Make a weekly meal plan for your pregnancy. This plan will help you include a variety of nutritious foods from all 5 food groups. After you make one weekly meal plan, you can repeat it for the next week! Aim to make minor changes for the next week so you don’t get bored with the same foods.

STEP 1: Review the foods in each food group below. Use these ideas to start filling in your weekly meal plan! Include some from each food group each day. A printable blank weekly meal plan is provided below.

STEP 2: Fill in the rest of your weekly meal plan with meal and snack ideas. Don’t forget to include plenty of water (at least 8-12 cups each day.) Feel free to use the examples listed. You can use your MyPlate Plan from MyPlate.gov to help you figure out serving sizes. This action plan can help you learn about creating a MyPlate Plan.

STEP 3: Take a look at your weekly meal plan. Will you eat these meals and snacks? Will your family enjoy the meals you plan to share with them? Consider everyone’s likes and dislikes ahead of time. This will help make following the meal plan more enjoyable. You can make it easier for yourself by repeating some of your meals and snacks throughout the week. 

STEP 4: Use your weekly meal plan again for the next week. Change a few items to provide more variety. Were there meals or snacks you did not love? If so, switch them out for something new. 

Protein Foods

Vegetables

Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin
Spinach
Cooked greens (such as kale, collards, turnip greens, and beet greens)
Winter squash
Tomatoes and tomato sauces
Red sweet peppers

Dairy

Non-fat or low-fat yogurt
Low-fat cheese
Non-fat milk (skim milk)
Low-fat milk (1% milk)
Calcium-fortified soymilk (soy beverage)

Grains

Whole wheat pasta
Oats
Barley
Fortified ready-to-eat cereals
Fortified cooked cereals
Whole grain bread

Fruits

Cantaloupe
Honeydew melon
Mangoes
Prunes
Bananas
Apricots
Oranges
Red or pink grapefruit
100% prune juice or orange juice

Weekly Meal Plan

Extended text for visually impaired

*This example menu was made at MyPlate.gov/myplate-plan. It is based on recommendations for a pregnant woman in her 2nd trimester. This example is based on a woman who is 130 pounds, 5’4” and moderately active. Talk to your health care provider about what is right for you.

SAVE And Print

Download a printable version of this action plan.