Healthy Meals for Morning Sickness Relief

Contrary to the name, morning sickness isn’t just limited to the mornings and can actually occur at any time of the day. This often leaves mums-to-be with a lack of appetite or feeling queasy thinking about food. As food is your fuel, it’s important to try and eat when you can, especially with the added demands on your body from growing a baby.

Eating smaller meals throughout the day has been found to help in the prevention of morning sickness. So even if you’re not feeling particularly hungry it can be a good idea to have a snack to keep your stomach from getting empty. Try something dry like grainy crackers or toast when all else fails.

If there are certain foods triggering your morning sickness then it’s best you steer clear of those particular ones and opt for any foods that are less intense in flavour. Some days, bread or toast might be all you can stomach, other days you might be able to eat as normal. Listen to your body and adapt however you can, while still getting food in and aiming for nutritious options wherever possible.

Ginger is one particular food that can be helpful with nausea and something I recommend incorporating into meals where you can. It works particularly well in Asian cuisine, but you can also drink it as a tea or infuse your water with it.

Healthy meal ideas for morning sickness

For times when you’re not feeling the best, here is an assortment of meal ideas that can be adapted and brought right back to basics.

Sandwiches and Wraps

When you’re able to stomach more than just bread alone, it’s a great idea to add some fillings and make it a sandwich, or similarly, a wrap can do the trick. Fill it with veggies of your choice, a source of protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils, etc.) and some healthy fats (avocado, seeds, nuts, extra-virgin olive oil). Try this simple and easy Smashed Chickpea Wrap.

Pasta

Such a versatile dish, pasta can be adapted to be on the plainer side, or more flavoursome when you are feeling up to it. If you are needing to stick to plainer pasta, a great option available to us are all of the pastas made out of beans or pulses, they’re more filling, high in fibre and protein too. For a great pasta recipe suggestion, try this Eggplant Pomodoro.

Rice

Another great option that can be changed up depending on what you’re feeling, rice dishes are a good go-to meal. Keep it basic when needed, or load it up with veggies to help meet your nutrient requirements and veggie quota. Try this Easiest Chinese Fried Rice recipe.

Soup

Sometimes a bowl of comforting soup is the best thing when you’re feeling queasy. It’s a great way to get lots of veggies in and you can blend them up if you’re not up to a minestrone style soup. Soup is another great one to add some ginger into for those anti-nausea benefits. This Carrot, Broccoli & Chickpea Soup is a great option to try.

Roast Vegetables

If you ever needed an excuse to eat roast potatoes, morning sickness might just be it. There are so many different vegetables you can roast up for a meal and it’s a great way to prepare them that might be more appealing for when you’re experiencing some of the symptoms of morning sickness. Full of roast veggies, get some inspiration from Snez’s Nutrition Bomb.

Pregnancy sometimes also comes with certain food aversions, where you are put off particular things. If this is the case, just avoid these things and go for the foods that you still enjoy. Especially in times of morning sickness, it’s best to get some food in and keep you healthy and strong while your bub grows.