Protein During Pregnancy

SNEAKY WAYS OF INCREASING PROTEIN IN YOUR DIET - COMPILED BY: SUSAN CHAMBERLIN, AAHCC

Milkshakes: from non-fat dry milk (reconstituted), ice, and flavorings of your choice

Cheese, cheese, cheese! Add grated cheese to eggs, sandwiches, casseroles, salads, snacks: on whole wheat crackers and celery.

Cottage Cheese: is the cheapest and best source of protein! Add to gelatin salad, scrambled eggs, casseroles such as lasagna and other Italian dishes, make vegetable and cracker dips out of blended cottage cheese, onions and spices.

Non-fat dry milk: add to hamburgers, meatballs, meatloaf, casseroles, and breads.

Yogurt: blend with gelatin for interesting fruit salad, use in place of sour cream for dips.

Eggs: Keep hard boiled and deviled eggs in refrigerator for snacking, make custard for dessert.

Sunflower seeds: add to sandwich spreads (chicken salad) and salads.

Wheat germ: add to cereal, breads, cookies, baked goods, serve over ice cream.

Brewers Yeast: increase needed B vitamins too and helps combat fatigue. Good for milk production too!

Liver: best source of just about everything! Cook and grind to combine to hamburger.

Granola: make own from whole grain cereals (oatmeal, 4 grain cereal) wheat germ, coconut, nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon.

Combining vegetable proteins to make complete proteins: rice + legumes, corn + legumes, wheat + legumes, wheat + sesame + soy beans, rice + sesame, rice + brewers yeast, beans + corn, vegetables + mushrooms or nuts or sesame seeds.

Beans and corn: marinated salad of kidney beans, corn, celery, onion, and Italian dressing. Serve chili with cornbread. Mexican good!

REMEMBER: Adequate protein (about 100g) helps prevent edema and pre-eclampsia.

Dietary Iron: needed for blood manufacture for increased blood volume of mother and for baby. Oxygen carrying component of blood dependent on iron. Also baby stores iron in liver for postpartum life.

Good sources: high quality liver, organ meats, whole grains, beans and peas, and corn.

For additional information, I highly suggest checking out the book: Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition. I have one copy in our office lending library! Or you can buy your own here on Amazon!