Learning about nutrition with multiples

Nutrition in any pregnancy is important.  But nutrition in a multiples pregnancy is paramount!  Good nutrition, mainly a diet high in protein, can increase a mom’s chance of carrying her babies further to term!  Good nutrition isn’t new to me, but more so than any pregnancy I am making it a top priority, second to raising my 3 girls.  Eating well has also helped me move from fear and feeling like I have no control over the future of my pregnancy and my babies to feeling like an active participant and as though my actions will actually make a difference.  I am so fortunate to have such a large group of knowledgeable moms, some I know personally, others I’ve met through groups on Facebook, so help me maximize my protein consumption!  Dr Luke specializes in nutrition and multiple pregnancies, I’m planning to order her book Twins, Triplets, and Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy.  The  Brewer’s Twin diet  has provided a great deal of help in terms of figuring out how much 140-170g of protein actually looks like over the course of the day.

Basically, it is recommended that a mother expecting triplets consume approximately 140-170g of protein a day.  To give you an idea of how much that actually is 1 egg is 5g, 3oz T-bone steak is 21g, a stick of string cheese is 6g.   Needless to say I have gotten creative, or rather stepped outside of the box when it comes to protein.  I’ve introduced hemp protein powder.  Hemp, apparently, has the largest amount source of protein for a plant-based product.  I add 2 TBS, which gives me 6g of protein, to my smoothies 3 times a day.  I think every smoothie has been different since introducing it into my diet Tuesday night:

                Smoothie one: Milk, frozen pineapple and mango, hemp

                Smoothie Two: kale, V8 splash, and hemp

                Smoothie 3: Greek yogurt, chai, chia, and hemp

                Smoothie 4: Milk, chocolate chips, frozen peaches and strawberries, and hemp

So far the chocolate chip smoothie is the best, surprised?  The Chai one initially was disgusting!  But, the more I drank the more I liked it.  It’s a good way to get a little energy boost.  But next time I need to remember either not so much chai or have something else in my stomach because I was a little jittery for a few minutes.  Other “super foods” that have been recommended to me are: nutritional yeast, chia, and spirulina.  Chia, when I remember, usually goes into my smoothies and my energy balls. 

I think what I need to do in order to have more snacky protein, other than sausage balls (but, oh my goodness, they are delicious!) is to start baking again.  Seeds, powders, and such can be added to muffins, cookies, and to my no-bake energy balls.  It’s really just a matter of setting my mind to it and doing it. I started a "eating for triplets"" board on pinterest to help me in my quest!

I took a break from this post and did some baking. I came across an awesome gluten free, high protein cookie recipe!  Each cookie has 9g of protein!  It’s made with chia, coconut oil, oats, hemp, flax, and all sorts of other goodness.  The girls and Taylor thought they were delicious.  I don’t mind carrying cookies around with me all day to snack on!  Thank you, AlphaMom for the awesome recipe.  I made some modifications: honey for molasses, almond flour for almond meal (although perhaps they are the same thing?), hulled hemp and flax for oat bran, GF flour and oats rather than gluten.

I made an appointment to see a nutritionist at the hospital.  I am curious to see if the recommendations are similar to what I have read regarding high protein.  If it’s not, I’m inclined to ignore the nutritionist, ha!  That appointment is Wednesday, I will be sure to share any tid-bits that I learn.