It’s no secret that pregnant women should be putting in a lot of effort to maintain a healthy diet. There are foods to eat while pregnant, foods and drinks to avoid, and not to mention prenatal vitamins and recommended supplements to add. It’s hard to keep track of it all.

Well, 2021 is throwing us another curveball. This year especially, we need to keep an eye on our immune system. I am currently pregnant with my 3rd child and while I’m so excited, it’s a little nerve-wracking. I have to keep track of all of the typical pregnancy “dos” and “don’ts,” as well as keep in mind that we’re in a full-blown pandemic.

With Covid-19 on our brains 24/7, there’s a lot to be especially cautious about. While there is not that much data at this particular time, the CDC states that pregnant women are at a higher risk for severe illness than those who are not pregnant. This isn’t shocking, but it should be concerning. We must keep up with the facts and maintain a healthy lifestyle to stay safe during this trying time for the baby and us.

Pregnancy and the immune system

Being pregnant puts a different kind of pressure on a woman’s immune system. Our pregnant bodies are working in overdrive to not only grow a human being, but keep them safe and continue to keep the mom safe. The immune system is one of the most significant parts of that process. Instead of looking at pregnancy as something that makes your immune system “suppressed” and you becoming more susceptible to getting sick, let’s look at it differently.

While you’re pregnant, the focus should be on protecting and increasing the immune system’s function, which is working extraordinarily hard. This means that a virus or illness may affect a pregnant woman much differently. The immune system might have a different response depending on its functional abilities.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, a virus may affect a pregnant woman differently at different pregnancy stages. Some viruses may affect the fetus while others won’t. Regardless, it’s known that those pregnant women infected with viral or bacterial infection may be at risk for preterm birth or severe illness.

How to build your immune system when pregnant

There are a lot of commonly known ways that a non-pregnant person can maintain a healthy immune system. But not all methods are safe for pregnant women. Your diet should be the primary source of nutrition. This includes being the main source of vitamins and minerals that help keep a strong immune system.

Don’t rely on a prenatal vitamin to do all of the work for you. It would be best if you put in the effort to eat healthy during this time for a safe pregnancy and childbirth. Don’t stock up on anything you might have considered before you got pregnant as an immune booster during pregnancy.

For example, turmeric is a great way to boost your immune system. However, in high amounts, turmeric and curcumin (its main component) may mimic estrogen in the body and cause preterm contractions. Using small quantities while cooking is entirely OK and suggested. However, taking a turmeric supplement is not.

Always talk to your doctor before trying a supplement, protein powder/shake mix, or drinking powder. There are plenty of options out there (like Emergen-C, which is not safe for pregnant women!). They may all seem like great, easy ways to boost your immune system, but they are not.

Believe it or not, it may be possible for a pregnant woman to consume too many of one particular vitamin and mineral. This could be harmful to you and the baby. You must do your research and consult with your doctor to find your safe pregnancy meal plan and supplements.

Foods to boost immune system during pregnancy

Here are some foods suggested to boost your immune system and are safe to consume when pregnant. Below, you’ll find a handful of health boosting recipes that feature some of these ingredients. Try to buy organic when you can.

• Almonds: Buy almonds in their natural form, not blanched or skinless. The skin is what you want here. The skin has properties that help your body detect viruses and fight them off faster. They are a great, fast snack option when you’re on the go.
• Turmeric: We just talked about not taking turmeric supplements, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add it to your food. It adds an earthy flavor and may help lower cortisol levels. High cortisol levels might weaken your immune system. Adding a sprinkle to warm milk with a bit of honey is a great warm beverage during the winter months—and you get the added calcium.
• Lemon: Lemons are a great source of vitamin C and zinc, both essential to a strong immune system. It may be a little acidic towards the end of pregnancy but try in small doses if you can. Warm lemon water can be very soothing and delicious when you can’t have your regular cup of coffee. I try to keep a bag of lemons handy at all times. I like to add a squeeze of juice to a lot of meals to enhance the flavor.
• Honey: Pregnant women should try to keep their sugar consumption low. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sweeten things naturally with a little bit of honey. Honey has antioxidants and antibacterial properties. Try to buy raw honey if you can. Local is even better.
• Seeds: Seeds like pumpkin seeds and chia seeds are a great way to add fiber to your diet and keep your digestive system healthy. Additionally, these factors help build your immune system and keep it functioning correctly. Adding seeds to your diet is easy. You can eat them plain as a quick snack or add them to cereal, smoothies, and salads.
• Other citrus fruits like orange and grapefruit: Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is known to help build your white blood cell count. These white blood cells are the ones that are fighting off all of the harmful viruses and bacteria. Be careful with juices labeled “fresh squeezed.” They are often not pasteurized, therefore, not safe for pregnant women. It’s much better to do the juicing yourself and consume right away.
• Ginger: Ginger can help with inflammation and nausea. Adding a small slice of ginger to your lemon water may not only help your morning sickness but improve your immune system, too. You can also find fresh ginger in handy tubes or cubes in the freezer. It’s much easier than peeling a fresh root when you’re crunched for time.

Immune boosting recipes for pregnant women

Here is a selection of easy pregnancy recipes to incorporate into your meal plan. You can enjoy these immune boosting meals with your family too. They are healthy and beneficial for everyone.

