Coming up with healthy breakfast ideas can be tricky for pregnant women. 

For many, morning sickness, fatigue, and a lack of sleep the night before can make planning to eat breakfast a task that seems downright exhausting in and of itself.

Eating breakfast is essential because it provides energy for the rest of your day and gets you some of the vital nutrients you need during your pregnancy after a night spent not eating.

In this article, we’ll help pregnant women develop healthy breakfast ideas so that even those plagued with morning sickness can enjoy healthy breakfasts and a healthy pregnancy without skipping breakfast, which is an important meal for all of us, especially for expectant moms.

Pregnancy breakfast

During pregnancy, breakfast often makes a woman nauseous just thinking about it. 

Morning sickness isn’t just restricted to the morning time, despite the name of the malady. However, it’s often worse in the morning because you’ve spent all night in bed and have an empty stomach.

However, you’d be mistaken if you thought you had to eat a full breakfast when you wake up to call it a healthy breakfast.

Have a cracker or light snack first

If morning sickness is an issue for you, or if you aren’t much of a breakfast person, you can often prep for a pregnancy breakfast by keeping some bland crackers near your bed.

For most pregnant women, the first thing you need to do upon waking in the morning is pee. 

Once you’ve done that bothersome task, hopping back into bed for a light snack of crackers can help put something small in your belly so that you can stomach more food (and hopefully keep it down) later in the morning.

There is no deadline for breakfast

There aren’t rules when it comes to when you eat breakfast. It should just be the first rule of the day. You can have scrambled eggs at noon if you can sleep in!

If you can get a little extra sleep, that’s great! But don’t sleep in and decide to wait until lunchtime to eat.

Eating a brunch, late breakfast, or some healthy breakfast alternative is vital to your health and your baby’s development.

Eat what sounds good but in moderation

You can eat something other than totally healthy foods. The issue for so many of us is that we have difficulty with moderation and convince ourselves that healthy breakfast foods don’t taste as good as glazed donuts.

There’s no reason to think healthy fats taste less delicious than unhealthy fats. Some delicious recipes with more health-centered foods are all you need to enhance your palate and perspective.

You can have that glazed donut, but remember that eating something healthy most days of the week will keep you healthy in the long run.

Healthy breakfast for pregnant women

The following are great options if you’re looking for simple but delicious breakfast ideas. Remember that along with breakfast, you should also eat lunch, dinner, and small snacks between meals to keep up your energy.

1. Scrambled eggs and muffins

Eggs are an excellent source of protein, which your baby needs, as well as yourself. Scrambling up some eggs is quick and easy, and you can add toppings, such as cheddar cheese, or just leave them plain.

Adding a muffin made with whole grains rounds out this meal so that you have a perfectly balanced breakfast.

2. Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese

Cream cheese has calcium that can help with your baby’s bone development. Pairing it with a bagel made of whole wheat is a great way to keep your breakfast choices healthy but still tasty.

You can add berries, cooked salmon, or even a little cinnamon to cream cheese to make it extra tasty.

3. Overnight oats

If mornings are not your thing, you can get a jump start the following day by making some overnight oats.

This is such a simple and healthy breakfast option that you’ll wish you’d known about it much sooner. Add rolled oats to milk, and add berries, chia seeds for fiber and protein, or other goodies, and let it soak overnight in the fridge.

It’ll be ready to eat in the morning!

Remember to use rolled oats only for this breakfast, as instant oats or other varieties yield different results.

4. Breakfast smoothie

Smoothies are a delicious and easy way for on-the-go people to get lots of nutrition at the beginning of the day. You can use almond milk instead of regular whole-fat milk in this breakfast recipe for even more nutritional value.

You can make smoothies of just about any flavor or blend, but remember that adding chia seeds to the mix can give you extra Omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein.

5. Yogurt parfait

This simple but delectable breakfast option is one of those breakfast ideas that you may continue to rely on long after your little one is born. It’s tasty, easy, and so convenient.

All you need is some Greek yogurt, which is full of protein and probiotics, and chia seeds, berries, and granola.

Layer these ingredients, and you’ve got a healthy pregnancy meal that is delightful and light.

On a side note, you can also opt for flavored Greek yogurt to add a twist to the flavor profile of the parfait!

