How to Eat Healthy During Your Pregnancy

By Cherie Brunetti 

Now that you are pregnant, it is important to keep in mind that eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much, it means eating twice as healthy.  Your baby is counting on you to eat well and keep her healthy.  Eating well means that your baby will get all of the nutrients and vitamins that she needs to grow. 

One of the most important things that you can do during your pregnancy is to stick to a quality, nutritious diet.  Your baby needs particular vitamins in order to develop.  Calcium and iron are important for bone development and vitamins A and C will help the baby’s lungs.  A correct pregnancy diet will also help you to gain the right amount of weight during your pregnancy. 

Even though you are growing a person, you are not eating for two!  You actually only need very few extra calories in order to provide your baby with what he needs.  During the first trimester, you only need to add 100 calories to your diet.  You will need to gain more weight during the second and third trimesters, so an extra 300 calories per day are needed. 

An important part of a pregnancy diet is prenatal vitamins.  A proper prenatal vitamin will help you provide your baby with all of the vitamins and minerals that he needs to grow.  It will also help to keep you healthy during your pregnancy. 

As stated above, iron is important during pregnancy.  It will help increase blood flow to the placenta.  Your own iron requirements will also increase because blood circulation practically doubles during pregnancy.  You can get iron from dried fruits, spinach, chicken, beef, fish, and fortified cereals. 

Folic acid is necessary for your unborn baby’s brain development.  If your baby does not get enough folic acid, it is possible that he will develop neural tube defects.  Make sure that your prenatal vitamin has folic acid and eat oranges, bananas, fortified breads, and green leafy vegetables. 

Both calcium and vitamin D are important for your baby’s bone development.  You should get between 1000 and 1300 mg of calcium daily.  Some calcium rich food include:  milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, and soy.

When planning your diet during pregnancy, try to aim for a variety of healthy foods.  Eat breads, pasta, rice and other starches.  Carbohydrates will give you energy during your pregnancy.  Try to eat about 8 grain servings per day.  One serving would be ¾ a cup of cereal or a slice of bread, or a half of a cup of pasta.

During pregnancy, try to get at least 4 serving of dairy per day.  One serving would include one cup of milk or a cup of yogurt or one ounce of cheese.

Fruits and vegetables are very important because they contain so many essential nutrients.  Try to get about 8 to 10 servings per day.  This would include a cup of salad or one medium apple, or 6 small carrots.

Eating enough protein during pregnancy is important in order to get the nutrients needed to sustain your own body as well as supporting your baby’s growth.  Aim for three protein servings per day.  This would include a 1/3 of a cup of tofu or one cup of beans or 3 ounces of lean meat or poultry.

Do your best to eat healthy.  You may find this difficult during your first trimester if you have morning sickness.  Do the best that you can and keep your doctor informed of any concerns that you may have.  And don’t be too hard on yourself if you occasionally indulge in a pregnancy craving.  Giving yourself a treat once in a while is not going to hurt.