I’m a registered dietitian, but I’m also a pregnant person standing in the grocery store trying to decide whether the yogurt I loved yesterday is suddenly disgusting.
Pregnancy has made me much less interested in aspirational groceries. A realistic pregnancy grocery list has to account for nutrition, but it also has to account for nausea, food aversions, reflux, constipation, fatigue and the possibility that the dinner you planned will sound absolutely repulsive by 6 p.m.
My own grocery cart has included eggs, kiwi, frozen vegetables and salmon. It has also included cereal, bagels, frozen waffles and a lot of very easy snacks. All of those foods have served a purpose.
This is the pregnancy grocery list I would give someone who wants to support their nutrient needs without pretending they will suddenly have unlimited time, energy or enthusiasm for cooking.
Before You Use This Pregnancy Grocery List
Use this as a starting point, not a set of pregnancy food rules.
Your grocery list will depend on your trimester, symptoms, appetite, food preferences, culture, budget and any medical conditions you are managing. Someone experiencing severe nausea may need a very different list from someone managing gestational diabetes, iron-deficiency anemia or persistent reflux.
You also do not need to buy everything on this list. Choose a few options from each section that you can realistically picture yourself eating.
Pregnancy is not a nine-month test of how nutritionally perfect you can be. The goal is to have enough food available that eating feels possible, even on the days when your energy and appetite have left the building.
Foods for Nausea and Food Aversions
Carbohydrate-rich foods are often among the easiest foods to tolerate during pregnancy nausea. That is not a problem that needs to be fixed.
Some useful options include:
- Bagels
- Bread and English muffins
- Crackers and pretzels
- Dry cereal
- Frozen waffles
- Rice
- Pasta
- Oatmeal
- Applesauce
- Bananas
- Frozen fruit or fruit pops
- Potatoes
If you can add protein or fat, try crackers with cheese, toast with peanut butter, a bagel with an egg or cereal with milk. The combination may make the meal or snack more satisfying.
But the word “if” is important here. If all you can manage is toast, eat the toast. You can try adding something else later. Pregnancy is not the time to turn a cracker into a character flaw.
Cold foods may also be easier to tolerate because they generally have less of a smell than hot food. Yogurt, fruit, smoothies, cereal with milk, cheese and crackers or a cold pasta salad may sound better than a freshly cooked meal.
Easy Protein Sources
“Make sure you’re eating enough protein” is not especially useful advice if the thought of preparing meat makes you want to leave your own kitchen.
I like keeping several low-preparation protein options available so I am not dependent on cooking a full meal. My pregnancy grocery list usually includes some combination of:
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Milk
- Cheese sticks or sliced cheese
- Rotisserie chicken
- Frozen meatballs or turkey burgers
- Canned salmon or canned light tuna
- Tofu
- Frozen edamame
- Canned beans and lentils
- Hummus
- Peanut or almond butter
- Nuts and seeds
- Protein bars with ingredients I have reviewed
A snack does not need to contain an enormous amount of protein to be useful. Yogurt, a cheese stick, a handful of nuts or peanut butter on toast can all contribute to your overall intake.
Choose pasteurized dairy products and fully cooked eggs, meat and seafood. Your prenatal care provider can also help you apply food-safety recommendations to the foods you normally eat.
Fiber-Rich Foods for Pregnancy Constipation
Pregnancy constipation is common, and iron supplements can sometimes make it worse. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends aiming for about 25 grams of fiber per day.
Foods I would put on a pregnancy grocery list for fiber include:
- Kiwi
- Pears and apples
- Raspberries and blackberries
- Prunes
- Avocado
- Oatmeal
- High-fiber cereal
- Whole-grain bread
- Beans and lentils
- Chia or ground flaxseed
- Nuts and seeds
- Frozen vegetables
- Potatoes with the skin
Kiwi has been one of my repeat purchases because it is easy to add to breakfast or eat as a snack. Beans, lentils and frozen vegetables are also useful because they add fiber without requiring a complicated recipe.
Increase fiber gradually if you are currently eating very little of it. Adding a large amount all at once can cause bloating and discomfort. Fiber also works best alongside adequate fluid.
ACOG recommends drinking about 8 to 12 cups of water per day during pregnancy, although individual needs vary. Talk with your prenatal care provider before adding a fiber supplement, stool softener or laxative.
Foods That Help Cover Important Pregnancy Nutrients
A prenatal vitamin can help fill nutritional gaps, but it does not make food irrelevant. It also may not contain every nutrient in the amount you need.
Here are some of the nutrients I pay particular attention to while grocery shopping.
Choline
The adequate intake for choline increases to 450 milligrams per day during pregnancy. Choline supports several processes involved in fetal growth and development, yet it is not included in meaningful amounts in every prenatal.
Eggs are one of my favorite convenient sources. One large egg provides approximately 147 milligrams of choline. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, soybeans, beans, nuts and whole grains can also contribute.
I eat eggs frequently, but someone who dislikes or avoids eggs can still get choline from a combination of other foods and, if recommended, a supplement.
Iron
Iron needs rise from 18 to 27 milligrams per day during pregnancy. Your body is making more blood to support the pregnancy, which increases the amount of iron it needs.
After dealing with low ferritin during my own pregnancy, iron became a lot less theoretical to me.
