit extra of milk in the bowl and make sure to drink it after you’re done eating to easily add some extra protein intake.
Eggs
I love eggs for getting my protein in as well. I have eggs along with a carb to stay full longer for breakfast pretty often. Eggs have 6g of protein so if you have a couple the number adds up quite quickly. I also make breakfast casserole and add ham so that it gives me another source of protein and changes it up so I don’t get tired of the eggs.
Try different ways to include eggs into your diet so that whenever you get tired of them you have different ways of including them. Take making them in sandwiches, casseroles, etc.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt has quite a bit of protein. The one I get has 13g of protein per serving. You can make this much more tasty by adding toppings or putting it over oatmeal, but I normally just eat it plain. I have vanilla Greek yogurt and it’s good and sweat on its own. If you want a grab-and-go try out different flavors to see what you like best on its own.
Dinner
I then get a lot of protein from my dinners. Typically, most of my dinners have a chicken breast included with them and other forms of protein and meats so that also helps with my intake count as well. This is something that I was already doing so I did not need to change any of my habits for meals.
If your meals don’t include much protein maybe think about ways you can include it into each meal. You can try frozen meats or meals to easily add in some protein.
Need other Ideas?
I get it. If you’re not a milk fan getting your protein in by only on milk, eggs, and Greek yogurt may not be your ideal or obtainable. So here are some easy ideas of ways to get your protein in if you want to switch it up. Or if you need ways to get your doctor’s amount of protein recommendation in that would work for you.
These are things you do not have to put much prep into so that you don’t have to put in a lot of prep for you to get your protein intake in. The goal is to make it easy so you don’t have to put a bunch of work just to be able to eat. Getting in more protein and fluids each day is work in and of it’s self, no need to add more to your plate.
Pancakes
Kodiak Pancakes offer a way to get in a good amount of protein. You are also able to make a big batch at one time and then freeze the rest for later. Being able to do this is a game changer because, after the initial work you put in, you will be able to just grab and warm up the pancakes to get a good amount of protein in with little effort.
Having foods that don’t feel like you’re eating protein can be so refreshing so switch up your normal pancakes with ones that have protein in. You get a good meal with extra benefits. Win, win.
Peanut Butter
If you like peanut butter try to add it to your meals and/or snacks. Eat it with apples, on bread/toast, in oatmeal, etc. There are many ways to add peanut butter into your daily food intake.
Ingredients you cook with
If you’re cooking already including ingredients like bone broth, protein noodles, etc. can add extra protein into your diet. Instead of other options that do not add protein is such an easy switch. If you are already making meals that you can substitute ingredients with protein-rich ingredients it’s worth the switch to easily add to your protein intake.
You’re doing great!
All the things you have to adjust and prioritize during pregnancy is a lot! If you are trying, good job! Keep at it and it’ll eventually get easier and you’ll be able to find a grove and what works for you.
Don’t be afraid to adjust. If something that used to work great for you and no longer does try something new. Food can get old and needing to have an increase in protein for months on end can get hard. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you had it down and then you begin to start struggling all of a sudden. It happens, just try to find solutions when you are struggling.
Don’t overcomplicate it! The easier you make it for yourself the easier it’ll be for you to keep up with. If you need to try meal or snack prepping so you can grab and go and not have to think about what to eat and how much protein is in it in the moment.
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