Discomfort in the stomach usually accompanied by an urge to throw up is a common experience in pregnancy affecting 7 in 10 women, finds Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. Drinking plenty of fluids, breathing deep and relaxed, keeping away strong odours, avoiding caffeine, and eating small snacks helps relieve morning sickness in pregnancy. “Taking Vitamin B6 supplements helps relieve nausea,” says Neha Sahaya, certified nutritionist and founder of Neha Sahaya Wellness, Mumbai. Vitamin B6 helps your body to process certain amino acids, this can help reduce nausea. Do check with your gynecologist before self-medicating.

Certain foods can also help you manage morning sickness. Moderate use of ginger, dates, peppermint, chamomile, quince are safe, says BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. You should avoid excessive doses of peppermint and chamomile as these may have adverse impacts on your pregnancy, notes the paper. It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor to help you with moderating the amounts.

But given that specific foods can relieve morning sickness, we’ll tell you exactly what to eat so that you feel better instantly. “Recipes made with ginger, lemon, and nuts can do wonders on your stomach. They replenish lost electrolytes, helping your stomach settle and keep nausea away,” says Sahaya.

 

Here’s a quick list of recipes to try and manage your morning sickness in pregnancy.
 

1. Homemade Chewy Ginger Candy: Ginger aids digestion and saliva flow.
The studies have shown that ginger in a dose of 1 g/day is effective in pregnancy nausea and vomiting with no significant side effects, says Food Science and Nutrition Journal, 2019. “You can try a cup of ginger tea, a glass of ginger ale, ginger shots, a few gingersnap cookies, or a piece of ginger candy,” says Sahaya.

Here’s how to make a chewy ginger candy.

1. Heat the small pan on a low flame and add 1 tbsp of ginger juice, a half cup of brown sugar and 2 tbsps of honey.
2. Bring to a boil and gradually add 1 tbsp of glutinous rice flour.
3. Mix the ingredients well with a spoon or spatula.
4. Pour the mixture on parchment paper, keep it aside to cool.
5. Dust with some cornstarch and cut into any shape you like.

 

2. Lemon and Coriander Soup: Active compounds in lemon such as citric acid control nausea. Squeezing a fresh lemon in a cup of hot water and sipping slowly soothes your stomach, stirs up saliva, improves hydration and boosts immunity. Lemon also contains folate, an essential supplement you need during pregnancy, says Sahaya.

This refreshing combination of lemon and coriander will give you a boost of Vitamin C besides managing morning sickness. Here’s how you make lemon coriander soup to ease morning sickness.

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan
2. Saute 1 inch ginger, 2 garlic cloves, ½ cup onion, 2 tbsp beans, 2 tbsp coriander stems and ½ cup of carrot.
3. Cook the vegetables slightly brown before adding 3 cups of water, ½ tbsp of salt and ½ tbsp of pepper powder.
4. Boil the ingredients for 10 minutes and add corn flour slurry making sure there are no lumps.
5. Boil for 2 minutes, turn off the flame.
6. Mix 2 tbsp of lemon juice to the container and garnish with coriander.

 

3. Vanilla Chamomile Fruit Smoothie: Chamomile is a safe herb to ease morning sickness in pregnancy when consumed in moderate amounts. “Chamomile relaxes your digestive muscles which can help control nausea and vomiting,” says Sahaya. Also, it helps you with your sleep and relaxation, she says.

You can have this vanilla chamomile fresh fruit shake occasionally to boost vitamins and minerals in the body besides controlling morning sickness.

1. Take a blender.
2. Add-in a cup of frozen berries or one banana, ¼ cup of chamomile tea, ½ tbsp of vanilla extract, pinch of cinnamon powder, and 1 tbsp honey.
3. Blend until smooth and have it fresh.

 

4. Healthy Peppermint Mocha: Peppermint is effective against nausea and morning sickness in pregnancy. Its relaxing, numbing effect soothes your stomach muscles, allows bile to break down lipids and aids in digestion. “While having peppermint tea is effective, you can try other recipes with mint occasionally. Ensure speaking to your health practitioner to know the right amount of mint you can have, says Sahaya.

Here’s how to prepare a peppermint mocha.

1. Combine 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp cocoa, and 1 tbsp sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the espresso, mint essence, and vanilla extract.
3. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top, if you like.

 

5. Nutty Milkshake: Lack of protein can make nausea worse in pregnancy, says the paper Nausea, Pregnancy Sickness And The Role Of Dietary Protein. Therefore, picking a handful of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts can boost protein levels in addition easing pregnancy nausea.

1. Add ¼ cup almonds, ¼ cup cashews, ¼ cup raisins, ¼ cup pistachios (shelled and unsalted), 4-5 dates and 2-3 soft dried figs to a blender.
2. Add milk of your choice, preferably coconut or almond milk.
3. Blend the ingredients well and add a pinch of saffron for colour.