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The Art of Eating for Two
From Your Baby Today
First and foremost, choose nutritious foods
If you focus on a variety of nutrition-packed foods at mealtime, you'll be
assured of consuming adequate calories. Calorie intake determines weight
gain, which is one of the most important signs of how your pregnancy is
progressing. If you don't eat enough, your baby will be robbed of calories
and nutrients, possibly resulting in premature delivery, low birth weight, or
higher incidence of health problems. Eating sufficient nutritious foods to
gain at least 25 pounds during pregnancy will improve your chances of having
a full-term, normal-weight, healthy baby.
Does that mean you can eat all you want? Not quite. Your daily energy needs
during the first trimester are the same as they were before pregnancy
(approximately 2,200 calories -- but this can be higher or lower depending on
your height, weight, and activity level), and they increase by only 100 to
300 calories per day during the second and third trimesters, for a total of
2,300 to 2,500 calories. (Keep in mind that calorie requirements vary greatly
from one pregnant women to another and are higher if you exercise.) Although
calorie requirements increase only slightly, your need for vitamins and
minerals is at an all-time high. That means every bite must be chock-full of
nutrients.
A Variety of Wholesome Foods
Fortunately, giving your baby the best combination of nutrients is a simple
matter of eating a variety of wholesome foods based on the Food Guide Pyramid.
- 6 or more daily servings of grains. Breads, pasta, rice, and other grain
products provide B vitamins. If they're whole grains, they also provide trace
minerals, such as chromium, iron and selenium, and they add fiber to help
prevent constipation, hemorrhoids and other inconveniences of pregnancy.
- 5 to 9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables. These fresh, canned or
frozen foods supply beta carotene, vitamin C and folic acid. All of these
nutrients are essential for your health and the growth and health of your
developing baby.
- 3 to 4 daily servings of low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Milk and other
dairy products supply protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin B2
and magnesium -- nutrients essential for normal bone, muscle, and nerve
function.
- 3 daily servings of extra-lean meats or other protein sources. Beef,
pork, chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish and cooked dried beans and peas
provide protein, iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and other B
vitamins -- nutrients necessary for blood, muscle, and nerve development.
When, Where, and How?
When, where, and how much you eat is up to you, and often is governed by
necessity. Ideally, you should spread your daily food intake among several
small meals and snacks. However, your pregnant body might have other ideas,
so go with the flow. You might choose to eat a snack for breakfast and have a
large evening meal during the first trimester if you struggle with morning
sickness; then you might prefer a larger breakfast and a light evening meal
in the last trimester when heartburn is more of a problem.
Good-Eating Tip
In the past, pregnant women were warned to limit their salt intake to manage
their weight gain and prevent swelling and high blood pressure. Not anymore.
Pregnant women need some salt in their diets to maintain their expanding
blood volume, which increases by up to 50 percent. Your cells also hold more
water during pregnancy, so a little bit of swelling is normal starting in the
second trimester and especially in the last few weeks of pregnancy. This mild
fluid retention is unrelated to salt intake and shouldn't be treated by
restricting salt or taking diuretic medications (also called water pills)
without your doctor's approval. So unless you're advised otherwise by your
physician, continue to salt your foods to taste.
Just For Mom
While you're pregnant, you should avoid alcohol, tobacco, and medications
(unless prescribed and supervised by a physician). Alcohol can cause
permanent physical and mental birth defects. Since no safe limit has been
established for alcohol consumption, abstinence is a pregnant woman's best
bet.
Also see:
• Dealing with morning sickness
• Balancing your job And pregnancy
• Balancing work and family
• From power lunches to power rangers
Recommended Books:
• Nutrition and Pregnancy: A Complete Guide from Preconception to Postdelivery
• Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy: The Complete Guide to Eating Before, During, and After Your Pregnancy
• What to Expect When You're Expecting
©Studio One Networks
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