If you are wondering what to eat when pregnant, think of this guide as a trimester-by-trimester food map, not a strict rulebook. Pregnancy nutrition is not three totally different diets. The basics stay steady, while a few nutrients move into focus at different points.
You will find our dietitian-backed advice for building meals you can actually tolerate, whether nausea, cravings, appetite changes, or a busy schedule are part of your day. We will cover key nutrients by trimester, safe seafood choices, common food safety questions, prenatal vitamins, and simple ways to make pregnancy meals feel more doable.
As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your individual needs throughout your pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different and your provider can help you understand what foods, nutrients, supplements, and dietary or lifestyle changes are right for you.
How Many Calories Does a Pregnant Woman Need?
“Most people do not need extra calories in the first trimester; a common starting point is about 340 extra calories per day in the second trimester and about 452 extra calories per day in the third trimester, though needs vary by body size, activity level, weight history, and whether you are carrying multiples,” Emily Sullivan, RD says. (8)
That does not mean you need to count every bite. It means your needs usually rise later in pregnancy, and the extra calories can do some nutritional lifting.
A practical way to think about it:
In the first trimester, focus on eating what you can tolerate.
In the second trimester, add a snack or slightly larger meals if you are hungrier.
In the third trimester, keep protein, iron-rich options, calcium-rich foods, and steady snacks on your radar, especially if heartburn or early fullness makes big meals less practical.
Tracking meals in MyFitnessPal can help you spot patterns in calories, protein, iron, calcium, and other nutrients. Use those logs as a conversation starter with your healthcare team, not as a substitute for medical advice.
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What Should You Eat During the First Trimester?
In the first trimester, consider focusing on small, steady meals with folate-rich foods, choline-rich foods, protein, and simple carbohydrates you can tolerate—especially if nausea is making food feel unpredictable. (2, 3, 4, 12)
If you are searching for foods to eat in the first trimester, try starting with the basics: eggs, beans, lentils, leafy greens, fortified cereals or grains, yogurt, nuts, fruit, toast, rice, soups, and smoothies. And if nothing on this list sounds tolerable right now, that’s okay, too. The first trimester is really about eating what you can tolerate, even if it’s the same few foods on repeat.
Folate and folic acid matter early because the neural tube develops in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before someone knows they are pregnant. It is recommended to aim for 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before and during early pregnancy. (2)
Choline matters too. The pregnancy adequate intake is 450 milligrams per day, and common food sources include eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, certain beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. (4)
“If nausea is the main issue, your first trimester pregnancy diet will likely look like “whatever you can tolerate” for a while. This could mean smaller, frequent snacks, avoiding large meals, drinking fluids between meals, and trying bland foods such as crackers, broth, dry toast, or ginger-containing foods,” says Sullivan (12)
What Should You Eat During the Second Trimester?
In the second trimester, keep building balanced meals and consider paying extra attention to iron, calcium, protein, fiber-rich foods, and eating enough food to support your rising energy needs. (5, 6, 8)
Iron needs rise during pregnancy. The recommended daily amount is 27 milligrams per day. Iron-rich foods include lean meat, seafood, beans, nuts, vegetables, and fortified grain products. (5)
A simple meal idea: a bean-and-beef taco bowl with rice, salsa, avocado, and leafy greens. Add citrus, bell pepper, or strawberries on the side; vitamin C-rich foods can help with nonheme iron absorption from plant foods. (5)
Calcium also matters. It is generally recommended that pregnant adults need 1,000 milligrams per day, while pregnant teens need 1,300 milligrams per day. Calcium-rich foods include milk, yogurt, cheese, canned sardines, kale, broccoli, bok choy, and fortified foods like some plant milks, tofu, juices, and cereals. (6)
What Should You Eat During the Third Trimester?
In the third trimester, try focusing on protein, DHA-rich low-mercury seafood, iron-rich foods, and calcium-rich foods. Smaller meals or snacks may also help if fullness or heartburn make large meals uncomfortable. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
The daily recommended amount for protein during pregnancy is 71 grams per day, though individual needs vary. Protein foods can include eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, poultry, meat, fish, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. (8)
DHA is an omega-3 fat that supports fetal brain and eye development. Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, trout and herring are sources of DHA and EPA. (7)
In late pregnancy, iron deserves even extra attention. Iron deficiency becomes more common as pregnancy progresses, and low maternal iron intake or iron deficiency can affect a baby’s iron stores after birth. (5)
However, calcium also still matters in the third trimester. Keep including calcium-rich foods like yogurt, milk, cheese, fortified plant milks, tofu made with calcium, leafy greens, or canned sardines. (6)
A simple third-trimester meal could be salmon, a baked potato with the skin, broccoli, and yogurt with fruit. To make the day even more iron-focused, include foods like beans, lentils, tofu, lean meat, or iron-fortified grains in another meal or snack. (5)
What Vitamins Should You Take While Pregnant?
Talk with your healthcare professional about taking a daily prenatal vitamin, especially for nutrients that can be harder to meet through food alone, such as folic acid, iron, iodine, vitamin D, choline, and DHA.
Prenatal vitamins can vary. Some people may need more iron. Some may need vitamin D, B12, iodine, choline, DHA, or calcium support depending on their diet, labs, health history, or whether they eat vegetarian or vegan.
