Resources
Families have many important choices to make when expecting a new baby. Please browse the links section where you will find our trusted resources. If you have any questions or would like any further information, call us at 405-447-9433. We are more than happy to help.
We know making good nutritional decisions is a challenge for all of us. In pregnancy, it becomes vital to feed yourself and your baby with the right foods for proper growth. As women that love to cook, we have put together recipes we use at home that make the most of the ingredients you need during your pregnancy.
Nutritional Guidelines
Protein: We recommend 60-80 grams of protein each day for the average pregnant woman. Some women need more such as those with Gestational Diabetes, Pregnancy Induced Hypertension or Preeclampsia.
Dairy: milk, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Greek yogurt
Meats: beef, poultry, pork, buffalo, turkey, lamb, cooked fish
Seeds and Nuts: peanuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, soy nuts
Legumes: pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, lentils
We recommend that pregnant women eat 200 grams complex carbohydrates daily.
Whole Grains: Brown rice, wild rice, sprouted rice, millet, old fashioned or steel cut oats, sprouted whole grain bread, whole wheat sourdough bread, quinoa, etc.
Fruits: We recommend pregnant women eat 2 servings of fruit daily to obtain vital minerals and vitamins contained within colorful fruits. Cherries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, grapefruit, kiwi, peach and tangerine.
Green Leafy Vegetables: We encourage two good sized salads per day: dark green leafy lettuce, spinach, kale, Swiss Chard, turnip greens, collard greens, broccoli, etc.
Vegetables: We recommend pregnant women get a wide variety of vegetables and at least 5 servings per day. Variety in color provides variety in nutrients!
Red Vegetables: tomatoes, red bell peppers
Yellow / Orange vegetables: yellow/orange bell peppers, squash, pumpkin
Green Vegetables: broccoli, green beans, celery, asparagus, okra, avocado.
Fats should make up approximately 30% of your total caloric intake each day.
We recommend that you use healthy fats such as: olive oil, avocado oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, cheese, eggs, nuts, chia seeds, salmon, tuna, flaxseeds, olives, meat, MCT oil
We recommend maintaining healthy sodium levels during pregnancy. Salt food to taste at the table. We recommend mineral-rich salts such as Himalayan salt, Celtic Sea Salt, Real Salt, VegeSalt. Include foods that are abundant in natural sodium such as celery, cucumber, kelp, and dulce (seaweed).
Hydration is vitally important to the health of the mother and baby. To determine your water intake for the day, take your weight and divide it by 2. The answer to this equation is the minimum number of ounces of water that you need for hydration. As your baby grows and your weight increases, your minimums will change.
Protein: Alfalfa spouts (contain 150% more protein than other grains – one source is Ezekiel Bread), whole grains legumes, nuts, seeds, yogurt, avocados, cheese, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, fish, meats, and poultry.
Iron: Comfrey leaf, raisins, apricots, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ, oats leafy greens, kelp, seeds legumes, eggs, fish, poultry, yellow dock, parsley, dandelions, and nettles.
Calcium: Dark green leafy vegetables, sesame seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, cheese, yogurt, milk, soybeans, bone meal, watercress, raw beet juice, molasses, whole grains, alfalfa, nettles, eggs, dried fruits, parsley, dried seaweed, and carob powder.
Vitamin C: Rose hips, citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, green/yellow/orange/red bell peppers, cabbage, broccoli, paprika, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, cantaloupes, strawberries, and nettles
Vitamin D: Sunshine, egg yolks, bone meal, sunflower seeds, fish oils, tuna, salmon, and nettles.
Vitamin E: Dark green leafy vegetables, wheat germ, eggs, sunflower seeds, nuts, molasses, and sweet potatoes.
Vitamin B6: Green leafy vegetables, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, blackstrap molasses, prunes, nuts, cabbage, bananas, and sunflower seeds.
Vitamin B12: Cheese, milk, Brewer’s yeast, soybeans, wheat germ oil, comfrey, fish, pickles, and spirulina.
Folic Acid: Uncooked dark green leafy vegetables, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, milk, cheese, whole grains, and dates.
Niacin: Legumes, nutritional yeast, milk products, rice bran seeds, whole grain, lean meats, poultry, and fish.
Riboflavin: Leafy greens, mushrooms, brown rice, blackstrap molasses, and nutritional yeast.
Thiamine: Brown rice, nutritional yeast, whole grains, blackstrap molasses, meat, fish and poultry.
Phosphorus: Seeds, legumes, grains, eggs, yellow cheeses, fish meat, tofu, and poultry.
Iodine: Kelp, leafy greens, iodized salt, and sea salt.
Magnesium: Honey, green leafy vegetables, nuts, dried beans, spinach, kelp, bran, alfalfa, sea foods, and whole grains.
Zinc: Soybeans, spinach, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, comfrey, whole wheat, oysters, bran, and pumpkin seeds.
Vitamin K: Alfalfa, nettles, kelp, shepherds purse, egg yolk, sunflower oil, cauliflower, kefir, and leafy vegetables.
This by no means is a complete list, but it’s a good start. Remember, the more foods that you eat raw and fresh, the more nutrition you and your baby will get. There is very little nutrition in overcooked and canned foods.
