Your nutrition becomes more important than ever when you’re pregnant. But it can be difficult to make sure you get all the nutrients you need – especially when you’re having trouble keeping food down. That’s why I’m sharing my healthy pregnancy juice recipe that’s chock-full of the most important nutrients for you and baby!
Keep reading to get the healthy pregnancy juice recipe and learn about your prenatal nutrition needs.
(The contents of this post do not constitute medical advice. This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read our disclaimer.)
Pregnancy Nutrition Needs
Once you’re pregnant, you need to think not only about your own health and energy but the growth and development of your baby as well!
You need more of certain nutrients, and you need to make sure you’re consuming ones you’ve probably never thought about before!
So what exactly are your nutrition needs during pregnancy? Here is some of what you should try to consume:
More Fluids
When you’re pregnant, your blood volume increases significantly, and you generate amniotic fluid for your baby to float around in. Both of these things require more fluids, which is why it’s so important to stay hydrated when you’re pregnant.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, you should aim to drink at least 64 to 96 ounces (8 to 12 cups) of water each day. Getting enough fluids also aids digestion, which is an added benefit since pregnancy hormones tend to slow digestion down!
You can increase your fluid intake with tea and broth, as well. The juice recipe I’m sharing today is another great way to make sure you get enough fluids during pregnancy!
Related: Morning Sickness Smoothie | Pregnancy Nausea Remedy
Electrolytes
Your electrolyte needs rise in pregnancy as well. Fruit and leafy greens (both of which are found in our healthy pregnancy juice recipe) are two excellent sources of electrolytes that don’t include extra sugar or additives, like many sports drinks.
Iron
Did you know that your iron requirements are 1.5 times higher during pregnancy?! I definitely craved red meat during pregnancy, probably because I needed extra iron. But I appreciated plant sources of iron, too – like spinach, which is super easy to add to juices.
Related: Protein-Packed Pregnancy Smoothie Recipe
Vitamin C
Vitamin C can help with iron absorption and has been shown to reduce the risks of preeclampsia and placental dysfunction.
Sources of vitamin C include cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwi, mango, pineapple, strawberries, and spinach. We’ll be juicing citrus fruits, pineapple, and spinach. But if you’re struggling with acid reflux, you may want to substitute one of the other fruits for the citrus!
Related: 7 Natural Morning Sickness Remedies to Help Pregnancy Nausea
B Vitamins
B vitamins are super important for the development of your baby’s brain, bones, and eyesight, as well as their red blood cell products. They are also incredibly helpful when it comes to your energy, which is important since your body is working hard around the clock!
You’re probably starting to notice that leafy greens (especially spinach) are kind of a superstar when it comes to prenatal nutrition. And that’s true for B vitamins, as well. Spinach is high in B12, B6 and folate, all of which are important to your prenatal nutrition.
I want to give a special shoutout to folate since it’s likely a nutrient you never considered before pregnancy (I certainly didn’t!). Folate is the natural form of B9 found in food. It assists in neural tube formation and helps to prevent cognitive and spinal defects.
Your prenatal vitamin (this is the one I take) likely contains folate. But that doesn’t mean we can’t seek out more of it in our diets! Leafy greens, citrus, and beets all contain folate. And – surprise! – they’re all in our juice recipe!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has benefits for both you and your baby during pregnancy. Getting enough vitamin D will help you to absorb calcium and regulate your blood pressure. It also aids the development of your baby’s bones, heart, and brain.
Vitamin D can be found in dark, leafy greens like kale and spinach, which is why they’re an integral part of our pregnancy juice recipe!
Related: 9 Natural Pregnancy Headache Remedies
Protein
Your protein needs increase by 50% during pregnancy. This macronutrient is essential to your baby’s growth, and while you’re pregnant, you should aim to consume 60 grams of protein per day.
This is why I add collagen peptides to all of my pregnancy juices and smoothies! Increasing your protein intake that much can be challenging. But a serving of Vital Proteins collagen peptides (the one I use) provides 18 grams of protein, taking care of the extra protein you need.
My birth center recommended this collagen powder. I love it because it’s tasteless and easy to stir into juices and smoothies so that you don’t even notice it’s there.
To add the collagen powder to your juice, you’ll first juice all of your ingredients and then add the collagen peptides to the liquid, stirring it until everything is combined.
Related: How to Eat Enough Protein During Pregnancy
Healthy Pregnancy Juice Ingredients
Now that you know which prenatal nutritional needs this juice meets, here’s a list of the ingredients and which nutrients they contain or the benefits they offer:
- beet – folate, iron, and vitamin C
- grapefruit or navel orange – vitamin C and folate; calcium absorption
- pineapple – vitamin C and folate; supports digestion
- ginger – small amounts of vitamin C and magnesium; helps with nausea/morning sickness
- spinach – vitamins C and D, B vitamins, folate, and electrolytes
- collagen peptides – protein and vitamin C
The Best Home Juicer
I want to give my juicer a shoutout because I love it so much, and I think it’s the very best home juicer – especially if you’re brand-new to juicing!
I put the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer on our wedding registry four years ago, and I have been happily using it to juice pretty much any produce you can think of since then.
In my opinion, the Big Mouth Juicer has some significant advantages over other juicers:
Powerful & Effective
Despite this juicer’s relatively small size, it has no problem quickly turning any produce into juice. The only produce I peel before juicing is citrus because the peel tends to add a bitter taste to the juice. My juicer never has a problem removing and disposing of a peel, whether it’s from an apple, ginger, or a pineapple!
Easy to Clean
The Big Mouth Juicer is super easy to take apart and put back together. All of its parts are dishwasher safe, and it comes with a brush to clean the filter basket. I usually dump the pulp in my composter, brush down the filter basket, rinse everything off, and place the parts in the dishwasher. Then, reassembling the juicer takes about 30 seconds, and I’m ready to juice again.
Small Countertop Footprint
Some home juicers are HUGE! If it’s an appliance you use frequently, you don’t want to have to lug it in and out of a cabinet every time you’re juicing. So you have to give up quite a bit of counter space. The Big Mouth Juicer’s base is 11.5” x 7.8”, aka smaller than a Keurig. If counter space is in high demand in your kitchen, this juicer is the way to go.
Inexpensive Compared to Other Juicers
Another huge benefit of the Big Mouth Juicer is that it’s just way less expensive than most other home juicers. You could fork out $400 dollars on some models, but this juicer costs just $69.99 (check Amazon for current price). If you become passionate about juicing and are making juice for a family of 5, you may want to invest in a more expensive model eventually. But if you’re just getting started or juicing for only a few people, this juicer will provide everything you need for a lower price tag.
If you’re ready to start making your own juice, I highly recommend Hamilton Beach’s Big Mouth Juicer. Get yours here.
Healthy Pregnancy Juice Recipe
Makes 3 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium beet, peeled and quartered
- 1 grapefruit or 2 navel oranges, peeled
- ½ fresh pineapple
- ½ -inch fresh ginger
- 1 cup spinach
- 3 scoops Vital Proteins collagen peptides
Instructions
- Add all fruits and veggies to the juicer (this is my favorite juicer). Juice them into the same container.
- Add the collagen peptides to the juice.
- Stir together and either drink immediately or seal and store in the fridge. You may want to split the juice up between separate bottles so it’s easier to take a single serving on-the-go. Drink within a few days for freshness.
This has definitely become one of my favorite juice recipes, so I hope you love it, too! When you make it, be sure to tag @mamaembodied on Instagram so I can see how it turns out!
