Prenatal Superfoods!

These are a guideline... if there are foods you LOVE and crave that aren't on either list, they are likely just fine... these are client pages for your eyes only... and as a client you know you can always check in with me if you have any questions or concerns!  Get more FOOD INSPIRATION HERE {I always note if something is ideal or not recommended for pregnancy}.  
If you would like to share this info... please pass on this link. 

I will include dairy recommendations, however, it is completely safe and healthy to have a nutritious VEGAN pregnancy. Almonds and leafy greens are great sources of calcium. 

I believe {and Ayurveda concludes} that eating well during pregnancy sets you up for more easeful postpartum period, a child who will his or her veggies, and in the longterm, a healthier transition into menopause. Rest assured, that your baby will get what he or she needs in utero. Many of the prenatal dietary concerns are to prevent depletion in the mother later in the future. For example, your baby needs plenty of calcium. If you don't consume enough, he or she will pull it from your blood stream. That's great for baby but not so good for your bones in the future. Of course, make sure to take your prenatal vitamins + DHA but the BEST way to reliably nourish yourself is with food. 
A world about the trimesters ~ We are looking for the most nutrient dense foods we can have during pregnancy. Lots of iron, calcium, protein, and minerals! These foods build a healthy baby, protect Mama, and even help with breastmilk production. As your pregnancy continues, your diet should get heavier and more nutrient dense. Especially during the 2nd trimester. Early on, you may have nausea and a limited palate so you'll want what you eat to really count. If you are truly limited due to nausea, don't worry, you'll load up on nutrients during the 2nd trimester. Late in pregnancy you may have heartburn, or a feeling of heaviness and not be able to eat much at a time, so again, what you take in really should be nutrient rich. You can have a totally healthy vegetarian or vegan pregnancy. If you are non-veg, you will do more meat during the 2nd trimester when your digestion is powerful. 

Fun Fact ~ In the first trimester you may crave sour things {tamarind, lemon, lime}... this is an early sign of pregnancy. It means Vata is increased, which happens when your body undergoes CHANGE! You can indulge. In India it is always noted if a young married woman is eating Tamarind Candy {which is Sweet, Very Sour and a litlte Salty}, as its a sign that she might be pregnant. 

A word about cravings ~ By the fifth month, your cravings are coming from YOUR BABY. Listen up! The Vedic Tradition tells stories of this concept in many ways... the moral is always that the baby and Mama are in deep commune and communication and the baby has desires that should be listened to, starting in utero. My teacher would say, "If you don't give the baby what it asks for during pregnancy, he or she will be born with unfulfilled strong desire and it will express in a visciated way". There are stories of vegetarian Mamas who craved meat during pregnancy and ended up with a meat-loving child, and vice versa. It is best not to supress cravings. Sometimes you may be able to satisfy a craving with something else and see if it subsides. For example, in vegan Mamas, a craving for dairy may indicate a need to increase cooling, creamy foods {coconut, dates, and basmati rice for example}. 

LINKS in the lists below will take you to recipes and food inspiration!

Increase + Enjoy!




Maple + Molasses
These are your best sweet nourishers. High in minerals and molasses in particular will help with your iron supply. Especially important for vegan and vegetarian Mama's. Kapha Mamas should go easy on the sweet taste, but Pitta and Vata Mamas should go for it {in moderation} See Molasses Milk! 

Beans + Lentils
A GREAT source of folic acid and protein both important for your baby's development and growth. These are ideally made from scratch {beans need to be soaked overnight, and lentils should be rinsed. do NOT consume the soaking water.} Always cook beans or lentils with digestive herbs such as ginger and bayleaves. The easiest on the digestion are adzuki, lentils, and mung - important for vāta Mamas who have sensitive {aka gas!} digestion.

Nuts + Seeds
These little gems of nutrition are a GREAT source of fat, fiber,  vitamins and minerals, fat and protein. Bonus - almonds are rich in calcium! If you are having skin issues or acid and high pitta or kapha, stick to seeds rather than nuts, as they are lighter and easier to digest. These will make a great snack, or you can throw them on top of any meal for a little crunch or protein. Another favorite technique of mine is to make a protein-rich creamy dressing with tahini, sunflower seeds, cashew butter or almond butter - blend with olive oil, lemon, maple syrup and salt or shoyu. Great over rice or greens. Plus quinoa is a seed too - very high in protein, cooks and satisfies like a grain, but light on the digestion {great for kapha Mamas in particular}. 

