
Nausea sucks. We have yet to find anyone who disagrees with this statement.
When you partner nausea with a potential three-month time period (or, for some women, longer), in the midst of already heightened and swirling emotions, it can really wear on a woman mentally and physically.
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While there isn't one magical food that erases all pregnancy nausea, we utilized the most effective foods and eating strategies to create the recipes for the nausea reduction chapter of our new cookbook, Healthy Happy Pregnancy Cookbook. Here are a few of the most powerful tips:
1. Eat when opportunity strikes.
Pregnancy-related nausea is a fickle, fickle thing. One minute you're bent over the trash can in your office, and the next you actually feel like you could eat something. So, EAT SOMETHING.
Take advantage of any time you feel good (or, at least less nauseated) and have a snack or small meal. Have snacks at the ready, at home and at work.
2. Sneak protein in.
This may sound counterintuitive since protein-rich foods like animal meats, dairy, and beans are often the types of foods that sound (and smell) the most off-putting, but trust us. Protein-rich foods can actually quell nausea.
If hot protein choices like meat and poultry trigger your gag reflex, you can use yogurt, protein powder, or silken tofu in smoothies to add a protein boost. Or, add nuts, seeds, and nut butters to snacks to boost the protein content.
We love chia pudding that's been frozen in ice-pop molds as a cold, refreshing, protein-rich breakfast or snack.
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3. Go cold.
Cold foods often have a less potent scent, making them easier for a nauseated gal to stomach. In addition, they can feel more refreshing.
Keep the freezer stocked with frozen berries, banana slices, and grapes, which are typically tolerable even when your stomach is turning against you and are rich in nutrients.
Use nutrition-packed smoothies as a meal or snack or try chilled or frozen chia pudding, like in the chia pudding-pop idea we mentioned above. Even cold veggie soups, like gazpacho, can be more tolerable.
4. Load up on ginger.
There is some decent research related to ginger and nausea reduction. In addition, it's got a really bright, clean flavor that's a welcome addition to a nausea-filled day.
The Lemon-Ginger Zing Cubes (see recipe below) from our cookbook are loaded with spicy fresh ginger and sour lemon to create an ice-cold flavor combo that is soothing to a nauseated stomach.
They can also be added to club soda to create a less sugary version of ginger ale.
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5. Get in the Bs.
B vitamins, specifically B6 and B12, might also help reduce nausea. Some of the best food sources of B6 are chickpeas, liver, salmon/tuna, turkey, potatoes, banana, and marinara sauce. B12 is found in meat, eggs, and dairy products.
We love stirring chickpeas (mashed or whole) into baked goods to boost the protein and B6. Since carb-rich foods are often the ones we crave in the midst of first-trimester nausea, adding protein-rich chickpeas is a win-win.
Cooking fish en papillote (in parchment) can reduce the amount of kitchen smells and make eating B6- and B12-rich fish easier.
6. Pre-breakfast in bed.
An empty stomach can increase the intensity of nausea in the morning (that's part of the reason many women experience the worst nausea in the morning and why it's often called morning sickness––though it certainly can, and does, strike at any time).
Keep whole-grain crackers or a piece of fruit on your bedside table to nosh on before you even sit up in the morning. Or, you can try making something like peanut butter toast (or half a peanut butter sandwich) to snack on first thing in the a.m. as soon as your eyes open.
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Lemon-Ginger Zing Cubes
These cubes are not for the faint of heart ... but they are for the nauseated. A strong (emphasis on strong) ginger flavor dominates and helps soothe an upset stomach while the tart lemon delivers a bright flavor.
Pop one first thing in the morning or whenever nausea strikes. Or plop one or two into a glass of seltzer water for a sort of homemade lemon-ginger ale.
Makes 16 servings (1 cube per serving)
Ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 5 large lemons)
- 3⁄4 cup water
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
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Preparation
Puree the lemon juice, water, honey, and ginger in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into an ice-cube tray and freeze until solid, 4 hours or overnight.

Stephanie Clarke, M.S., R.D., and Willow Jarosh, M.S., R.D., are the co-founders of C&J Nutrition, a health communications and nutrition consulting firm founded in 2006, and the co-authors of Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook. Stephanie and Willow are both registered dietitians nutritionists, authors, and experts for the media. They’ve been featured as experts in hundreds of magazines, appear regularly on television, including national spots on the TODAY Show and Fox & Friends, have authored over 100 nutrition articles for national magazines, developed recipes and diet plans for best-selling books, blog for the Huffington Post, and are often speakers at regional and national conferences.
Stephanie and Willow have been contributing nutrition experts for SELF magazine since 2010 and author a monthly column. C&J Nutrition also works with clients across many platforms, including the food industry, publishing, online/digital media, and TV. They also maintain a private nutrition counseling practice in their Manhattan office, and provide workplace wellness programming to companies across the country.
C&J’s Instagram provides a glimpse into what they eat each day and they also offer healthy eating tips via Facebook. Stephanie and Willow both love to cook, travel, and get outdoors. When they're not planning their next business adventure, Stephanie enjoys showing her 2 year old daughter the DC sights (especially the farmers markets!) and Willow will likely be meandering around the Central Park reservoir or searching Manhattan for the least crowded tennis courts.