Proteins
Milk:
Whole: 1qt – 32 grams
Skim: 1qt – 36 grams
Powered: 1 cup – 30 grams
Unsweetened Soy Milk: 1 cup – 8 grams
Yogurt: skim, 1 cup – 8 grams
Greek Yogurt: 1 cup – 15 grams
Custard, baked: – 13 grams
Ice Cream: 1 cup – 6 grams
Ice Milk: 1 cup – 9 grams
Cheese:
Cottage: 1 cup – 34 grams
Cheddar: ½ cup – 14 grams
Cream: 1/2 oz – 6 grams
Roquefort: 1 oz- 6 grams
Swiss: 1 oz – 6 grams
Eggs: 2 – 12 grams
Beef: 3oz – 21 grams
Steak: 3oz – 20 grams
Corned Beef: 3oz – 22 grams
Chicken/broiled: 3oz – 23 grams
Lamb: 4oz – 24oz
Pork: 3oz – 18 grams
Ham: 3oz – 16 grams
Turkey: 3½oz – 27 grams
Veal: 3oz – 23 grams
Kidney/braised: 3½oz – 33 grams
Frankfurter: 2 – 14 grams
Seafood:
Clams/steamed: 3oz – 12 grams
Cod/broiled: 3½oz – 28 grams
Crab meat: 3oz – 14 grams
Fish Sticks/breaded: 5 – 19grams
Flounder/baked: 3½oz – 30 grams
Haddock/fried: 3oz – 16 grams
Halibut/broiled: 3½oz – 26 grams
Lobster/steamed: ½ med – 18 grams
Shrimp/steamed: 3oz – 23 grams
Swordfish/broiled: 1 steak – 27 grams
Tuna/canned: 3 oz – 26 grams
Salmon: 4 oz – 24 grams
Artichoke: 1 – 2 grams
Asparagus: 6 spears – 1 gram
Beans:
Green: 1 cup – 1 gram
Lima: 1 cup – 8 grams
Navy: ¾ cup – 11grams
Red Kidney: 1 cup – 15 grams
Soybeans: 1 cup – 22 grams
Pinto: 1 cup – 16 grams
Beet Greens: 1 cup – 5 grams
Broccoli: 1 cup – 1 gram
Cabbage: 1 cup – 1 gram
Carrots: 1 cup- 1 gram
Cauliflower: 1 cup – 3 grams
Celery: 1 cup – 1 gram
Corn: 1 ear – 4 grams
Lentils: 1 cup – 15 grams
Mushrooms: ½ cup – 2 grams
Peas: 1 cup – 3 grams
Split peas: ½ cup – 8 grams
Potatoes: ¾ cup – 4 grams
Squash:
Summer: 1 cup – 1 gram
Winter: 1 cup – 4 grams
Tomatoes: 1 cup -2 grams
Turnip Greens: 1 cup – 4 grams
Turnips: 1 cup – 1 gram
Fruits: 1 cup – 1-2 grams
Dates: 1 cup – 4 grams
Bran Flakes: 1 cup – 3 grams
Bread:
Cracked Wheat: 1 slice – 1 gram
Rye: 1 slice – 2 grams
Whole Wheat: 1 slice – 2 grams
Cornmeal: 1 cup – 9 grams
Soy Flour: 1 cup – 5 grams
Whole Wheat Flour: 1 cup 12 grams
Macaroni/uncooked: 1 cup – 5 grams
Macaroni/ cheese: 1 cup – 18 grams
Whole Wheat Spaghetti: 2oz – 7 grams
Whole Wheat Penne: 1 cup – 7 grams
Oatmeal: 1 cup – 14 grams
Rice/uncooked: 1 cup – 14 grams
Brown Rice: 1 cup – 16 grams
Wheat germ: 1 cup – 17 grams
Barilla Plus Rotini: 2oz – 10 grams
Quinoa: 1 cup – 22 grams
Sunflower Seeds: ½ cup – 12 grams
Almonds/Cashews: ½ cup – 12 grams
Peanuts: 1/3 cup – 13 grams
Peanut Butter: 1/3 cup – 13 grams
Sesame Seeds: ½ cup – 9 grams
Walnuts: ½ cup – 7 grams
Brewer’s Yeast: ¼ cup – 13 grams
Sneaky Ways to Increase Protein In Your Diet
Milk Shakes: From nonfat dry milk (reconstituted, ice and flavorings), Spirutein Protein Powder
Protein Bars and Shakes: Make sure they are low in sugar / carb.
Roasted Soy Nuts: Buy at the health food store or make your own by soaking soy beans in water in a refrigerator for 2 nights, changing the water once. Drain and roast in a 300 degree oven on a lightly oiled pan until light brown.
Cheese, Cheese Cheese: Add grated cheese to eggs, sandwiches, casseroles salads, snacks, whole wheat crackers or celery. Cottage Cheese has the highest protein content with 34 grams per cup.
Non-fat dry milk: Add to hamburgers, meatballs, meatloaf, casseroles, and breads.
Soy Flour: Add to bread ¼ cup when baking.
Eggs: Keep hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator for snacking, breakfast, or salads.
Sunflower Seeds/Walnuts/Almonds: Add to sandwiches and salads / natural peanut butter or other nut butters.
Wheat Germ: Add to baked goods and old fashioned oatmeal.
Brewer’s Yeast: Increase needed B vitamins too and helps combat fatigue.
Combining Vegetable Proteins to make a complete protein:
Rice + legumes, corn + legumes, wheat + legumes, + wheat + sesame + soybeans, + rice + sesame, + rice + Brewer’s Yeast, beans + corn, vegetables + mushrooms or nuts or sesame seeds.
Beans: Hummus or Use beans as a side dish or in your salad.
Greek Yogurt: Use instead of sour cream or milk.
Quinoa: Use instead of rice.
Year-Round Immune System Support:
- Daily exercise, such as walking, swimming, prenatal yoga
- Focus on hydration
- Daily quiet time through prayer, meditation, or mindful reflection
- Prenatal vitamins
- Multi-strain Probiotics- Immune system support