What to Eat in the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Eating a nutritious diet during pregnancy is important for your health and the health of your baby. Learn more with this handy pregnancy food chart.

Fueling your body with nutritious food is always important, but a nutrient-dense diet is especially key when you're pregnant. After all, your body uses the foods you eat to keep strong and build a healthy baby.

A healthful pregnancy diet is one that contains the essential nutrients your body needs and provides the right balance of carbohydrates, fat, protein, and calories necessary for your growing fetus. Looking for a guide on what to eat in the first trimester of pregnancy? Try choosing a range of nutrient-packed foods from each of the following groups in this pregnancy diet chart for months one to three.

These are suggested dietary goals for daily servings of five healthy food groups. No diet is one-size-fits-all, so consult a health care provider or registered dietician to build a healthy eating plan that's right for you.

Don't worry if you can't hit your healthy food choice goal every day. Sometimes morning sickness, food aversions, fatigue, or limited access to fresh foods can make eating a nutritious diet during pregnancy challenging. Here are a few ways to incorporate healthy foods when you're not feeling so great:

• Meal prep simple, easy meals and snacks to save time—and energy!
• Make smoothies with fresh or frozen fruit and veggies; smoothies are quick, nutrient-dense, and can help ease morning sickness symptoms.
• Pre-pack a variety of healthy snacks to keep on hand, especially if eating full meals feels impossible.
• Find a balance between home-cooked meals, store-bought foods, and even take-out; moderation is key.

3 to 4 Servings of Fruit

Choose three to four servings of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit per day. If opting for canned fruit, look for options packed in natural juice rather than heavy syrup. Dried fruit and 100% fruit juice are also fine choices for switching things up; just be aware that they're higher in natural and sometimes added sugar than fresh options (fruit juice also lacks the healthy fiber that fresh fruit offers).

Here are a few examples of what one serving of fruit can look like:

• One medium piece of fruit, such as an apple or orange
• 1/2 of a banana
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh, cooked, or canned fruit
• 1/4 cup dried fruit
• 3/4 cup of 100% fruit juice

3 to 5 Servings of Vegetables

Choose three to five servings of vegetables each day. To get the greatest range of nutrients, think of a rainbow as you fill your plate with vegetables. Here are a few suggestions for vegetables to include on your plate each day:

• Vegetables that are dark green such as broccoli, kale, and spinach
• Orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash
• Yellow vegetables such as corn, yellow peppers, wax beans, and yellow summer squash
• Red vegetables such as tomatoes, red peppers, beets, radishes, rhubarb, and red cabbage

A single serving of vegetables can be:

• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables such as spinach or lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped vegetables, cooked or raw

If you weigh your food, a standard serving size is 4 to 6 ounces.

3 Servings of Dairy (or Fortified Plant-Based Options)

Choose three servings of healthy dairy foods per day. Dairy provides the calcium that your baby needs to grow and that you need for strong bones. If you can't have dairy or simply prefer plant-based options, look for alternatives that are fortified with calcium (not all plant-based options are created equal so be sure to read the label!).

One serving of dairy equals:

• 1 cup of milk, yogurt, or fortified plant milk (such as oat milk, soy milk, or nut milk)
• 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese, such as cheddar or mozzarella or fortified plant-based alternative

When choosing cheese, try to stick with natural cheeses, which are made of milk, salt, and enzymes. Aim to limit processed cheeses, which are typically made from oils, flavorings, and sugar. But don't feel bad if those food cravings hit and all you want is some bright orange American cheese—a balanced diet doesn't mean a "perfect" diet!

Many doctors recommend opting for low-fat dairy products, but full-fat products can also be a healthy addition to a balanced diet.

2 to 3 Servings of Protein

A well-balanced first trimester pregnancy food chart must include protein. Aim for two to three servings of protein each day. A few excellent protein options include:

• Lean meats such as poultry, fish, and eggs (prepared with minimal amounts of fat)
• Beans such as pinto, kidney, black, and garbanzo
• Lentils, split peas, nuts, and seeds

One serving of protein equals:

• 2 to 3 ounces of cooked meat, poultry, or fish (about the size of a deck of cards)
• 1 cup of cooked beans
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) of nuts

3 Servings of Whole Grains

It's recommended that you eat six servings of grains per day, with at least 50% of those grains being whole grains. For example, opt for whole grain bread and brown rice over white bread and white rice.

Compared to refined grains, whole grains offer the full spectrum of nutrients, including fiber, healthy fats, B vitamins, and minerals like magnesium. While products made from refined grains are often fortified to replace some of the nutrients stripped out in processing, manufacturers can't add healthy fiber back in.

Whole grain bread, cereals, crackers, and pasta provide fiber, which is very important during pregnancy. Eating a variety of fiber-containing foods helps maintain proper bowel function and can reduce your chances of developing constipation and hemorrhoids.

A single serving of whole grain can look like this:

• 1 slice of whole-grain bread
• 1 ounce of ready-to-eat whole-grain cereal (about 1 cup of most cereals)
• 1/2 cup cooked steel-cut oats, brown rice, or whole-wheat pasta

Key Takeaways

Eating well during pregnancy is a critical part of ensuring your health and the health of your growing baby. Choose nutritious food options from our one- to three-month pregnancy diet chart to help ensure your plate is well-balanced and nutrient-dense. But also remember that no diet is perfect and that it's OK to indulge your cravings from time to time.

Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
2. Fruits, Veggies and Juices - Food Safety for Moms to Be. U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
3. Nutrition During Pregnancy. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
4. Pickles and ice cream! Food cravings in pregnancy: hypotheses, preliminary evidence, and directions for future research. Front Psychol.
5. Adequacy and Sources of Protein Intake among Pregnant Women in the United States, NHANES 2003-2012. Nutrients.
6. Relieving Constipation During Pregnancy. American Pregnancy Association.

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