Low-Energy Ways to Eat Enough in Pregnancy and Postpartum

Many people struggle with low appetite during pregnancy and postpartum.

Contrary to the cultural messaging we’ve gotten about “eating for two”, it’s more common than you might think for people to have a hard time eating enough during pregnancy or while recovering from birth. It’s common for Marlee to hear this from lactating parents during feeding consults.

We are not dietitians or nutritionists, but we have 1) worked with many clients who’ve had a hard time getting enough to eat during their childbearing year, and 2) personally struggled with low appetite at different points during our lives.

Setting expectations here: This is not a blog post about optimal pregnancy or postpartum nutrition.

There is a lot of information out there about this (and we’re happy to share more resources if you have any questions). If the option is eating nothing or eating something that you might not describe as “healthy”, remember that food is morally neutral.

Instead, what we’re focused on in this post is giving people with low appetite some easier ideas for snacks and meals during the perinatal time.

Here are some tips to help you get more food without being in the kitchen for hours or spending a ton on take-out each week.

Focus on protein

Our bodies need a LOT of protein during pregnancy. If you’re having a hard time getting enough to eat, trying to get more protein specifically can be a great goal.

One easy way to add more protein to your day is to find a protein drink/shake that you enjoy.

If you have a hard time with protein drinks, try mixing them with a creamy base (your milk of choice) instead of water and see if that helps.

Here are a few brands we’ve liked personally in case it’s helpful to have a starting point:

• Naked Nutrition (plant-based and whey options - we love the chocolate whey)

• Orgain (plant-based and whey options)

• NowSports (whey)

• Thorne MediClear (plant-based, on the sweeter side)

• Ka’chava (plant-based)

• For a pre-made option you can just grab out of the fridge, try Trader Joe’s banana and almond butter, chocolate almond, and vanilla spiced chai smoothies

You could consider having a flavored protein powder to drink on its own, and an unflavored option to mix in with other dishes for a sneaky protein boost.

If you have a hard time getting these to mix properly, we recommend keeping a couple odor-resistant Blender Bottles on hand. They do a great job mixing protein powder and they stand up well to frequent use.

Protein-rich foods to stock in your refrigerator:

• Yogurt (experiment with different brands/flavors to find something appetizing to you)

• Cheese

• Cottage cheese (try adding a slice or two of canned peaches or pears for a little extra sweetness)

• Eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, over-easy, egg salad, etc.)

• Sous-vide egg bites for a heat-and-eat breakfast (Costco usually has a veggie option and a bacon/gouda option)

• Sandwich ingredients (deli meat and cheese, etc.)

Protein-rich snacks for your pantry:

• Powdered bone broth like Bare Bones (add to hot water for a savory protein-rich drink)

• Tuna for tuna salad sandwiches

• Jerky of choice (Chomp sticks are popular)

• Nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, peanuts, walnuts, etc.)

• Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)

• Nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, etc.) - this can be great with some sliced apples or celery

• Higher protein baking mixes (we love Kodiak’s chocolate chip brownie mix and pancake/waffle mix)

• Sandwich bread

• Sandwich toppings (peanut butter, jam, etc.)

• Cereal

• Granola

• Popcorn

Take advantage of easy produce

FEEL NO GUILT as you add pre-cut fruits and veggies to your cart! A big bonus here: a lot of produce can easily be eaten one-handed, a huge benefit once you’re caring for a newborn.

Some of our favorite low-effort produce options:

Vegetables

• Party veggie trays with dip (get one for the week and eat a little bit each day)

• Pre-cut carrots

• Pre-cut celery

• Pre-cut mushrooms

• Cherry or grape tomatoes

• Snap peas

• Mini sweet peppers

• Hummus or your favorite veggie dip to keep on hand

• Canned or jarred olives

• Potatoes (bake or microwave and add your favorite toppings for a quick meal)

• Salad kits (Trader Joe’s Mediterranean and Lemon Arugula Basil are our favorites). These can be great as a standalone snack, or as an easy way to add some veggies to your lunch or dinner.

• “Steam in bag” veggies are great to stock in your freezer. We often think of these as side dishes, but they can make great low-effort snacks - just add a little seasoning and/or butter or oil of choice after you take them out of the microwave.

Fruits

• Bananas

• Pre-cut melon

• Pre-cut apple slices

• Pre-cut mango

• Pre-cut pineapple

• Pre-cut “fruit salad” mixes

• Berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries)

• Cherries (just remember you’ll need something to spit the pits into)

• Grapes

• Dried fruits (apricots, cherries, apples, bananas, etc.)

Try some quick make-ahead breakfasts

Overnight oats

This is an easy way to make a filling breakfast in a batch.

Method: Put the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, stir well, then cover and refrigerate. Making one batch can last you a week or so and only takes a few minutes to put together. To serve, put the amount you want in a bowl and add a little milk of choice.

Vanilla

This is based on Feel Good Foodie’s recipe. To serve, put the amount you want in a bowl and add a little extra milk of choice.

• 3 cups oats

• 3 cups milk of choice

• 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

• 6 tablespoons chia seeds

• 6 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Optional: 3 servings of unflavored protein powder

• Optional: Top with berries or choice (feel free to use frozen berries so you don’t have to worry about using up fresh berries before they go bad)

Peanut butter banana

We got this recipe from my sister and it is delicious!

• 3 cups oats

• 3 cups milk of choice

• 3 ripe bananas, sliced

• 3/4 cup powdered peanut butter

• 6 tsp chia seeds

• Optional: 3 servings of unflavored protein powder

Chia Seed “Pudding”

Chia pudding is a creamy breakfast option that is quick to prepare and delicious to eat. There are endless flavor options. If neither of these sounds good to you, I recommend a Pinterest search for other ideas.

Method: Mix ingredients well. Refrigerate in a covered mixing bowl, or in individual portions (like mason jars). You might want to stir it again after 15 minutes or so of putting it in the fridge since it can get a little clumpy.

Pumpkin

Believe us, this is great year-round! This recipe is from The Natural Nurturer.

• 3 cups milk of choice

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

• 3/4 cup chia seeds

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 3/8 tsp salt

Chocolate

• 2 1/4 cups milk of choice

• 1/2 cup chia seeds

• 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

Delivery services

This isn’t feasible for everyone, but if it’s in your budget there are a couple delivery options you might find helpful.

Hungryroot

Hungryroot is a meal delivery service that also offers snack/grocery items for delivery. They have options for various dietary needs, as well as a lot of quick-to-make meals that take advantage of some pre-prepared items. You can fully customize each week’s delivery to include foods that sound good to you.

Kencko

Kencko offers powdered freeze-dried fruit/veggie smoothie packets. They’re super quick to make (just mix with water/milk of choice) and there are a lot of flavors to choose from. We are partial to the crimson, beet red, yellow, and gold packets.

Take-out strategy

Realistically take-out still might be helpful sometimes when you just don’t have the energy to cook or nothing you have at home sounds appetizing.

Here’s a strategy to help you eliminate some decision fatigue around what to order if you decide it’s a take-out kind of night:

• Make a list of restaurant options with take-out meals you enjoy and that are in your budget

• For each restaurant, pull up the menu and jot down 2 or 3 meal options that usually sound appetizing

• Be sure to include some places that are extremely close or convenient so you have some very low-effort options on hand

Keep this list handy for times when cooking just isn’t going to happen to make your ordering process quicker.

We hope this gives you some doable ways to have easy meals and snacks on hand!

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