The main point is “prenatal vitamins are a safety net, not the whole plan. A prenatal vitamin can help cover key gaps, but food brings protein, fiber, fluids, healthy fats, and a wide array of other nutrients that a supplement does not replace,” Sullivan says. (1)
What Fish, Cheese, and Deli Meats Are Safe During Pregnancy?
For most, many foods can still fit during pregnancy when you follow a few safety rules: choose lower-mercury fish, pick pasteurized dairy products, cook foods thoroughly, and heat deli meats until steaming hot. (9, 10, 11)
For fish, think low mercury, not no fish. The FDA’s “Best Choices” are lower-mercury seafood options you can eat more often during pregnancy, such as salmon, sardines, shrimp, cod, pollock, tilapia, trout, canned light tuna, anchovies, catfish, crab, scallops, and oysters. Aim for 2 to 3 servings per week from this list. “Good Choices” can still fit, but limit them to 1 serving per week. (9)
For cheese, check the label for “pasteurized.” Safer choices include hard cheeses made with pasteurized milk, plus pasteurized cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella. (10)
For deli meats and hot dogs, heat them until they’re steaming hot before eating. If you use a food thermometer, aim for 165°F. (10)
How Can You Build Simple Pregnancy Meals?
The easiest pregnancy meals combine protein, a fiber-rich carbohydrate, a fruit or vegetable, a calcium-rich food, and a healthy fat. From there, adjust based on the trimester: gentle foods in the first, more iron and calcium in the second, and more protein, DHA, and iron-rich options in the third. (1)
First-trimester meal ideas
In the first trimester, meals can stay simple, especially if nausea is making food harder to consume. Focus on folate-rich foods, choline-rich foods, protein, and easy carbohydrates you can tolerate. (2, 4, 12)
- Eggs + whole-grain toast + fruit
- Greek yogurt + berries + granola
- Smoothie with yogurt, banana, nut butter, and spinach
Second-trimester meal ideas
In the second trimester, meals can start doing more nutrient work. Aim for iron-rich foods, calcium-rich foods, protein, and fiber-rich carbohydrates. (5, 6, 8)
- Bean-and-beef taco bowl with rice, salsa, avocado, and leafy greens
- Lentil soup + whole-grain bread + yogurt
- Tofu stir-fry with rice, broccoli, and calcium-fortified tofu
Third-trimester meal ideas
In the third trimester, try keeping protein, DHA-rich low-mercury seafood, iron-rich foods, and calcium-rich foods in the rotation. Smaller meals or snacks may also help if big meals feel uncomfortable. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- Salmon + baked potato with the skin + broccoli + yogurt with fruit
- Turkey or bean wrap with cheese, spinach, and fruit
- Iron-fortified cereal with milk, berries, and walnuts
These are examples, not rules. If your appetite or individual needs changes, adjust the format. A full dinner can become two smaller snacks. A nutrient dense smoothie can count as a meal when chewing feels like just too much. A simple bowl of cereal with milk and fruit can still be useful on a hard day.
Logging your usual meals on MyFitnessPal may help you see patterns, like whether breakfast is low in protein, whether calcium-rich foods are showing up daily, or whether nausea days leave long gaps without food. You can also use nutrient logging to compare different pregnancy meals and build a list of easy options that work by trimester.
Because pregnancy nutrition is personal, share any concerns with your healthcare professional or registered dietitian. MyFitnessPal can help organize the information, but your care team should guide your individual targets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What should you eat when nauseous during pregnancy?
Try small, frequent snacks; bland foods like crackers, toast, broth, or rice; fluids between meals; and ginger-containing foods if you tolerate them. Call your healthcare provider if vomiting is severe, does not stop, causes weight loss, or makes it hard to stay hydrated. (12)
- What fish is safe to eat during pregnancy?
Lower-mercury choices include salmon, sardines, shrimp, cod, pollock, tilapia, trout, anchovies, catfish, crab, scallops, and canned light tuna. The FDA recommends 8 to 12 ounces per week of lower-mercury seafood during pregnancy. (9)
- What cheese is safe to eat during pregnancy?
Pasteurized cheeses are the safer choice. This includes hard cheeses made with pasteurized milk, cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella made with pasteurized milk. (10)
- Do prenatal vitamins replace a balanced diet?
No. A prenatal vitamin helps cover important nutrients, but it does not replace balanced meals with protein, fiber, healthy fats, fluids, and a variety of different foods. (1)
Bottom Line
Eating during pregnancy comes down to steady, food-first meals, key nutrients by trimester, a prenatal vitamin chosen with your healthcare professional, and proper food safety techniques.
In the first trimester, focus on folic acid, choline, and foods you can tolerate. In the second, keep iron and calcium in the rotation. In the third, make room for protein and DHA-rich low-mercury seafood.
“You do not need to eat perfectly- that’s unrealistic. What can be more helpful is an eating pattern that supports you and your growing baby, helps manage your symptoms, and can evolve as your needs change through pregnancy,” Sullivan finalizes.
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The post What To Eat When Pregnant: A Trimester-by-Trimester Nutrition Guide appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.
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