This is not a novel recipe, just something that is currently satisfying my taste buds and an awesome, balanced option for anyone -- pregnant or not! I’ve entered the second trimester with my second little babe and in the last several weeks, hunger has certainly intensified to promote the healthy weight gain that my body needs. It’s such a fun time for me to both stay connected to the nutrition habits that support me feeling my best AND enjoy the fleeting cravings, random requests, and drive for intake that my body is signaling.

My goal as a nutrition-minded mama-to-be remains the same for me today as when I’m not growing a human: continue to let my nutrition be as flexible as needed for all that my life entails currently and ensure that it is a support to my life, never a stressor. I’m busier than ever and nourishing myself and this growing baby does not require that I spend a ton of time preparing meals or planning what I’m going to be eating. I am just aiming to keep our fridge and pantry stocked with plenty of fresh/frozen options for me to pull from and create meals + snacks with as I navigate my days.

With hunger as revved up as it is and will continue to be, I stay mindful to create macronutrient-balanced meals as much as possible. For me and my body, that typically looks like high protein, medium/high carbohydrate, and medium fat from sources that work together to create my meal. With this, I’m promoting my greatest satiety and keeping my blood sugar as stable as possible in the process.

What my body wants currently: all the dairy products. Which is awesome and intuitive because calcium is critical right now for the developing baby and critical for my own body staying strong throughout pregnancy and postpartum!

COTTAGE CHEESE FRUIT PARFAIT

PREP TIME: 5 minutes || MAKES: 1 serving

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1C cottage cheese (I use 2% milk fat) 

• 1 peach 

• ½C strawberry

• ½C blueberry  (these are all seasonal fruits for me, any fruit of preference will work)

• 2T toasted sunflower seeds 

• 2T mini dark choc chips

NOTES:

• Cottage cheese is a great protein source that also delivers B vitamins & selenium - a superhero mineral that contributes to major antioxidant activity in our bodies.

• With the peaches and other fruits + nuts, we are offering the body a great variety of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. (Specifically: loads of vitamin C, A, potassium, magnesium)

• With the chocolate chips, we are offering YUM. The seeds give us a bit of added fat and these flavors come together to create a sweet & savory, satisfying pre-sleep snack.

WHAT TO DO:

• Mix cottage cheese and fruit together. Sprinkle seeds and chocolate chips on top. That’s it!  If using frozen fruits, you may want to thaw first then add in room-temp fruit.

GIVE IT A TRY:

• This could be modified to include melons or all savory options like tomato/cucumbers based on what’s available to you or what sounds yummy.

• You could absolutely utilize frozen fruit options for even more ease!

MACROS PER SERVING: 38P/22F/48C | 472 kcals

Find more macro-friendly recipes here or grab our free cookbook Everyday Macros here for simple and streamlined meal prep recipes and ideas.