Family and Pregnancy : Healthy Pregnancy Diet

Goals for Healthy Eating When Pregnant

• Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Recommended daily servings include 6-11 servings of breads and grains, two to four servings of fruit, four or more servings of vegetables, four servings of dairy products, and three servings of protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs or nuts).Consume fats and sweets sparingly.
• Choose foods high in fiber that are enriched, such as whole-grain breads, cereals, beans, pasta and rice, as well as fruits and vegetables. Although it’s best to get your fiber from foods, taking a fiber supplement can help you get the necessary amount. Examples include psyllium and methylcellulose. Talk with your doctor before starting any supplements. If you take a fiber supplement, increase the amount you take slowly. This can help prevent gas and cramping. It’s also important to drink enough liquids when you increase your fiber intake.
• Protein drives blood production, especially when it has iron that your body easily absorbs, like from red meats, chicken, and shellfish. Your blood volume increases during pregnancy to supply your baby’s blood, too. Opt for healthy proteins that aren’t high in fat, like lean meats, fish, poultry, tofu and other soy products, beans, nuts, and egg whites.
• You and your babies need some fats to stay healthy. Just remember to pick the healthy, unsaturated kind like vegetable oils, olive oil, and nuts.
• Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet while pregnant. You should take a prenatal vitamin supplement to make sure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day. Your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter brand or prescribe a prenatal vitamin for you.
• Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting 1,000-1,300 milligrams (mg) of calcium in your daily diet during pregnancy
• Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods, such as lean meats, spinach, beans, and breakfast cereals each day to ensure you are getting 27 milligrams (mg) of iron daily.
• While you’re pregnant, you will need 220 micrograms (mcg) of iodine a day to help ensure your baby’s brain and nervous system development. Don’t get more than 1,100 mcg a day. Choose from a variety of dairy products — milk, cheese (especially cottage cheese), yogurt — as well as baked potatoes, cooked navy beans, and limited amounts — 8 to 12 ounces per week — of seafood such as cod, salmon, and shrimp.
• Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, green or red peppers, tomatoes, and mustard greens. It makes it easier for your body to absorb iron from plant foods, builds strong bones and teeth, boosts immunity, and keeps blood vessels strong and red blood cells healthy. Pregnant women need 80-85 mg of vitamin C a day. Don’t exceed 2,000 mg.
• Choose at least one good source of folate every day, like dark green leafy vegetables, veal, and legumes (lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas and chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.64 mg (about 600 mcg) of folate per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Supplements called folic acid can be an important option when you are pregnant
• Choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day. Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, spinach, water squash, turnip greens, beet greens, apricots, and cantaloupe.

Foods to Avoid When Pregnant

• Avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol has been linked to premature delivery, intellectual disability, birth defects, and low birthweight babies.
• Limit caffeine to 300 mg per day. The caffeine content in various drinks depends on the beans or leaves used and how it was prepared. An 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 150 mg of caffeine on average while black tea has typically about 80 mg. A 12-ounce glass of caffeinated soda contains anywhere from 30-60 mg of caffeine. Remember, chocolate (especially dark chocolate) contains caffeine — sometimes a significant amount.
• The use of saccharin is strongly discouraged during pregnancy, because it can cross the placenta and may remain in fetal tissues. But, the use of other non-nutritive or artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA is acceptable during pregnancy. These FDA-approved sweeteners include aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet), acesulfame-K (Sunett), and sucralose (Splenda). These sweeteners are considered safe in moderation, so talk with your health care provider about how much non-nutritive sweetener is acceptable during pregnancy.
• Decrease the total amount of fat you eat to 30% or less of your total daily calories. For a person eating 2000 calories a day, this would be 65 grams of fat or less per day.
• Limit cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less per day.
• Do not eat shark, swordfish, farmed salmon (wild is OK), king mackerel, or tilefish (also called white snapper), because they contain high levels of mercury. Too much mercury can hurt your baby’s central nervous system.
• Avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese. These cheeses are often unpasteurized and may cause Listeria infection. There’s no need to avoid hard cheese, processed cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt.
• Avoid raw fish, especially shellfish like oysters and clams.

What to Eat When Pregnant and Don’t Feel Well

During pregnancy you may have morning sickness, diarrhea, or constipation. You may find it hard to keep foods down, or you may feel too sick to even eat at all. Here are some suggestions:

• Morning sickness: Eat crackers, cereal, or pretzels before getting out of bed; eat small, frequent meals throughout the day; avoid fatty, fried, spicy, and greasy foods.
• Constipation: Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Taking fiber supplements may also help. Check with your doctor first.
• Diarrhea: Eat more foods that contain pectin and gums (two types of dietary fiber) to help absorb excess water. Examples of these foods are applesauce, bananas, white rice, oatmeal, and refined wheat bread.
• Heartburn: Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day; try drinking milk before eating; and limit caffeinated foods and beverages, citric beverages, and spicy foods.

Can I Diet While Pregnant?

No. Do not diet or try to lose weight during pregnancy — both you and your baby need the proper nutrients in order to be healthy. Keep in mind that you will lose some weight the first week your baby is born.

Why Do I Need Complex Carbohydrates While Pregnant?

Complex carbs give your body the energy it needs to keep you going and growing throughout your pregnancy. They’re also packed with fiber, which helps with digestion and preventing constipation, often a concern for pregnant women.

Complex carbs include:

• Fruits and veggies
• Whole grains like oats, brown rice, whole-wheat breads, and pastas

Can I Eat a ‘Low-Carb’ Diet When Pregnant?

Low-carbohydrate diets, such as Atkins and the South Beach Diet, are very popular. There have been no studies of the effects of a low-carb diet on pregnancy, so its effect on the fetus, if any, are unknown. While you are pregnant, you should eat a balanced diet, from all of the food groups.

Can I Maintain My Vegetarian Diet When Pregnant?

Just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you have to diverge from your vegetarian diet. Your baby can receive all the nutrition they need to grow and develop while you follow a vegetarian diet, if you make sure you eat a wide variety of healthy foods that provide enough protein and calories for you and your baby.

Depending on the type of vegetarian meal plan you follow, you may need to adjust your eating habits to ensure that you and your baby are receiving adequate nutrition. Discuss your diet with your doctor.