Coconut Anything
Coconut water, Coconut Manna, Coconut Milk, Coconut Cream. 
Coconut has a moon-like quality, sweet, cooling, nourishing, and the Moon relates to mothers... it is an ultimate Mama food! This nourishes you and your baby in so many ways. ESPECIALLY good for summer pregnancies, pitta Mamas and overheated Mamas. This is a great yin food especially important for vegan Mamas. 

Dates
Supremely nourishing! Delicious. A great snack. 
Our favorite is a date stuffed with almond butter. Ayurveda recommends dates for a strong baby. Especially good for vata and pitta mamas. *Always split a date, remove the pit and check for worms or mold before you pop it in your mouth! Sorry it's gross. Dates are considered a prime nourisher of woman - especially during pregnancy and postpartum. Sweet, cooling, nourishing, rich dates help build tissue, calm excess fire, soothe mucous membranes, and bring a sweet smile to the face of a mother. ​

Dark Leafy Greens
{especially kale and chard... cook with ginger and add a splash of citrus to improve digestion and iron uptake. DO NOT combine in the same meal with dairy as that will block the iron from absorbing}. Dark leafy greens are especially important for vegan and Kapha Mamas alike, but all pregnant women should have dark greens every day. Pesto is one of my favorite ways to get easy-to-digest greens in. Use basil, arugula or chard + nuts + olive oil + lemon and put on toast, pasta, pizza, sandwhich or steamed root veggies.  See here. 

Ghee, Cream, Butter, Yogurt and Milk {organic cows or goat, or mylk!}
I repeat - organic! If you can't get organic don't bother. If you prefer raw milk, please bring your raw milk to a boil before consuming in case of any bacteria that can be dangerous to the fetus. Having done that, raw milk is ideal. Ghee {clarified butter} is a Mama superfood that truly deeply nourishes and ghee can be especially important for Vata Mamas {Anxiety, insomnia, inability to focus, cracking joints? That be vata}. Vegan Mama's may even find they crave dairy during pregnancy. You can try upping your coconut, dates, almonds and avocado. If you are still attracted to dairy, please consider having some during pregnancy. Your baby is asking for it. Start with ghee which is easy to digest and super nourishing. Warmed milk with some turmeric and maple syrup can also do wonders for heartburn {so can organic vanilla icecream, I'm not kidding, it was one of the only things that helped my heartburn in the last 2 months.} Yogurt should be plain {not fruit yogurt, as this kind of food combining will cause fermentation and gas in your gut}. 

Root Vegetables
These are grounding, nourishing and vata-balancing. Sweet potatoes, beets, rutabaga. Think fall harvest! Because fall is the vata season, nature produces vata-balancing foods. Pregnancy is its own vata-season and you can enjoy fall harvest foods throughout your pregnancy and postpartum period. 

Avocado + Healthy Fats -  Olive Oil, Coconut oil, etc. 
Help you feel nourished and help baby's brain develop and grow. Good fats for smart babies! Fats are great for balancing excess vata, which goes high during pregnancy, but especially high for Vata Mamas. 

Sattvic Foods in General
These foods are easy on your digestion and nervous system and support a relaxed, quiet, happy and peaceful mental state {the BEST nourishment you can give yourself and your baby!} Mama Yogi Bonus! Learn more about Sattva {as well as it's counterparts, Rajas and Tamas} in THIS TALK HERE
  • Whole Grains
  • Freshly Prepared Food made by a happy cook 
  • Organic Ingredients free of chemicals 
  • Legumes
  • Seasonal Foods
  • A small amount of seasonal fruit
  • Coconut
  • Basmati Rice
  • Almonds, and other seeds and nuts

Reduce or Avoid 


Raw Honey
While Ayurveda traditionally recommends small amounts of honey during pregnancy, modern science warms there can be risk of contamination. And because Ayurveda recommends you only use raw and avoid cooked or processed honey {because it is not digested properly and turns toxic}, during pregnancy it is easiest to just avoid any honey all together. No honey for baby under the age of 2 as well. 

