The Best Smoothies for Pregnancy.

Smoothies all around! The beautiful Tash wearing a 'Smoothie Crop Bra' in confetti black before smashing her own smoothie! 

I don't know about you, but my body hated me during pregnancy...and particularly during the first trimester. I very much know I am not alone here, and it pains me to think some women feel completely rotten throughout their WHOLE pregnancy, and some need hospitalization. So, in that regard, I guess...I get off lightly.

However, during the first trimester in both my pregnancies, I lost weight (don't worry...boy did I make up for it down the track!) and I really didn't want to as I knew how important my nutritional intake was at that time. I knew I SHOULD be having leafy green vegetables, but for some reason broccoli, spinach, kale and salads made me nauseous. I knew I SHOULD be having a lot of iron in the way of meat...but jeez louise, a piece of raw meat awaiting the pan and even a cooked piece made me want to HURL. I knew I SHOULD be consuming foods high in vitamins, like C, D, B-12. I knew foods high in DHA, zinc, iodine, protein, calcium, choline and folate were at the top of the list...but how was I ever going to get all that in me when all I wanted was fries and toast?

Eventually, I found a solution...pregnancy smoothie recipes.

Clean, sometimes green, wholesome, healthy smoothies for pregnancy. They were a life saver and a guilt suppressor. If I had toast for breakfast (reluctantly),  a smoothie for lunch and a few bites of whatever we were having for dinner (standard dinner meals, so healthy enough!) then I knew my baby was getting SOME goodness at least. I tried my best...and that's all you can do! (BTW, both my boys weighed well over eight pounds and were perfectly healthy, phew!).

So...if you're in the same boat as I was, check out the best smoothies for pregnancy that you can make from home with your blender, nutribullet or the like! They're ideal as you know exactly what's in them. Smoothies from your local cafe might not be all that nutritionally valuable, and probably very high in sugar. All of these recipes are safe smoothies for pregnancy and specifically designed to up your intake of goodness, and in many instances, help with nausea (go ginger)! 

Oh and a wee tip...if you usually add egg to your smoothies for a bit of protein, give it a miss while pregnant. Listeria is definitely in the 'not wanted' category during pregnancy. No thanks.

Added bonus also, if you're full up on these delicious smoothie recipes for pregnancy, you may not be so inclined to reach for the chocolate bar (okay, it's definitely not going to work EVERY TIME), so they'll certainly go a long way in helping you maintain a healthy weight. 

THE BEST SMOOTHIES FOR PREGNANCY:

1. The Cadenshae Morning Smoothie.

This yummy treat is fantastic as a pregnancy breakfast smoothie and for breastfeeding and beyond. A brilliant treat to make you feel more energized, and for those of you who're pregnant, the added ginger should help with any nausea you may be experiencing!

The ingredients are:

• 1 apple.
• 1 orange.
• 1 generous serving of spinach.
• 1 tsp of ginger.
• 1 tsp of tumeric.

2. The Superfood Pregnancy Smoothie.

This one is a cracker as it contains a lot of essential nutrients your body needs during pregnancy, and of course, beyond!

The ingredients are:

• 1 banana.
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen berries.
• 1 generous serving of greens.
• 2 tbsp of coconut oil.
• 2 tbsp flax/hemp of seeds.
• 6-8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Just mix this up until smooth and enjoy!

3. Mango Ginger Smoothie.

This recipe is another morning sickness soother and offers you loads of protein, probiotics, and many other essential nutrients.

The ingredients are:

• 1/3 cup of Greek yoghurt.
• 1 cup of frozen mango.
• 1/4 cup of orange juice.
• 1/2 cup of cold water.
• 4 small pieces of crystallised ginger.

Blend for a nutritious and delicious, nausea freeing treat!

4. Ginger Peach Passion Smoothie.

Once again, we're sticking to the theme of ginger for those of you with a queasy stomach and are desperately in need for some pregnancy smoothies for nausea.

The ingredients are:

• 1/2 cup of peaches, peeled and sliced (or canned peaches, drained).
• 1 cup of vanilla frozen yoghurt.
• 1/4 cup of mango juice.
• 1/2 tsp of freshly grated ginger.

Lovely and creamy, this one goes down so easily!

5. 'The Hulk' Smoothie.

Now what kind of list would this be if we didn't include a green smoothie for pregnancy? This one is all about the green...and a bit of ginger too to be fair, again to help with morning sickness.

The ingredients are:

• 1 1/4 cups of coconut milk.
• 1 cup of frozen green grapes.
• 3/4 cup of cucumber chunks (not peeled).
• 1/2 an avocado, cut into chunks.
• 1/2 cup of baby spinach or baby kale.
• 1/4 tsp of ginger, peeled and grated.
• Agave nectar to taste.

Blend and SMASH!

6. The Nutty Smoothie.

Feeling a little nutty? And I don't mean just mentally?! Give this protein packed, fibre rich smoothie a go! Yummo! 

The ingredients are:

• 1/2 a frozen banana.
• 1/2 an avocado.
• 2 tbsp of ground walnuts.
• 2 tbsp of almond butter.
• 2 tbsp of ground flax.
• 8 oz of almond milk.

Blend and go nuts!

7. The Perfect Pregnancy Smoothie!

There's no such thing as a 'perfect pregnancy' really, but this smoothie is perfection!

The ingredients are:

• 10 oz of orange juice.
• 1/2 cup of Greek yoghurt.
• 2 tbsp of chia seeds.
• 1 1/2 cups of mango cubes, frozen.
• 2 cups of spinach.

8. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake.

Right, it's time to calm the chocolate lovers and keep them full...so they hopefully don't reach for tooooo much of the real thing! 

The ingredients are:

• 1/2 a frozen banana.
• 1/4 cup of tofu.
• 2 tbsp of peanut butter.
• 2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder.
• 1 tbsp of chocolate protein powder.
• 6 oz of soy milk.

Blend and drink to satisfy your chocolate cravings!

9. The Vegan Berry and Chocolate Smoothie.

Got to ensure our vegans are satisfied too of course! This bad boy is dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Mix up and enjoy! If the smoothie is too thick, just add some more water or almond milk.

10. The BBC! 

• 3/4 cup of water.
• 1 medium orange, peeled, halved.
• 1 small frozen banana.
• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries.

Blend, serve, yum!

There you have it. I really could go on and on with more pregnancy smoothie recipes, but these ten are a good mix...something for everyone! And ALL with highly nutritious ingredients to ensure you're getting all you need for baby and you during this phenomenal time in your life!

Gosh, I'm hungry now...think I'll go for the 'The Hulk!' See ya at the bottom!

Written by Ellen Chisholm.