This week at the Verizon store I got a new phone and made a new friend. She was endlessly patient and kind through four interminable visits over the course of two weeks, and I appreciated her even more once I learned that she was also in the process of struggling through her first trimester.  When she told me that she’d been having a hard time figuring out what to eat that she could keep down, I promised to write a post about nourishing foods that would — hopefully — include something easy to digest. So here we go.

One idea we did come up with while my data was being transferred was sweet potatoes. These have always been a favorite of mine. They are super easy to cook in a microwave; I wrap them in a paper towel and cook them for about 5 minutes for larger ones. They are also easy to roast in the oven, especially if you wrap them (at least partially) and put four or five at a time on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes at 400F. Then, when you’re ready, you can heat them in the microwave for 30-60 minutes and have something to eat pretty much right away. It’s a good idea to cook them one evening after dinner, and not when you’re hungry. Check to make sure they’re done with a long fork or cake tester, and then leave them to cool for a while before handling them. I like eating them with a big scoop of peanut butter, but plain is also good.

We’re looking for food that’s relatively easy to digest, but without strong cooking or eating smells. If any of these appeal, great. If not, just skip to the next one. Everyone is different. Sometimes the main goal of the first trimester is simply to get to the second one.

.Whole-grain toast with real dairy butter or nut butter. 

.Tomato soup. Its natural sweetness sometimes makes it more palatable.

.Red lentil soup. A very gentle flavor when made with just salt and pepper.

.Applesauce (unsweetened, and maybe with a sprinkle of cinnamon).

.Miso soup. Buy some pre-made at the supermarket, or to-go from a Japanese restaurant.

.Homemade banana smoothies with nut butter. There are tons of recipes on line, and you can keep it as simple as you like. Even just banana, peanut butter, milk of any kind, and ice cubes.

Chicken broth with or without cubes of tofu or chicken, potatoes and/or carrots. If you know someone who is agreeable to make this for you, ask them to make enough to fill a few extra jars about 2/3 full. These can be tipped partly on their sides and frozen.

.Overnight oats. This involves measuring 1/2 cup steel-cut oats and 1 cup water (or milk) into a glass Pyrex measuring cup along with 1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar or white vinegar. Leave it on the kitchen counter all night, and just heat it up in the microwave in the morning, along with any additions you’d like. These could be raisins, peanuts, maple syrup, butter, dried apricots, raw honey, almonds, or applesauce. Or you could eat it plain if that appeals more. By the way, you will not taste the vinegar at all. It’s just there to “cook” the oats.

.Pasta, especially chickpea pasta or pasta made from other legumes or whole grains. If you like, you can place a spoonful of cottage cheese in the middle. If that sounds good to you, I think you’ll find that it’s really delicious. My mom used to make this for us when we were little. 

.A bowl of quinoa is always nice, and usually well tolerated. You could sprinkle it with sesame seeds or sunflower seeds if you want, or you could sprinkle it with a little salt and leave it at that.

If you, dear reader, have additional ideas that you would like to add to this list, please send them in the comments section below. It would be wonderful to have a resource like this full of real nourishing food for people who are struggling temporarily to find something to eat.