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PREGNANCY NUTRITION MADE EASY
Today show nutrition expert Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN shows you how to eat for two by eating twice as smart.
Pregnancy is the perfect time to get your eating habits in order, not just for now but for the rest of your life. Think of it as giving yourself and your baby a healthy new beginning. Eating the right fare in the right amounts is surprisingly easy. First, forget the old adage about eating for two. The reality is that during pregnancy you need only an extra 100 to 300 calories per day for the average expected weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds. (Most women who are not pregnant need between 1,800 and 2,200 calories per day.) Next, read through the information on the following pages to determine what nutrients you need and how to get them. Finally, to make your pregnancy even more delicious, dive into the recipes and five-day eating plan I created especially for Plum readers. Pregnancy is not the time to omit any of the major food groups, such as carbohydrates, or to put yourself on a weight-loss diet. Instead, focus on developing healthy habits. If your current diet is less than stellar or if you feel overwhelmed by all the food advice directed at mothers-to-be, I recommend working with a registered dietitian to get personal, individualized nutrition instruction. There are so many vibrant, energizing, and scrumptious new foods to enjoy during pregnancy, and many women find that they stick with their improved eating habits long after their babies are born.
PROTEIN
Your baby’s first building blocks won’t come from a toy store but from protein-rich foods. Every cell in the body is made of protein: Every inch of growth and every new stage of your baby’s development require this important nutrient. Protein is used to build, maintain, and repair skin, bones, muscles, organs, and other tissues. Most nonpregnant women need about half a gram of protein per pound of body weight: For example, a woman who weighs 120 pounds will require approximately 60 grams of daily protein. During pregnancy, you’ll need at least 10 additional daily grams, so our 120-pound “pregnant woman” requires 70 grams—the amount easily met from drinking two 8-ounce glasses of skim milk, one 4-ounce serving of turkey breast, one 3-ounce serving of chicken breast, and an 8-ounce carton of yogurt. Foods rich in protein include lean beef, pork, ham, chicken, turkey, seafood, and low-fat milk. Plant foods—especially nuts, seeds and legumes—are also good sources of protein.
CALCIUM
You probably know that calcium is the mineral that creates strong bones and teeth. What you may not know is that if you don’t get enough calcium during pregnancy, your baby will take the calcium it needs from your bones, which may lead to osteoporosis or tooth loss later in life for you. Pregnant women should get 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day to prevent bone problems for mother and baby. Low-fat or nonfat milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, are the best sources of calcium. Drinking just three cups of skim milk daily will give you all the calcium you need. Other great sources are soybeans, almonds, sardines, calcium-fortified orange juice, wild salmon with bones, bok choy, collard greens, kale, broccoli, and turnip greens.
FATS
The last word any pregnant woman wants to hear is “fat,” but it’s not all bad! While too much fat in your diet can lead to excess weight gain, you need a little bit of fat to keep your body functioning properly. Fats provide energy, maintain cell membranes, and help your body use other nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins A, D, E, and K. Approximately 20 percent of your daily calories should come from healthy “unsaturated” fats, which are found in nuts, seeds, fatty fish, avocado, and olive and canola oils. Less than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from unhealthy saturated fats, which are found in fatty meats, palm oil, and full-fat dairy foods such as whole milk, cheese, butter, and ice cream. (Sorry!)
Want some easy ways to reduce the amount of fat in your diet? Instead of frying or sautéing foods, try broiling, baking, poaching, or steaming them. Another easy way to reduce fat is to skim liquid fat from soups, trim all visible fat from meats, and remove the skin from poultry before cooking. Finally, cut back on butter, margarine, cream, oil, mayonnaise, and, of course, baked goods.
CARBOHYDRATES
Although they have gotten a bad rap lately, healthy carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be a staple of every pregnant woman’s diet. These foods are chock full of vitamins (including A, C, and folic acid), minerals (such as potassium, iron and magnesium), and fiber. How much of these foods do you need daily? Let’s break it down: You need about six to nine servings of whole-grain bread, cereal, brown rice, grains, and pasta. That may sound like a lot, but a “serving” is defined as one slice of bread, one ounce of cold cereal or half a cup of cooked rice or pasta or other grain. You should also eat two to four servings of fruit: A serving equals one medium apple, banana, or orange; half a cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit; half a cup of fruit juice; one cup of fresh berries; or a quarter-cup of dried fruit. Plus, you need at least four servings of vegetables: A serving equals two cups of leafy salad greens; one cup of raw vegetables; half a cup of cooked vegetables; or three-quarters of a cup of vegetable juice.
FOLIC ACID
Although folic acid (or folate) is always important for good health, it is critical during pregnancy. In the first trimester, this B vitamin prevents defects in your baby’s neural tube, which later develops into the brain and spinal cord. Folic acid also assists in making blood cells for you and your baby and helps the body use protein for growth and development. A folate deficiency can increase the risk of serious birth defects in your growing baby. Experts recommend all women of reproductive age take a daily supplement of at least 0.4 milligrams of folate to ensure there is no risk to the baby in case of surprise pregnancy (0.4 milligrams = 400 micrograms, the amount typically found in a standard multivitamin). For moms-to-be, folic acid is especially important and is included with all prenatal vitamins. (Women with a prior pregnancy with neural tube defects may be advised to take up to 10 times the usual amount: 4 milligrams daily. This dose should only be taken with a doctor’s prescription.) The best food sources of folate are dark green leafy vegetables; whole-grain breads, grains and cereals; dried peas and beans; and citrus fruits.
IRON
A woman’s need for iron nearly doubles during pregnancy. This mineral helps cells create energy and carry oxygen throughout the body in blood. As your blood volume increases during pregnancy, your iron needs also increase. Plus, your baby needs to store iron before birth to get through the first few months of life. Most prenatal vitamins contain the 27 milligrams of daily iron you need, so be sure to take them as directed. Lean beef, poultry, eggs, shellfish, dried fruits, beans, and dark leafy greens are all excellent sources of iron.
Certain nutrients have a major effect on iron absorption: Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, but calcium can block iron absorption, so it’s important not to take iron and calcium supplements at the same time. Take your iron-containing prenatal supplement in the morning (and try to include vitamin C–rich foods with your breakfast, such as an orange, grapefruit, or berries), and if you’re taking a calcium supplement, do so later in the afternoon.
WATER
Water helps build new tissue, carries nutrients in the body and waste products out, aids digestion, and makes possible the millions of chemical reactions we need to keep going every day. Water keeps your baby floating in a cushion of amniotic fluid and prevents the uterus from contracting before it should. That wonderful “glow” of pregnancy is due in part to extra sweat, which means you have to drink nine glasses of water, milk, or other nonalcoholic beverages every day to replenish what you lose through sweat, urine, breathing, and other body functions. |
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