In pregnancy, it can sometimes feel like you’re always saying “no” to foods you normally love and enjoy. Nine months is a long time to go without certain foods but never fear, there are some great substitutions on the market, or even foods that are made with pregnant women in mind.
Here are some of my favorites. They’re all 100% pregnancy safe, and if you love them there’s no reason not to carry on enjoying them in the future, too!
Covered in this Article:
Safe Catch Tuna, Salmon & Sardines
Safe Catch specializes in low mercury tuna, salmon and sardines in cans and pouches (click to find a wide variety of their products on Amazon).
Safe Catch Tuna is the official tuna of the American Pregnancy Association because they measure the mercury levels of every single fish they process. Everything is tested before being canned, and the technique they use preserves a lot of the natural goodness, too.
Their fish is the lowest mercury of any brand – well below the FDA averages. I eat their tuna frequently as it’s a much better quality product than many of the more popular brands.
Mommee Coffee (Coffee for Moms)
Coffee can be tricky in pregnancy. It may give you indigestion from its acidic nature, and you have to restrict your caffiene intake, too. Mommee Coffee, created by a pregnant mother, is a brilliant product that solves both problems.
It’s available in full caffeine, half-caff or even quarter caffeine levels (all of them are available on Amazon). Each blend is “low acid” so it doesn’t upset your stomach, either. On top of that, it’s FairTrade and organic, so the beans are very good quality. If you’re finding it hard to give up your morning (or even afternoon) cup, then you might consider Mommee Coffee as a good option.
Pink Stork
I originally included Pink Stork on here as they make very good quality pregnancy teas. Now they’ve expanded their product range dramatically, so you might also be interested in their other products, all of which are aimed solely at pregnant women. You can view their range on Amazon by clicking here.
Their morning sickness solutions, plus their 3rd/4th Trimester “Labor Prep” tea (pictured below) get rave reviews from other pregnant women.
Birds And Bees Teas
Water can get very boring in pregnancy, but you still have to find a way of increasing your liquid intake using pregnancy-safe drinks. Birds and Bees have a wide range of teas made especially for pregnant women (click to view their range on Amazon). They’re loose leaf, as many high-quality teas are, but they also do sampler sets that include a tea strainer (pictured below).
They’ve developed blends for morning sickness, but also lactation support, insomnia, and heartburn relief. If you’re craving more variety in the drinks you can safely have in pregnancy, there’s probably a tea you’d like. I use their immunity-boosting tea as a regular drink, too.
Anti-Nausea Solutions for Morning Sickness
As many pregnant women are aware, morning sickness doesn’t only happen in the morning, and it can last right throughout pregnancy.
It can make you downright miserable trying to find ‘natural’ non-chemical ways to combat nausea, but thankfully there are solutions available that have been made with morning sickness in mind. Three of the best are listed below:
- Sparkling Mama (click to see the range on Amazon) was developed by founder Tami Lennox when she had full-on nausea for the whole nine months. Nothing worked for her, so she developed a vitamin-enriched effervescent ‘fizzelixir’ drink to combat morning sickness. There are several flavors and it can be mixed into any drink, too.
- Three Lollies (click to see the range on Amazon) specialize in ‘pop drops’ and lollypops for pregnant women. Many women find that nausea can be relieved by sucking on a hard candy or sweet, so these ‘drops’ or ‘pops’ have been developed specifically for that purpose. Many women report good results, though some flavors are preferred over others.
- Hana Tonic (view the product page on Amazon) was originally developed by a woman who suffered from motion sickness, and then morning sickness. She developed Hana tonic to tackle both issues. It’s a ginger, lemon, pineapple and cayenne ‘shot’ with B vitamins. Fans of the tonic are those who want something VERY gingery, instead of weaker options like ginger tea.
Sarah’s Cosmic Cookie Dough
I wrote an article all about whether cookie dough is safe in pregnancy, and the conclusion – that you can’t eat it in pregnancy – can be heartbreaking for cookie dough lovers. No raw flour, and no uncooked eggs means no cookie dough. Well, not quite.
Sarah’s Cosmic Cookie Dough (click to see the range on Amazon) is made without flour and eggs, so it’s safe to eat in pregnancy. It’s made with almond flour, so it’s also high in protein and keeps you feeling full for longer, rather than high-carb versions of regular dough. It’s also suitable for those with other dietary restrictions, as it’s vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, too.
Dried / Powdered Eggs for Recipes
If you’ve read my article on egg dishes in pregnancy, then you’ll know that raw or even runny eggs are a no-no for pregnant women. This means delicious sauces like hollandaise are off the menu, along with homemade mayo, homemade ice cream, or no-bake recipes like chocolate mousse and cheesecake. If you’re a keen home cook, don’t worry – there IS a way around this, and that’s by using pasteurized eggs.
Pasteurized whole eggs are very hard to come by, but powdered eggs have been around for a long time and the quality of them has improved hugely over the last few years. So much so, it’s hard to tell the difference once they’re incorporated into a recipe. Powdered eggs are pasteurized and are safe for pregnant women.
Hoosier Hill Farm sells good quality granules – this 1lb tub is very highly reviewed on Amazon, and is the equivalent of 48 fresh eggs. The shelf life is very long and will likely last throughout your whole pregnancy, depending on how much you use.
If you’re doing other egg recipes, such as a soft meringue, Judee’s Powdered egg whites (link to check price on Amazon) are a good option, as they don’t contain any yolk. These are also pasteurized and safe for pregnant women to eat.
If you cook a lot at home, you might also be interested in my recommendations for the best food hygiene accessories in pregnancy, some food prep equipment ideas, and keeping your hands and kitchen hygienic and safe in pregnancy.