We’ve all been there. We are in a rush to get out the door, so we decide to skip breakfast. Maybe we grab a coffee and sandwich from the coffee shop, but chances are by the time lunch rolls around you are starving. And sometimes we even skip lunch depending if there are too many errands, too many meetings or the kids have us running in circles. But there is something about being pregnant that makes us more aware of how we should be eating on a daily basis.
It is nice that many celebrity mamas like Chrissy Teigen are sharing about the help that they have to stay on track with their eating and workout regimens. While we may not have personal chefs, we share some prenatal superfoods that are good for all the members of the family! These are some easy meal ideas to get everyone including mama-to-be powered up. Even if you are eating out, there are lots of great healthy options. One of the things my husband loves to do is to grab a menu from the restaurants we like and see if we can recreate it at home. We share some of our favorite dishes from Bay Club’s Café Vida, many of which you can recreate at home too.
Bay Club Cafe Vida Low Carb Protein Bowl
Beans In addition to providing protein and fiber, they are also a great source for iron, folate, calcium and zinc.
- Café Vida’s Low Carb Protein Bowl-Grilled chicken breast drizzled with roasted- tomato sauce, egg whites, shredded lettuce, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, and guacamole, served over black beans
- Santa Fe Salad-Grilled Chicken, black beans, tomatoes, corn, and avocado over a bed of lettuce topped with tortilla strips. I throw chicken in the crock pot with taco mix and then shred it to make this salad.
Bay Club Cafe Vida Purple Powerhouse Smoothie
Berries are packed with vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber.
- Acai Bowl-Take a scoop of Acai and top with granola, strawberries, blueberries and bananas.
- Café Vida’s Purplepowerhouse V-Sambazon Acai berries, orange juice, strawberries, blueberries, and a banana. When we make this one, we sub orange juice with almond milk and add our favorite protein powder.
Eggs are a good source of protein and amino acids which you and baby need. They also contain more than a dozen vitamins and minerals, including choline, which is good for baby’s brain development.
- Café Vida’s Balance Breakfast Bowl- Egg whites with spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, and roasted tomato-jalapeño sauce on top of Spanish brown rice topped with guacamole. Choice of chicken breast or marinated tofu. Our family devours these! I literally have to fight my son off my plate because he wants more “eggy bowl.”
- Breakfast quiche-Use a gluten-free or regular pie crust. Add eggs and your favorite veggies. We love spinach, tomato and mushroom. We make these when we have guests because they are relatively easy, but make everyone feel like you are eating out.
Bay Club Cafe Vida Balance Breakfast Bowl
Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is crucial for the development of baby’s brain and eyes. It also provides protein and B vitamins.
- Grilled salmon and asparagus. Put over a bed of brown rice or riced cauliflower.
- Salmon & goat cheese quesadilla-Put salmon and goat cheese in a tortilla and heat.
Avocado is loaded with fiber and high in healthy fats.
- Café Vida’s mango, chicken & avocado salad. Check out the recipe here. This is a great one for a warm summer night when you don’t feel like cooking over the stove.
- You can sub chips with jicama sticks or carrots. This is one of our family’s go-to snacks.
Bay Club Cafe Vida Avocado, Chicken Mango Salad
Sweet Potatoes– They provide carbohydrates, vitamin C, folate and fiber.
- Baked sweet potato fries-Fight off those pregnancy cravings with this alternative.
- Stuffed sweet potato-Top sweet potato with ground beef/turkey, cheese, tomato and other toppings.
Whole Grains -They are a great source of carbohydrates and fiber
- Overnight oats-Put oatmeal, berries, and milk in a jar in fridge overnight and enjoy the next morning.
- Avocado toast-Enjoy the latest health craze. Take a piece of toast and top with egg and avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Lean Beef- is packed with protein, vitamins B6 and B12. It also contains zinc and iron in their most absorbable form.
- Steak kabobs-Grill up steak and some veggies. Any excuse to fire up the grill usually means mama has the night off from cooking!
- Café Vida’s Steak Soft Tacos-Grilled beef let tips with chipotle adobo sauce, mozzarella cheese, guacamole, and pico de gallo on corn tortillas. Served with a mixed greens salad.
Bay Club Cafe Vida Steak Tacos
These are just suggestions. We are not doctors or nutritionists. Please consult your physician if you have any dietary restrictions.
We were given meals at the Bay Club’s Café Vida, but all of our thoughts and opinions are our own.