Balsamic Vinegar + Red Wine
There is risk of lead in these which should be avoided during pregnancy. They should be avoided or severely reduced. For your vinegar switch to lemon, lime or apple cider vinegar. 

Excess Caffeine
You may want to avoid it all together, or switch from coffee to tea or decaf. Make sure decaf coffee is NATURALLY decaf. Vata Mamas in particular will want to reduce or avoid caffeine to keep anxciety and depletion at bay. At least combine with cardamom and milk or vegan mylk options to balance the harshness of the bitterness. Tea is a safer and healthier choice than coffee for all Mamas and totally fine in moderation {one cup a day}. 

Any Foods that Cause Discomfort
{gas, heartburn, constipation, oh my!}
Your digestion MIGHT actually improve during pregnancy. I know some gluten and lactose intolerant women who were but could chow down on grilled cheese during pregnancy. If any thing bugs you it is not harmful to the fetus, just uncomfortable for you. Here are a few common culprits. Kapha Mamas will tend toward constipation, Vata Mamas will tend toward painful gas, and Pitta Mamas will tend toward heartburn. Here are a few common culprits ~
  • Large beans {chickpeas, kidney beans}
  • Radishes
  • Tomatos
  • Red Meat
  • Dairy {if you are lactose intollerant}
  • Cruciferous vegetables
  • Iced drinks
  • Watermelon or other melons


Foods Devoid of Nutrients and Prāna
  • Leftovers {do try to reduce or omit these}
  • White processed flour
  • White Sugar
  • Excess Pre-packaged foods

Foods That Aggravate the Doshas
  • Kapha Aggravating Foods are cold, heavy, sticky, sugar, salt and sour {aka junk food, sweets, ice cream, cold foods, fatty foods, iced beverages, cheese, excess starch}. Kapha is balanced by bitter, green, light and spicy foods like dark leafy greens, quinoa, rye, ginger and black pepper. 
  • Pitta Aggravating Foods are spicy-hot, sour, oily, sharp, stimulating {caffeine, hot peppers or excess spice, fried foods, cheese, tomatoes}. Pitta is balanced by cool, sweet and bitter foods - coconut, dates, basmati rice, milk are examples. 
  • Vata Aggravating Foods are light, bitter, raw, dry, cold and hard to digest {aka excess salads, smoothies, ice drinks, caffeine, crackers, popcorn, large beans, cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cabbage}. Vata is balanced by heavy, damp, nourishing, rich, warm foods - dates, oats, wheat, ghee, almonds, maple syrup are examples. 

Potential Bacteria Contaminated Food {sorry, yuck!}
  • Uncooked, Undercooked Raw Meat or Seafood
  • Raw Dairy that is not heated before consumption
  • Salad Bars can be a risk
  • Deli Meats
  • Pre-sliced or Pre-Washed Veggies in bags at the store
  • Any food with mercury or lead contamination {fish, wine}
  • Soft unpasturized cheeses
  • Olive bar olives {go for jarred ones}
  • Runny, undercooked eggs and non-organic eggs {as these have more risk of contamination due to less sanitary practices}
Try not to worry. But also do your best to eat food that is safe - your best bet when eating out is hot food, not raw / cold / salad bar, and eat in reputable places {not street food}. Even better is to cook or be cooked for as much as possible. 
Kaya is the founder of SRY™ which is based in the full spectrum of the Vedic yoga tradition. She has been teaching therapeutic restorative yoga therapy since 2001. Kaya's work is healing, transformative, deeply rejuvenating and empowers her student and clients with wisdom and inner experience. Her trained in the full spectrum of the Vedic Tradition includes Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Prenatal Yoga, Ayurveda, Women's Health, Eastern Anatomy, Sanskrit, Vedic Astrology and Vedanta Philosophy. She collaborates with her husband Michael Manzella, a Vedic Astrologer, to serve yoga students and teachers who are inclined toward depth of inner experience and knowledge.  MORE ON KAYA