Did you know that 95% of moms are nutrient deficient? Before, during, and after pregnancy are very demanding times on the body. After all, you’re growing and sustaining another human! Unfortunately, the combination of modern diet and depleted soil makes it nearly impossible to get all your nutrients from diet alone, and most prenatal vitamins just don’t cut it. Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein can help.

Needed offers products for all perinatal stages, including TTC, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. They’re one of my favorite supplement brands because of their high-quality ingredients, the purity of their ingredients, and their commitment to sustainability. I’ve been taking their Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein Powder for years because it’s the cleanest I’ve found anywhere. And when they introduced Needed Academy, I jumped at the chance to talk about Needed products and get exclusive discounts for you! 

Needed offers bundles for different stages and areas of support, depending on your needs. You can save time and money by simplifying with a product plan that’s tailored to your stage, such as the Complete Plan with a Prenatal Multi, Collagen, Omega-3, and Pre/Probiotics, the Fertility Support Plan for Two (both male and female support!), or the Gut Health Plan.

Use this link and code: MERRITT for up to 40% off pre-bundled plans or 25%+ off your first subscription order! 

Now let’s review Needed’s Prenatal Collagen Protein Powder.

Check out my other reviews for Needed products, coming soon on the blog!

Why Extra Protein is Needed During Pregnancy 

When pregnant, the demands of a growing baby and the changes in the woman’s body to support this require 80 to 100 grams of protein daily. That’s a lot of protein! Getting that amount of protein in a day can be difficult. Instead of reaching for quick options like processed meats or protein bars to bridge the gap, instead look for a high-quality collagen supplement. Collagen provides unique amino acids that are needed in higher amounts during pregnancy. Bonus: it’s known for supporting healthy hair and glowing skin! 

Not all collagen protein powders are equal. In fact, it’s important to be extra careful about what supplements you take, whether pregnant or not, because supplements are not FDA-regulated. This means that ingredients labels are often inaccurate, and the products often contain higher levels of heavy metals and other contaminants. Protein powders in particular are notorious for their high lead content. You don’t have to worry about this with Needed, which is a huge reason I recommend them. Needed uses third-party testing on every batch of their collagen protein. They earned a Clean Label Project Purity Award and are certified pesticide free. Clean Label Project is a great, free resource where you can check the accuracy and purity of certain product labels! Check them out. 

In addition, Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein is just that — there are no added ingredients! Many other proteins on the market come with added flavors, or other fillers. Last but not least, Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein Powder is grass-fed and sustainably sourced. The collagen is ethically sourced from the hides of grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone-free bovines. This is some seriously clean collagen! 

Get up to 40% off pre-bundled plans and 25%+ off your first subscription order with my link and code: MERRITT

How I Take My Prenatal Collagen Protein 

So now you know that Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein is a grass-fed, third-party tested, no-added-ingredients way to get the extra protein you need for a supported pregnancy. But what does it taste like? 

One of my philosophies is that the “best” product in the world is not worth too much if you won’t actually use it. For sunscreen, this means it needs to feel good and work well under makeup (see this article with my favorites!). For collagen protein, this means it needs to mix well and you need to actually want to eat it! Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein Powder is unflavored, meaning you can dissolve it into just about whatever you want. Many women like to mix it into their coffee for a protein-fueled start to their day. Another option is to mix it into a bowl of oatmeal for some morning power oats. My favorite way to take Needed Collagen Protein is to mix it into a green smoothie for breakfast! Here’s my recipe for a protein-packed, low-sugar breakfast. My husband drinks it, too, so this recipe is for two!

Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein Green Goddess Smoothie

Ingredients

(serves 2, about 26g protein per serving)

• 3 scoops Needed Prenatal Collagen Protein Powder
• 1/2 cup organic, unsweetened almond milk (I like Elmhurst or Califia)
• 3 TBSP organic hemp hearts
• 1 TBSP organic ground ginger
• 1 cup organic arugula
• 1 cup organic pineapple chunks (frozen or fresh)
• 1 handful organic mint leaves (optional) 

Add the Needed Collagen Protein Powder to the glass jar of a blender. (To ensure no food contact with plastic, I use and love this Tribest Personal Blender). Add almond milk and stir to dissolve collagen. Stir in ground ginger and hemp hearts. Top with arugula, pineapple, and mint if desired, and blend until smooth.

Whether you’re TTC, pregnant, postpartum, or just looking for supportive supplements, I hope you found this post helpful. Don’t forget that my unique link and code: MERRITT gets you up to 40% off pre-bundled plans, and 25%+ off your first subscription order with Needed! 

Dive in — to radically better nutrition!