Pregnancy is a time when you go through a flurry of emotions. Sometimes, besides feeling anxious or going through a lot internally, you also get wake up with morning sickness. Morning sickness is described as a feeling that gives pregnant moms a sense of unease. It may or may not accompany vomiting, depending on how they feel. Some moms don’t experience it at all and it mostly depends on various factors like genetics, lifestyle, family medical history etc.
If you’ve been struggling with morning sickness, here is some good news for you. You can eat specific foods to relieve morning sickness and make your life easier. We’ll get into that below.
Foods to Help With Morning Sickness
Are you looking for foods that help your morning sickness and not hurt it? You’ve come to the right place. We’ll tell you exactly what to eat so that you feel better instantly. Take your time and go through our list.
- Homemade Ginger Cookies – Ginger cookies are a good source of glucose and carbs. If you chop a few pieces of ginger, boil them with sugar and make an ale out of it, you will find that it helps in relieving morning sickness. Ginger helps in fighting against nausea and the cookies are filling since they’re packed with calories. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and limit your portion sizes
- Lemonade – High in Vitamin C and antioxidants, it is alkaline and low in calories. It helps your body boost iron absorption too. Don’t use sugar for making this and go with pink salt instead.
- Watermelon Feta Salad – Eat a fresh, easy to make watermelon feta salad. Watermelon prevents dehydration and when you add feta cheese, you get the benefits of probiotics. Make sure you use pasteurized grass-fed feta cheese to avoid any bacterial infections and contamination.
- Banana Oat Muffins – Oats are excellent complex carbs for your body and digest slowly. The bananas give you your daily potassium and when you use vanilla essence as a natural sweetener, they taste just great!
- Potato Chips – Aha! You thought snacks weren’t allowed, did you? Potato chips are a welcome option and are one of the many morning sickness-friendly foods out there.
- Fortified Cereals – While sugary cereals are not encouraged, fortified cereals with zero added sugars are excellent for beating morning sickness. They are packed with nutrition and supply you with the much-needed B-vitamins.
- Sour Foods – Sour foods like green apples, red bananas and lemons are great in alleviating morning sickness. Try them!
- Vegetable Stews and soups – Piping hot vegetable stews, soups and broths are good for treating morning sickness. They have vitamins, minerals and enzymes that improve gut health and make you feel better.
- Pretzels – Pregnant moms swear by pretzels when you ask them: “What food is good for morning sickness?” It’s actually a snack, but a tasty and effective one at that.
- Toast – A slice of toast or two won’t hurt you but help you. You get calories, carbs and vitamins needed to relieve morning sickness.
- Indian Gooseberries – Fruits help with morning sickness, especially if you go with vitamin C-rich ones. Indian gooseberries or Amla are an excellent option.
- Flavoured Popsicles – If you’re visiting the snack section of your grocery aisle anytime soon, look for flavoured popsicles. We suggest fruit-flavoured ones.
- Whole-grain Bread – Whole-grain bread is full of healthy fibre and good for you. It makes you feel better too.
Drinks to Help With Morning Sickness
Eating isn’t the only way to treat your morning sickness. If you’re not feeling hungry or are simply feeling full from last night’s dinner, you can drink your way to feeling better instead. No, not alcohol but healthy beverages that help your cause. Here is a list of non-carbonated and carbonated drinks for morning sickness.
- Peppermint Tea – If you’re someone who craves a hot cup of tea to ease your morning sickness, you’ll find peppermint tea to do wonders.
- Plain Water – Staying hydrated is key to preventing morning sickness. Don’t underestimate it!
- Coca Cola – Coca Cola is a carbonated drink that’s loaded with electrolytes. You’d be surprised how it makes you feel better. Plus, the added caffeine helps with focus and staying energised.
- Chamomile Tea – Chamomile helps in relaxation and making you feel calm. It facilitates smooth digestion also.
- Fortified Vitamin Water – Any vitamin water that’s fortified with B-vitamins and trace minerals will calm your morning sickness. There are many brands you can look into for this.
- Cranberry Juice – Cranberry juice is a sweet delight with a pleasant surprise. The natural sugar or fructose in it eases feelings of sickness in the mornings.
- Peanut Butter Smoothie – Peanut butter smoothie is loaded with healthy fats and B-vitamins. It’s an energizing beverage worth adding.
- Orange Juice – High in Vitamin C and several antioxidants, it helps in producing stomach acid and supplies your body with vitamins that prevent those symptoms.
