Nutrition During Pregnancy
What Expectant Mothers Should Include & Avoid
in Their Diet
During pregnancy, most women need to eat more healthy food to help the baby grow. After the first 3 months, a pregnant woman must take in more calories than usual to reach the recommended amount of weight gain during pregnancy (usually 25 to 35 pounds). It is not a good idea to lose weight while you are pregnant. Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about how much weight you should gain. A healthy diet and careful weight gain can prevent high blood pressure and other problems during pregnancy.
Are there any foods I should avoid?
Ask your doctor or nurse about using sugar substitutes like aspartame (NutraSweet) or saccharine, caffeine, and foods with many additives. You may be told to avoid these foods or cut down on how much of them you eat. Your doctor or nurse probably will tell you to avoid alcohol completely, since no safe amount of alcohol has been determined for pregnant women.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. Try to limit the amount of soda
you drink to 1 or 2 glasses each day. Caffeine-free drinks are best.
Use the Food Guide Pyramid
You can use the Food Guide Pyramid to make healthy food choices. Every
block in the pyramid represents a different food group. Each group has
some of the foods you need, but not all. Follow the guidelines below.
Eat a variety of foods from each group every day to help give your baby
a healthy start.
Bread and Grains
The bread and grains food group is at the bottom of the pyramid, which
means it makes up the base of your diet. It includes breads, cereals,
rice, and pasta. Most people should have 6 to 9 servings from this group
each day. One serving equals:
- 1 slice of bread
- 1/2 cup of cooked cereal
- 1/2 cup of cooked pasta
- 1 ounce of cold cereal
- 1/2 cup of cooked rice
Fruit
Fruit and fruit juice provide many vitamins and minerals, including potassium
and vitamins A and C. Include 2 to 4 choices from this group each day.
One serving equals:
- 1 banana
- 1/2 grapefruit
- 1/2 cup of canned fruit
- 1 slice of melon
- 1 medium apple, orange, or pear
- 1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice.
Read juice labels. Many drinks that seem to be fruit juices are really drinks that have little or no fruit juice. Since fruit-type drinks are mostly sugar, they do not count as a serving. Remember, fresh fruits and dried fruits have more fiber than fruit juice, so they are better choices.
Vegetables
You should eat a variety of green, leafy vegetables (e.g., lettuce and
broccoli), yellow vegetables (e.g., carrots and yams), starchy vegetables
(e.g., potatoes, lima beans, and corn), and others (e.g., zucchini and
onions) during pregnancy. Include 3 choices each day. One serving equals:
- 1/2 cup of cooked or chopped vegetables
- 1 cup of leafy or raw vegetables
Steamed or raw fresh vegetables are best.
Milk and Cheese
You can get plenty of calcium by eating foods from the milk and cheese
group. Dairy products also provide protein, vitamins, and minerals. Include
4 choices each day. One serving equals:
- 1 cup of whole or skim milk
- 1 cup of yogurt
- 1 1/2 ounces of cheese
When choosing from this group, limit how much fat you eat and drink. Try skim milk or low-fat yogurt.
Remember that ice milk and frozen yogurt have less fat than ice cream. If you do not drink milk, you can get calcium and vitamin D by drinking fortified soy milk or rice milk.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish
This group includes meat, chicken, turkey, fish, dried beans, eggs, and
nuts. Include at least 2 or 3 choices, or a total of 7 ounces, each day
(3 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards). One serving equals:
- 2 to 3 ounces of cooked meat
- 2 to 3 ounces of poultry
- 2 to 3 ounces of fish
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 1 egg
To avoid additional fat calories, trim meat and cook chicken or turkey without the skin. Broil, roast, or boil instead of pan-frying or deep-frying. Fish can be steamed, broiled, or poached.
Fats
Fats can be part of the other food groups, but most often they are added
to your daily diet in the form of butter, spreads, or salad dressings.
The daily allowance for fats is 3 servings. One serving contains 45 calories.
One serving equals:
- 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon of low-fat margarine
- 1 teaspoon of oil
- 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of salad dressing
- 2 tablespoons of reduced-fat salad dressing
Use only very small amounts of fats and oils when you cook. Steam or microwave vegetables, and sprinkle them with lemon juice instead of butter or margarine.
Vitamins
Take your prenatal vitamins and iron tablets each day. Talk to your doctor
or nurse if you have trouble taking your vitamins. There are many kinds
of prenatal vitamins available, including chewable vitamins.
Special Diets
If you have special diet needs, talk with your doctor or a registered
dietitian.
After Delivery
After you have your baby, it's still important to continue to eat well-balanced
meals. It helps the healing process and is important for breast-feeding.
If you breast-feed your baby, you will need to add 500 calories a day
and drink plenty of fluids.
