The Best Foods for the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

The third trimester is equal parts exciting and exhausting: baby is continuing to grow, your body is working overtime, and somewhere between the potential heartburn and the 3 a.m. bathroom trips, you're trying to figure out what to actually eat. The reassuring part is that nourishing yourself well in these final weeks doesn't have to be complicated. Your nutrient needs are certainly at their peak, but the strategy stays fairly simple. Here are the best foods for the third trimester: what to prioritize, what to skip, and how to handle the not-so-glamorous symptoms that tend to show up in the final stretch.

The third trimester is a period of rapid growth where your baby is gaining weight quickly and finishing the development of their brain, lungs, eyes, and bones. This is also when your body becomes naturally more insulin resistant to shuttle extra glucose to your baby. The goal is steady, nutrient-dense meals built around protein, color, and healthy fats. Focus on these foods:

• Protein, at every meal: Your protein needs are higher than many guidelines suggest. When researchers actually measured requirements in pregnant women, they found late-pregnancy needs landed around at least 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, which works out to roughly 80 to 100 grams a day for many people. Protein supports your baby's growth, your own tissue repair, and steadier blood sugar. Build meals around eggs, Greek yogurt, fish, poultry, beef, lentils, tofu, and beans.
  
  

• Iron-rich foods: Your blood volume is high and your baby is stocking up on their own Iron stores for the first months of life, so it's common for levels to dip in late pregnancy. Lean red meat, organ meats, poultry, sardines, lentils, pumpkin seeds, and dark leafy greens all help, and pairing plant sources of Iron with Vitamin C (lentils with peppers, spinach with citrus) boosts how much you absorb.
  
  

• Fatty fish and other DHA sources: DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) is critical for your baby's brain and eye development, and the third trimester is when demand spikes. Your baby accumulates roughly 50 to 70 mg of DHA per day in these final weeks, pulled straight from your own stores. Low-mercury fatty fish like salmon, anchovies, and sardines 2 to 3 times a week is the easiest route, with organic pasture-raised egg yolks and your DHA supplement filling the gaps. Bonus: fish like sardines and anchovies also supply iodine, which supports thyroid and brain development. 
  
  

• Calcium-rich foods: Your baby's bones are mineralizing fast, and they'll draw on your Calcium to do so. Dairy, fortified alternatives like fortified almond milk, tofu, and leafy greens keep your stores within a good range. 
  
  

• Slow-digesting, fiber-rich carbohydrates: Constipation is common in the third trimester and fiber is your best friend to keep the digestive tract moving. Choose complex, fiber-rich carbs like oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and beans, which keep blood sugar steadier than refined options. Aim for vegetables, fruit, legumes, or seeds at most meals to meet daily fiber needs (roughly 30 grams or more). 
  
  

• Collagen-rich foods: Slow-cooked meats and bone broth supply glycine, an amino acid your body is using in large amounts right now to build your baby's connective tissue and support your own rapidly expanding uterus and skin. Double win: you get additional protein and nutrients from these food sources. 

Eating this way supports your baby, but it helps you feel better too. Adequate Iron eases fatigue, and consistent meals plus good hydration can take the edge off the aches and low energy that come with the final weeks.

Looking for what to eat in the first trimester or second trimester? We have guides for that too.

Most people need roughly 450 to 500 extra calories a day above their pre-pregnancy baseline in the third trimester for a singleton (that’s one baby) pregnancy. That equates to a substantial snack; think toast with nut butter and a glass of milk, or Greek yogurt with seeds and fruit. Rather than counting calories or macros, let quality and consistency lead, and lean into smaller, more frequent meals, which tend to feel a lot better. 

The avoid list doesn't really change by trimester, but it's worth a reminder because a foodborne illness in late pregnancy can be serious.

• Listeria-risk foods: Steer clear of deli meats and hot dogs unless they're steaming hot, unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses, raw or undercooked eggs, raw fish and shellfish, and raw sprouts. Wash your produce well. Listeria is rare, but pregnancy raises your susceptibility, so these precautions matter.

• High-mercury fish: Skip shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and bigeye tuna, and choose lower-mercury options like salmon and sardines instead, per the FDA's fish guidance.

• Alcohol: There's no established safe amount in pregnancy, so it's a no.

• Excessive caffeine: Keep it under 200 mg a day, roughly one 12-ounce coffee.

One third-trimester-specific note: large, spicy, or fried meals tend to make late-pregnancy reflux worse, so you may find yourself naturally gravitating toward smaller, gentler plates anyway.

First, it's completely normal to feel a bit anxious if you are having lots of emotions around the diagnosis. Gestational diabetes is common and food is one of your most powerful tools for managing it. The goal is steady blood sugar, not deprivation or severe diets. 

Current guidelines recommend a minimum of 175 grams of carbohydrates a day, but newer research suggests that this number may need to be revisited. Recent research suggests a more optimal target is between 90 to 150 grams of carbohydrates per day, but always make sure to talk to your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet. 

A few habits go a long way: choose slow-digesting, low-glycemic carbs (like non-starchy vegetables, beans, and berries), and follow the "no naked carbs" rule by always pairing them with protein and fat instead of eating them on their own. 

The order you eat things matters too: eating your protein and vegetables first and saving your carbohydrates for the end of the meal can reduce blood sugar spikes by up to 40%. Finally, taking a 10 to 20-minute walk after meals meaningfully blunts blood sugar spikes. A registered dietitian who specializes in prenatal nutrition can tailor the specifics to you, helping you find your personal carbohydrate tolerance, and that individualized support is very much worth asking for.

• Acid reflux: As your baby crowds your stomach, reflux is very common, nearly inevitable. Eat smaller, more frequent meals, sip fluids between meals rather than with them, and make dinner earlier and lighter. Staying upright for a bit after eating and propping yourself up at night both help, as does easing off known triggers like spicy and fried foods.

• Leg cramps: Those middle-of-the-night charley horses are common late in pregnancy. Stay well hydrated, include Magnesium- and Calcium-rich foods like leafy greens, yogurt, nuts, and seeds, and stretch your calves before bed. 

• Dental sensitivity: Pregnancy hormones can leave gums tender and prone to bleeding, so keep up gentle brushing, flossing, and your regular cleanings, and lean on Vitamin C-rich foods to support gum tissue. 

• Stomach sensitivity: For a sensitive stomach, smaller and blander meals are your friend, and ginger (tea or chews) can settle lingering queasiness.

One more thing worth flagging to your provider: if you're snoring heavily or waking up gasping, mention it. Sleep-disordered breathing in late pregnancy is linked to higher blood pressure and preeclampsia risk.

Sort of, but manage your expectations. No food flips a switch and starts labour before your body is ready, and some of the popular tricks (pineapple, very spicy meals) have little evidence behind them. Castor oil can cause real distress and should only ever be used under provider guidance, if at all.

The one bright spot is dates. Several randomized trials and a meta-analysis suggest that eating a few dates a day starting around 37 weeks is associated with a riper, more favorable cervix and a lower need for labour induction. It won't summon contractions on demand, but it's a low-risk, evidence-backed thing to try as you approach your due date. Check with your provider first if you're managing blood sugar.

The best third-trimester diet is one that's rich in protein, Iron, DHA, Calcium, and fiber, and gentle enough to actually live with when you're tired. Lead with protein, add color, keep up your prenatal and DHA, and lean into smaller meals to stay comfortable. Hydrate, move a little after eating, and give yourself grace on the days when meals look a little less than perfect. You're so close, and you're doing an incredible job!