Maintain a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

During your pregnancy, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet is important to the development of a healthy baby. Because you're eating for two, weight gain is expected and the sign of a thriving baby, but make sure to fill up on nutrients-rich foods and not empty calories.

Tips for Healthy Eating

Doctors recommend consuming an extra 300 calories a day during your second and third trimesters. Coupled with prenatal vitamins and pregnancy exercise, a healthy diet should be composed of the following:

Proteins: help grow tissue, and doctors recommend three servings a day. If you are a vegetarian, sources other than meat include tofu, beans, and soy products.

Fruits and Vegetables: are good sources of vitamin C, and pregnant women need to consume roughly three to five servings a day. Foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, honeydew melon, tomatoes, and broccoli.

Dairy Products: help you maintain bone density while your baby uses your calcium stores to grow. Calcium is especially important during your last three months of pregnancy; however, avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, or Camembert. These unpasteurized cheeses may be harmful to your unborn baby and can cause a bacterial infection called Listeria. Yogurt, cottage cheese, and processed cheeses are all safe to eat.

Breads and Grains: are high in fiber and will help prevent certain diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and kidney stones. You should try to consume six to 11 servings each day.

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Fish: the Food and Drug Administration recommends pregnant women consume no more than 12 ounces of fish per week. Swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish should be avoided because they contain high levels of mercury - a substance that harms the nervous system in developing babies.

Artificial sweeteners: saccharin should be avoided because its effects on developing fetuses are unknown. Studies show that saccharin crosses the placenta and remains in fetal tissue.

Caffeine: intake should be limited to 300 mg or less per day. During pregnancy, caffeine can decrease blood flow to the placenta which may harm your baby. Brewed coffee, sodas, and chocolate all contain varying amounts of caffeine and should be consumed with care.

Fats and Sweets: everything in moderation! While you don't need to eliminate sugary snacks completely, remember to not replace nutritious foods with empty calories.

Alcohol: during pregnancy, consuming alcohol can lead to complications such as premature delivery, mental retardation, and other birth defects. Eliminate any alcoholic drinks during pregnancy.

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