During the second trimester, your daily calorie needs increase by about 300 calories, bringing the total to roughly 2,200 calories per day. But those extra calories matter less than where they come from. This is the trimester when your baby’s bones are hardening, the brain is rapidly developing, and your blood volume is expanding fast. The right foods support all of that while keeping common second-trimester complaints like heartburn and constipation in check.
Protein for Rapid Growth
Your protein needs jump significantly in the second trimester, from about 46 grams per day in the first trimester to 71 grams per day. That’s an increase of roughly 21 grams, or the equivalent of adding a palm-sized portion of chicken breast to your daily intake. Protein supports the rapid cell division happening in your baby and helps build the extra blood and tissue your body is producing.
Good sources include lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, and Greek yogurt. If you eat a variety of these throughout the day, hitting 71 grams is straightforward. Two eggs at breakfast (12 grams), a cup of lentil soup at lunch (18 grams), a snack of Greek yogurt (15 grams), and a serving of chicken or salmon at dinner (25+ grams) gets you there comfortably.
Iron to Keep Up With Your Blood Supply
During pregnancy, you need 27 milligrams of iron a day, nearly double the amount for non-pregnant women. Your blood volume increases by close to 50 percent over the course of pregnancy, and without enough iron, you’re at risk of iron deficiency anemia, which can leave you exhausted and short of breath.
The iron in animal products like lean red meat, poultry, and fish is absorbed most efficiently by your body. Plant-based sources include dark leafy greens, dried beans, lentils, and iron-fortified cereals. If you’re relying on plant sources, pair them with something high in vitamin C (bell peppers, strawberries, citrus) to boost absorption. Many prenatal vitamins also contain iron, but food sources provide additional nutrients you won’t get from a pill alone.
Calcium and Vitamin D for Bone Development
Your body becomes significantly more efficient at absorbing calcium starting in the second trimester, preparing to supply the mineral your baby needs for bone and tooth development. The major deposits of calcium happen in the third trimester, but your body starts gearing up now. If your daily calcium intake falls below 600 milligrams, your body will pull calcium from your own bones to supply the baby.
A glass of milk and a slice of hard cheese each provide about 300 milligrams of calcium, so two to three servings of dairy per day covers most women’s needs. Yogurt is another strong option. If you’re lactose intolerant, you can typically tolerate small amounts of milk taken less than one glass at a time, or opt for hard cheese and yogurt, which contain less lactose. Fortified plant milks, canned sardines with bones, and fortified orange juice are alternatives.
Vitamin D helps your body use that calcium. The primary dietary source in the U.S. is fortified milk, with eggs and fatty fish also contributing. If you don’t drink milk or eat fish or eggs, a vitamin D supplement of 5 to 10 micrograms per day is worth discussing with your provider.
Omega-3 Fats for Brain Development
DHA, a type of omega-3 fat, is critical for your baby’s brain and eye development. Major health organizations recommend pregnant women get at least 200 milligrams of DHA per day on top of what’s advised for all adults. If your diet is low in DHA (under 150 milligrams daily), clinical guidelines suggest increasing to 600 to 1,000 milligrams per day of combined omega-3s, ideally starting no later than 20 weeks.
The best food sources are fatty fish that are low in mercury: salmon, sardines, anchovies, trout, and Pacific oysters. Two servings of these fish per week typically meets the recommendation. If you don’t eat fish, a DHA supplement derived from algae is the most reliable alternative. Walnuts and flaxseed contain a different type of omega-3 that your body converts to DHA only in small amounts, so they aren’t a substitute on their own.
Choline for the Brain and Spinal Cord
Choline is one of the most under-consumed nutrients in pregnancy, yet it plays a direct role in your baby’s brain and spinal cord development. The recommended daily amount during pregnancy is 450 milligrams. Eggs are the single best source: two large eggs provide roughly 300 milligrams. Beef liver is extremely rich in choline but isn’t something most people eat regularly. Other sources include chicken, fish, soybeans, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, though in smaller amounts. If you don’t eat eggs, check whether your prenatal vitamin includes choline, as many do not.
