6 Ideal Shakes for Pregnancy
Your nutritional needs vary greatly when you’re expecting the arrival of a baby. It’s your job to properly choose what you eat and drink to make sure you’re eating healthy food for both of you. With that in mind, we want to tell you about 6 ideal shakes for pregnancy, which contain an adequate nutritional load and are delicious, too.
Remember that these shakes are complements and can’t replace any of your main meals. Also, keep in mind that you must use fresh and natural ingredients to prepare them.
Easy cooking: Ideal shakes for pregnancy
The following preparations are simple and convenient to consume.
1.- Ginger and apple smoothie
This shake is ideal to relieve the morning sickness that occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy. You can consume it at any time of the day.
Ingredients
- 2 small apples
- 4 ounces of water or apple juice
- 2 ounces of lemon juice
- Grated ginger
- ½ cup diced mango
Preparation
- Wash the products carefully. Then mix the apples, water, or juice and blend until the apple is smooth. Finally, add the mango and ginger and finish blending.
2.- Plum and banana smoothie
This creamy shake is convenient for your body due to its high fiber content. It’s ideal for women who are constipated at some point in their pregnancy.
At the same time, the fibers it contains are capable of fermenting at the intestinal level, thus improving the quality of the microbiota. This association is reflected in a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- ¼ cup of prunes
- ½ banana
Preparation
- To prepare this delicious smoothie, you just need to add all the ingredients to your blender and blend for one minute. You can serve it with ice cubes.
- Use a ripe banana, which is rich in pectin and fiber. Green bananas contain starches that, in many cases, slow down digestion.
“Pregnancy constitutes one of the stages of greatest nutritional vulnerability in a woman’s life. This is because, during gestation, there’s an important anabolic activity that determines an increase in maternal nutritional needs”
–UNICEF–
3.- Energizing shake
This shake contains a balanced mix of flavors and nutrients. The natural sugars present in the ingredients will provide you with the energy supply you need for your daily life.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of coconut milk
- 4 ounces of orange juice
- ½ cup of fresh mixed berries
- ½ small apple
- Half a cup of fresh spinach
- ½ avocado
- ½ cup of Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt
Preparation
- Put all the ingredients in your blender and wait for the magic to be done. Serve cold and drink it as soon as you’re finished preparing it. It’s not a good idea to refrigerate it.
4.- Smoothie rich in iron
In this shake, foods with abundant iron and vitamin C are combined, which allows the absorption of nutrients. The ingredients are enough for a large serving.
Remember that vitamin C is an essential nutrient to ensure immune function, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients. Its regular intake reduces the risk of contracting infectious diseases.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of orange juice
- 4 ounces of water
- ½ cup of fresh spinach
- ½ cup diced beets
- 3 chopped dates
Now you just have to put the mixture in the blender and it’ll be ready to consume.
5.- Smoothie with high protein content
This drink will give you a great supply of protein and fiber. The combination of sweet and sour flavors will refresh and nourish you at the same time.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of fresh green cabbage
- 1 cup of tropical fruits of your choice
- 1 kiwi, peeled and cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons of almonds
- 1 teaspoon flaxseed
- 1 cup of cold water
Preparation
- Grind the almonds and flaxseed until very small pieces are left. Then mix all the ingredients in the blender. You can consume this shake at any time of the day.
6.- Protein shake for pregnancy
This shake is one of the richest in nutrients and you’ll also enjoy its rich flavor. It’s ideal for times when you have cravings.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces of soy milk
- ¼ cup of tofu
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- ½ frozen banana
Preparation
- Put all the ingredients in the blender and, if you want it to have a more liquid texture, add more soy milk.
Don’t forget
- The most necessary nutrients during pregnancy are folic acid, iron, electrolytes, vitamin D, protein, Omega 3, and fiber.
- The best ingredients to prepare ideal shakes for pregnancy are green vegetables, nuts, organic dairy, ginger, and legumes.
- Those that your body doesn’t need are unhygienic products, unpasteurized foods, drinks with caffeine, and added sugars.
Dedicate a little of your day to feeding yourself better and giving your baby the nutrients it needs to grow healthy. As you can see, it won’t take you more than 5 minutes to prepare these ideal shakes for pregnancy.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Carr A., Magginni S. (2017). Vitamin C and immune function. Nutrients. 9 (11): 1211. Recuperado de: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29099763/
- Casas R., Castro S., et al. (2020). Impact of sugary food consumption on pregnancy: a review. Nutrients. 12 (11): 3574. Recuperado de: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7700555/
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- John Hopkins Medicine. Nutrition during pregnancy. Recuperado el 10 de febrero 2023 de: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/nutrition-during-pregnancy
- Hallberg L., Brune M., Rossander L. (1989). The role of vitamin C in iron absorption. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. 30: 103-8. Recuperado de: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2507689/
- Lin D., Peters BA., Friedlander C., Freiman HJ., et al. (2018). Association of dietary fibre intake and gut microbiota in adults. British Journal of Nutrition. 120 (9): 1014-1022. Recuperado de: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30355393/
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- Sayago S., García D., Ramírez A., et al. (2021). Tropical fruits and their co-products as bioactive compounds and their health effects: a review. Foods. 10 (8): 1952. Recuperado de: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8393595/
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