6. Fresh fruit

When looking for pregnancy breakfast ideas, you can’t get more simple than fresh fruit for your morning meal.

Many fruits are packed with all sorts of nutrients, like Vitamin C, Vitamin B, calcium, and more. It’s not just orange juice that has Vitamin C in it. 

There are a lot of fruits that contain a lot more Vitamin C than an orange does!

There’s no real breakfast recipe involved. Add the fruits you like to a bowl and enjoy. As far as pregnancy breakfast ideas go, this one is timeless and simple. 

It’s suggested that for women experiencing morning sickness, eating the fruit cold will help fight nausea. Cold foods tend to alleviate symptoms of morning sickness.

Dried fruit is a twist on this breakfast “recipe” that is great for keeping your baby healthy and you healthy on the go.

7. Whole wheat pancakes

If you love the thought of pancakes as one of your pregnancy breakfast ideas, consider making them healthier by using almond milk and whole wheat flour. 

The benefits are enormous, as whole wheat flour contains large amounts of folic acid that your baby’s brain development needs.

Folic acid not only helps the spine and brain development of your little one, but it also helps to prevent neural tube defects and other congenital disabilities from occurring.

You can add fruit or cinnamon to the mix, as well. There are lots of delicious recipe variations for these pancakes online. Finding the ones you think will taste best is half the fun!

You can enjoy them with maple syrup to give them that extra sweet kick.

8. Whole grain toast with almond butter

Almond butter, as well as peanut butter, is a great way to get some nutrients into your diet very simply.

Almond butter is delicious and adds a nutty taste to your toast that peanut butter doesn’t have.

If you want to mix it up, add some sliced banana to the top of the toast.

9. Breakfast cereal

If you want a tasty and simple energy boost to start your day, you can always reach for a box of cereal.

Try to choose an option with little to no added sugar, and feel free to use whole milk, skim milk, or nondairy milk if you have dairy restrictions. 

You can get many key nutrients you need for the day, including Vitamin C, B Vitamins, and Vitamin D, from several different types of breakfast cereal.

Breakfast to avoid when pregnant

A pregnant woman has to be very careful about the foods and drinks she ingests so that no harm can come to the baby. 

While you’re encouraged to have a great pregnancy breakfast each morning, you need to know what foods and drinks you should avoid when you’re pregnant so that you aren’t harming your baby.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is not just found in coffee and chocolate. Energy drinks, soda, and tea also have caffeine.

You need to limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg per day or less when pregnant. 

We aren’t entirely sure what the effects of too much caffeine are on your baby, but it’s suspected it can cause anything from issues with your baby’s brain development to low birth weight and premature birth.

Switching from your normal brew of coffee in the morning to decaf or even a half-caf option are great ways to keep your caffeine intake under control.

2. Uncooked eggs

Fully cooked eggs are the only type you should have for morning meals or any meal when you are pregnant. Make sure that the eggs you prepare are cooked all the way through to avoid illness.

3. Deli meats

A few slices of deli meat can be delicious to eat alongside a small cup of cottage cheese in the late morning. However, with cold deli meat comes the threat of listeria, which can harm you and your baby.

Ensure to avoid deli meats entirely or cook them to the point that they are steaming to kill off any potentially harmful bacteria they may harbor.

Don’t forget your vitamins

Skipping meals is never a good idea, but missing your daily prenatal vitamin is neither.

You may think that if you get all the nutrients possible from your meals daily, you don’t need to take a vitamin, but that’s simply not true.

You may be getting a lot of good from the green smoothie you prepare in the mornings or the hard-boiled eggs or nut butter toast, but you still need that vitamin to give you everything you need for baby growth.

Help baby grow with healthy breakfast ideas during pregnancy

Your growing baby needs you to eat when you get up in the mornings, whether you feel hungry or not. 

As we’ve discussed, it doesn’t have to be anything involved or fancy. If morning sickness is an issue, start the day with crackers, sunflower seeds, or something else that’s light. 

Then you can move on and try a bigger breakfast after your tummy has time to settle.

Whether it’s an ornate meal made in a frying pan with olive oil or a simple green smoothie on the go, incorporating breakfast into your schedule every day not only helps you with your pregnancy but can also help you to have a better relationship with food and food habits that you can pass on to your little one.