Fiber to Prevent Constipation
Constipation is one of the most common second-trimester complaints, driven by hormonal changes that slow your digestive tract. The recommended fiber intake during pregnancy is 28 grams per day, but fewer than 30 percent of pregnant women actually reach that target.
The difference between women who get enough fiber and those who don’t comes down largely to fruit and vegetables. Women with the highest fiber intakes eat significantly more apples, bananas, and oranges, along with more vegetables overall. Those with the lowest intakes tend to eat mostly potatoes as their primary fiber source. A practical approach: aim for two to three pieces of whole fruit and several servings of vegetables each day, and choose whole grains (oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread) over refined versions. Beans and lentils are fiber powerhouses, often delivering 7 to 8 grams per half cup.
Hydration
You should drink 8 to 12 cups of water per day during pregnancy. That’s 64 to 96 ounces. Your blood volume is expanding, amniotic fluid is increasing, and your kidneys are working harder than usual. Dehydration can worsen constipation and contribute to headaches. Plain water is ideal, but milk, herbal tea, and water-rich fruits like watermelon all count toward your total. Drinking between meals rather than during them also helps if heartburn is an issue.
Managing Heartburn Through Food Choices
Heartburn often appears or worsens in the second trimester as your growing uterus pushes against your stomach and pregnancy hormones relax the valve between your esophagus and stomach. What you eat and how you eat it makes a real difference.
Eat several smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large ones, and eat more slowly. Avoid fried, spicy, and fatty foods, along with citrus fruits and juices and carbonated drinks. Wait at least two to three hours after eating before lying down or going to bed. Sitting upright while you eat and drinking fluids between meals instead of with food can also help. These changes won’t eliminate heartburn entirely for everyone, but they reduce the frequency and severity for most women.
Caffeine and Foods to Limit
Caffeine intake under 200 milligrams per day does not appear to significantly increase the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. That’s roughly one 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee. Keep in mind that tea, chocolate, some sodas, and energy drinks also contain caffeine, so the total adds up. Above 200 milligrams daily, there’s a modest increase in the risk of restricted fetal growth.
Beyond caffeine, continue avoiding raw or undercooked meat and eggs, unpasteurized dairy and juice, high-mercury fish (swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tilefish), and deli meats unless heated to steaming. Alcohol should be avoided entirely.
The Glucose Screening Test
Between weeks 24 and 28, you’ll typically have a glucose challenge test to screen for gestational diabetes. No fasting is required for the standard one-hour version. You’ll drink a sweet glucose solution and have your blood drawn an hour later. There’s no special diet to follow in the days leading up to it, though some women feel less nauseated if they avoid a heavy, sugary meal right before. This is a screening, not a diagnosis. If the results are elevated, a longer follow-up test confirms whether gestational diabetes is present.
A Practical Day of Eating
Pulling all of this together doesn’t require a complicated meal plan. A realistic day might look like this:
- Breakfast: Two scrambled eggs with spinach on whole wheat toast, plus a glass of milk (protein, choline, iron, calcium, fiber).
- Mid-morning snack: An apple with a handful of almonds (fiber, healthy fat).
- Lunch: Lentil soup with a side of mixed greens and a slice of cheese (protein, iron, fiber, calcium).
- Afternoon snack: Greek yogurt with a banana (protein, calcium, fiber).
- Dinner: Baked salmon with brown rice and roasted broccoli (DHA, protein, fiber, choline).
This covers roughly 2,200 calories with strong amounts of every nutrient discussed above. Swap in the protein sources, grains, and vegetables you enjoy. The goal isn’t perfection on any given day, but a pattern that consistently delivers iron, calcium, DHA, choline, fiber, and enough protein across the week.