- Oat Milk – A chilled glass of oat milk first thing in the morning will leave you feeling refreshed and not uneasy.
- Carrot Juice – Carrot Juice is an excellent choice for those who are sensitive to dairy. It’s a good way to ease into your mornings.
Simple and Healthy Recipes to Fight Morning Sickness
We get it that you don’t have a lot of time to meal prep for the mornings. That’s why we’ve listed some of the easiest and simplest recipes for you. These treat morning sickness and they’re also delicious.
1. Morning Sickness Ultra Smoothie
This is a delicious smoothie that glams up the mornings and leaves you feeling energised. Try it out and you’ll love it.
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana
- A sachet of pregnancy smoothie mix
- 1 tsp of grated ginger
- ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
- 250 ml milk (any kind)
Instructions
- Pour the ingredients in a blender and mix until you get a smooth consistency.
- Refrigerate overnight and have it chilled in the mornings.
2. Nut Smoothie
If you feel depleted in the mornings, you’re probably running low on calories. Try this delicious nut smoothie which promises healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put the fruits in the blender and add the nuts with the milk on top. Blend until you get a smooth and creamy consistency. You can adjust the portions for the nuts and milk, based on your personal preferences.
- Pour the drink into a tall glass and serve chilled.
- Garnish with dry fruits and more nuts, if needed.
3. Dandelion Tea
Dandelion tea has been known to be an effective morning sickness tea for those looking for relief. It boosts liver function and has several vitamins such as Vitamin A, calcium, iron and potassium. However, too much of it can make it a diuretic, which is important to note.
Ingredients
- Chopped dandelion leaves
- Water
Instructions
- Take two cups of chopped dandelion leaves in a saucepan. Pour four cups of water to it and cover it.
- Heat the water until it comes to boiling temperature. Remove from the heat and cover it.
- Let the tea sit overnight to get infused with the goodness of dandelion leaves.
- Strain it and have it in the morning.
- If the tea is too strong, use more water to dilute and make the taste mild.
4. Spinach and Mint Juice
If you find yourself vomiting a lot, you need to replenish your electrolytes and stay hydrated. This spinach and mint juice will do the trick.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of chopped spinach leaves
- 1 cup of chopped mint leaves
- ½ a cup of chopped coriander leaves
- 1tbsp of lemon juice
- 1tsp of cumin seed powder
- Crushed ice (optional)
Instructions
- Put the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- You can add a few cubes of crushed ice to make it chilled.
- If you’d like a natural sweetener to go along with your smoothie, you can also add in a few stevia drops. Serve fresh.
5. Black Grape Shake
Black grape shake is an amazing pregnancy smoothie recipe. It’s rich in both flavour and texture, making it a delight to have in the mornings.
Ingredients
- A cup of black grapes
- A cup of Greek yoghurt
- A cup of any milk (chilled)
- 2 tsp of powdered sugar or raw honey
Instructions
- Pour the ingredients in a blender and mix.
- Add crushed ice and blend again until it’s smooth and chilled.
- Have it immediately in the morning or refrigerate overnight to have it the next day.
What Food Items Can Make Morning Sickness Worse?
As much as it’s important to be aware of what to eat to relieve morning sickness, it’s also important to be aware of what not to. These foods have a high probability of triggering your symptoms and make you feel worse. Here’s what you should be watching out for.
- Not Eating Anything Will Make It Worse – Before we even get into morning sickness foods to avoid, just know that not eating will make your symptoms worse. Don’t skip breakfast!
- Spicy foods – Foods that trigger morning sickness a lot are spicy dishes.
- Onions – Onions can make your symptoms worse, so avoid them
- Garlic – Pregnant moms find that they don’t tolerate garlic well during the first trimester. It’s best to avoid it to avoid triggering symptoms.
- Alcohol and caffeine – Alcohol and caffeine can trigger morning sickness. Plus, they are unhealthy during pregnancy. Any foods that contain these two ingredients, especially alcohol, should be avoided ideally.
These are the things you need to know about what to eat and what to avoid for treating your morning sickness. We know pregnancy is a tough time, so be gentle on yourself. But, in the meantime, enjoy our delicious recipes and look forward to greeting your newborn soon. Happy motherhood and congratulations on the baby.
Also Read:
Morning Sickness during Night
Is Morning Sickness A Good Sign during Pregnancy?
Effective Remedies for Morning Sickness during Pregnancy
This post was last modified on September 25, 2020 6:02 pm