As always, should you have any specific questions about an ingredient, consult with your doctor.

Creamy orange smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1 orange or clementine
• 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup carrot juice
• juice from 1 lemon
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 pinch ground turmeric
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 cup ice

Instructions

• Put all ingredients into a blender. Mix on puree setting until everything is smooth. You may want to add more juice or ice, depending on your desired thickness.
• Serve immediately.

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Green wake up smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
• ⅛  tsp ground turmeric
• ½ Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
• ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1-2 cups loosely packed spinach or kale
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper or black pepper

Instructions

• Put all ingredients into a blender. Mix on puree setting until everything is smooth. You may want to add more juice or ice, depending on your desired thickness.
• Serve immediately.

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Berry banana yogurt parfait

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup berries of choice blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, diced strawberries
• ½ cup low fat yogurt or 4 fl ounces
• ⅛  tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp raw honey or maple syrup
• 2 Tbsps skin-on almonds
• 2 Tbsps chia seeds
• 2 Tbsps pumpkin or squash seeds

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix the berries, vanilla extract, and honey into the yogurt.
• In a serving cup, layer all the ingredients like this:

  2 tablespoons yogurt mixture

  3-4 slices of banana

  Almonds

  Chia seeds

  Pumpkin seeds
• Repeat this step four more times to create the layered parfait. The parfait can be enjoyed right away or refrigerated for up to 1 day.

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Chicken salad

Servings: 3

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked chicken this is a great way to use up leftovers
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 apple chopped into ¼ pieces
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 1 Tbsp red onion minced
• ⅛ tsp celery salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• whole romaine lettuce leaves cleaned
• sliced almonds for garnish optional
• fresh fruit to serve on the side grapes, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, apples

Instructions

• Mix the chicken, mayonnaise, yogurt, apple, celery, red onion, celery salt, and black pepper together.
• When you're ready to serve, lay the romaine lettuce leaves on a plate. Scoop a portion of the chicken salad onto the lettuce leaves. Add a side of fresh fruit and enjoy.

Notes

Other serving options: 

• Nut crackers
• Whole wheat wrap
• Mixed salad greens

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Lemon chicken and chickpea soup

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless. skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ Tbsp raw honey
• 1 small onion diced
• 3 carrots peeled and diced
• 2 celery ribs diced
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 quart low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 can chickpeas or 14-5 ounces. Drained
• 2 cups spinach raw
• 1 lemon juiced and zested

Instructions

• In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and honey and allow the garlic to get golden brown but be careful not to burn it.
• Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until they are tender.
• Add the chicken and dried herbs. Cook with the onion, carrot, and celery mixture.
• Pour the chicken stock and drained chickpeas into the pot. Let the mixture simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
• Finally, add the spinach, lemon juice, and lemon zest. The soup is now ready to serve.

Instant Pot cooking option

• Set Instant Pot to sauté setting and sauté the oil, garlic, honey, carrots, celery, onions, and herbs.
• Add the uncooked chicken and chickpeas.
• Add the stock.
• Put the top on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is in the sealing position.
• Using the manual cooking option, set the timer for 10 minutes. (It will take about 10 minutes for the pressure to build up.)
• Once the cooking is done, quickly release the pressure valve.
• Season with salt and pepper. Finally, stir in the spinach, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

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Spinach and citrus salad with almonds and honey ginger dressing

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 1 orange or mandarin peeled and segmented
• 2 Tbsps unsweetened dried cranberries
• 2 Tbsps skin-on almonds either whole or sliced
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin or squash seeds
• 3-4 dried apricots chopped into small pieces
• 1 Tbsp red onions sliced thin

Dressing Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsps olive oil
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

• Combine all dressing ingredients and either stir together or you can use an immersion blender to mix the dressing. Depending on the method you use, you may want to add more olive oil.
• Toss together all of the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl.
• Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

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Roasted vegetable salad with lemon dill dressing

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato peeled and sliced
• 1 small head of broccoli cut into pieces
• 1 small head of cauliflower cut into pieces
• 1 bell pepper sliced into thick strips
• 2 Tbsps olive oil
• 1 can chickpeas or 14.5 ounces. Drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ⅛ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups loosely packed kale sliced thin (chiffonade)

Dressing Ingredients

• 3 Tbsps olive oil
• 1 lemon juice and zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill chooped fine
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a large baking tray (or use two small ones) by lining with parchment paper or spraying with non-stick spray.
• Toss the vegetables with the two tablespoons of olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
• Toss the chickpeas with the one tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika.
• Pour the vegetables (except kale) and chickpeas onto the sheet trays. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning the vegetables as needed.
• To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in small bowl. Mix with a whisk or fork.
• When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and toss with the cut up kale. Gently toss in the dressing.
• Serve the salad immediately. You may add a protein to this salad like chicken, grilled fish, or steak.

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Lemon tea cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups almond flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup nut butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil melted
• 1 tsp lemon extract or vanilla extract
• 2 lemons juiced and zested
• ¼ cup raw honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
• In a mixer or using a hand blender, combine the nut butter, coconut oil, extract, lemon juice, zest, honey, and eggs.
• Gradually fold in the dry ingredients.
• Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll into 1" cookie balls.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before eating.

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Enjoy these recipes and let us know what you think! You may also share your own immune-boosting ideas with us.