Iron-containing groceries can include:
- Beef and poultry
- Seafood
- Lentils and beans
- Tofu
- Fortified cereal
- Pumpkin seeds
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Cashews
Iron from meat and seafood is generally absorbed more efficiently than iron from plant foods. Pairing plant sources with vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus, strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes or bell peppers, can help increase absorption.
Food is still only one part of iron management. If your ferritin or hemoglobin is low, talk with your physician or dietitian. Depending on your labs and symptoms, food alone may not be enough to correct a deficiency.
Folate and Iodine
Pregnancy increases the recommended intake of folate to 600 micrograms of dietary folate equivalents per day. Beans, lentils, asparagus, leafy greens, avocado, citrus and fortified grains can contribute folate, but most pregnant people are still advised to take a prenatal containing folic acid.
Iodine needs also increase during pregnancy. Dairy products, seafood, eggs and iodized salt are common sources. Sea salt, kosher salt and many specialty salts are not necessarily iodized, so check the package rather than assuming.
Review your prenatal label with your care team instead of assuming it contains adequate amounts of folate, iodine, choline, iron and DHA. I break down some of the limitations of prenatal formulations in my article about why prenatal gummies have historically fallen short.
Omega-3 Fats
Fish can provide DHA and EPA along with protein, iodine, choline, vitamin D and several other nutrients. The FDA recommends that people who are pregnant eat 8 to 12 ounces of lower-mercury seafood per week.
Options from the FDA’s “Best Choices” list include salmon, shrimp, sardines, trout, tilapia and canned light tuna.
Frozen fish and canned fish absolutely count. You do not need to cook an elaborate salmon dinner twice a week to include seafood in your diet.
Drinks to Keep Around During Pregnancy
I am much more likely to stay hydrated if I have options beyond a glass of plain water.
Depending on your preferences and medical needs, your grocery list might include:
- Still water
- Seltzer
- Flavored water
- Milk
- Juice
- Smoothie ingredients
- Broth
- Decaffeinated tea
- Electrolyte packets or drinks
An electrolyte product is not automatically necessary just because you are pregnant. It may be useful during vomiting, heavy sweating or periods when you are struggling to drink, but the right product and amount depend on your needs.
If plain water suddenly tastes terrible, experiment with temperature, carbonation, a straw or a squeeze of citrus. The least glamorous hydration trick is still useful if it helps you drink.
Emergency Meals for Low-Energy Days
A grocery list can be full of nutrient-dense ingredients and still fail you if every meal requires 45 minutes of preparation.
These are the types of meals I want available when cooking is not happening:
- Frozen rice, edamame and a scrambled egg
- Cereal, milk and fruit
- A bagel with eggs or peanut butter
- Greek yogurt with cereal and frozen berries
- Pasta with jarred sauce and frozen meatballs
- Rotisserie chicken, microwave rice and frozen vegetables
- Canned beans, rice, cheese and salsa
- Soup with bread and cheese
- Hummus, pita, vegetables, olives and cheese
- A frozen entrée with fruit or a side of vegetables
Some of these meals contain more variety than others. That is normal. Nutrition is allowed to average out across meals and days.
Convenience foods are not a pregnancy failure. They are often the reason someone eats a meal instead of accidentally going six hours without one.
My Complete Pregnancy Grocery List
Here is the condensed version you can screenshot before your next grocery trip.
Produce
- Bananas
- Apples or applesauce
- Citrus
- Avocado
- Kiwi
- Berries
- Prunes
- Potatoes
- Baby carrots
- Bell peppers
- Bagged salad
- Precut or frozen vegetables
Protein and Refrigerated Foods
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Milk
- Cheese
- Hummus
- Tofu
- Rotisserie chicken
- Cooked or frozen meat
- Canned salmon or light tuna
- Edamame
- Nut butter
Pantry Foods
- Cereal
- Oatmeal
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Bread
- Bagels
- Pasta
- Rice or microwave grains
- Canned beans and lentils
- Jarred pasta sauce
- Soup
- Chia or ground flaxseed
- Nuts and seeds
- Iodized salt
Freezer Foods
- Frozen fruit
- Frozen vegetables
- Frozen rice
- Frozen waffles
- Frozen meatballs
- Frozen fish
- Frozen entrées
- Fruit pops
Drinks
- Water
- Seltzer
- Milk
- Juice
- Smoothie ingredients
- Decaffeinated tea
- Electrolyte drinks, if appropriate for you
Your Pregnancy Grocery List Does Not Need to Look Perfect
Yes, I buy foods because they provide choline, iron, fiber or protein. I also buy foods because they are easy, taste good and give me something I can eat when a planned meal suddenly sounds awful.
Both considerations belong in pregnancy nutrition.
The most useful pregnancy grocery list is not the one with the largest quantity of fresh produce. It is the one that helps you feed yourself consistently. A freezer containing meals you will actually eat is more useful than a refrigerator full of aspirational vegetables slowly turning into slime.
Choose foods that support your nutritional needs. Choose foods that accommodate your symptoms. And please choose some foods that require almost no effort at all.
If you want individualized support with prenatal supplements, pregnancy symptoms or trimester-specific nutrition, you can learn more about my TTC and pregnancy nutrition counseling.
Are you a pregnancy, postpartum or women’s wellness brand looking for an RDN content creator or consultant? Learn more about partnering with Claire Rifkin Nutrition.
This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition care. Discuss supplements, significant dietary changes and pregnancy symptoms with your prenatal care team.
