Pregnancy diet. What to eat and what to avoid during pregnancy.

 

Pregnancy is such a delightful time for a lot of women, but a difficult time for others, between morning sickness combined with cravings or aversions, things that you can and need to eat and others that you can’t even think on putting in your mouth because can harm your baby, it’s a lot of information to keep in mind. In this post I’ll give a simplified pregnancy diet with a list of all the nutritious foods you should be eating and avoiding if you want to have a healthy pregnancy.

First of all, let me explain the Normal weight gain during pregnancy.

Women who have a normal weight pre-pregnancy, should gain 25 to 35 pounds in total at term. The gain generally consists of 2 to 5 pounds in the first trimester. For second and third trimester the normal weight gain is about 1 pound per week until the baby is born.

According to the American Dietetic Association, pregnant women should increase their usual servings of a variety of foods from the four basic food groups up to 2,500 calories daily and to include the following:

Fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin C should be part of your diet during pregnancy, because they help you and your baby to have healthy gums and other tissues, and help your body to heal wounds and to absorb iron.

Examples of fruits and vegetables with vitamin C include:

• Strawberries
• Melons.
• Oranges.
• Papaya.
• Tomatoes.
• Peppers.
• Leafy, green vegetables.
• Cabbage and broccoli.

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Whole Grains or Enriched Breads and Cereals.

Aim for nine or more servings of whole grains or enriched breads and cereals as part of your diet. Whole-grain products and enriched products like bread, rice, pasta, and breakfast cereals contain iron, B vitamins, some protein, minerals, and fiber that your body needs. Some breakfast cereals have been enriched with 100 percent of the folic acid your body needs each day. Folic acid has been shown to help prevent some serious birth defects. Choosing a breakfast cereal or other enriched grain products that contain folic acid is important before and during pregnancy.

Dairy Products.

For your pregnancy diet, aim for four or more servings of low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, or other dairy products, like cheese, for calcium. You and your baby need calcium for strong bones and teeth.

Dairy products also have vitamin A and D, protein, and B vitamins. Vitamin A helps growth, resistance to infection, and vision. Pregnant women need 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day.

Proteins.

As part of your pregnancy diet, women need about 60 grams of protein per day. This is about the same as two or more 3-ounce servings of cooked lean meat, poultry without the skin, or fish, or two or more 1-ounce servings of cooked meat.

Don’t eat uncooked or under-cooked meats or fish. These can make you sick. Pregnant women should also avoid deli luncheon meats.

Eggs, nuts, dried beans, and peas are also good forms of protein.

Protein builds muscle, tissue, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies for you and your baby. These foods also have B vitamins and iron, which is important for your red blood cells. Your need for protein in the first trimester is small, but grows in your second trimester and third trimester, when your baby is growing the fastest and your body is working to meet the needs of your growing baby.

 

Want to know more about your baby development or how to prepare for being a new mommy?, check the links below.

Newborn developmental milestones, first 3 months.

Third trimester weeks, the ultimate checklist.

Follow this easy guide, for a healthy and safe pregnancy.

What you need

• Eating a healthy and balanced diet is a plus, try to stay away from fat foods and start eating more fruits and vegetables.
• Whole grains, enriched bread and cereals as a source of iron, B vitamins, some protein, minerals, and fiber that your body needs.
• Dairy products as a source of vitamin A and D, protein, and B vitamins.
• Meat and chicken are great sources of protein, as long as they are well cooked.
• Fish is an essential source of fatty acids however you need to avoid fish with high levels of mercury.

What to avoid

• Artificial sweeteners and caffeine should be kept to a minimum, one 12 once cup of brewed coffee per day is safe in pregnancy.
• A diet low in salt may help reduce the normal swelling that women experience during pregnancy.
• Avoid all together unpasteurized milk and cheeses, hot dogs and/or deli meat unless is heated until steaming.
• Also avoid raw and under-cooked eggs, fish and meat.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol during pregnancy.

The recommendations for Seafood are as follow:

During pregnancy a 6 ounce serving of fish, 2 or 3 times per week for the normal intake of complex proteins, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Best choices of fish.

You can eat 2 or 3 servings per week

Anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, Black sea bass, Butter fish, Catfish, Clam, Craw fish, Lobster, Mullet, Oyster, Pickerel, Plaice, Salmon, Sardines, Shrimp, Squid, Tilapia, Tuna(canned light).

Choices of fish you have to AVOID

Due to high levels of mercury, the following list includes the fish choices you have to AVOID during pregnancy.

• King mackerel
• Marlin
• Orange roughy
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Tile fish (gulf of Mexico) 
• Tuna (big eye)

I feel that no matter if it’s your first or your fifth pregnancy, there’s always new fears and new delights to be discovered.

In conclusion:

Practice healthy eating habits and take a multivitamin every day. Start this good habits before you become pregnant, and continue eating healthy and taking a prenatal multivitamin throughout your pregnancy.

If you need help choosing healthy foods or have questions about how to improve your diet for your future baby, ask a health professional at your doctor’s office.

Zadi, XO.