Pregnancy Nutrition

Eating a variety of nutritious foods can go a long way to keeping you and your baby healthy during pregnancy.

You don’t need extra calories during your first trimester, but your pregnancy diet should include about 300 extra calories per day during your second and third trimesters, to reach a total of about 1,900 to 2,500 calories a day. These extra calories should come from nutritious, protein-rich foods.

• Share with others your favorite healthy pregnancy snacks!

Examples of snacks that contain about 300 calories include:

• One cup of nonfat fruit yogurt and a medium apple
• A piece of whole wheat toast with two tablespoons of peanut butter
• One cup of whole grain cereal with ½ cup of nonfat milk and a small banana

In addition to extra calories, you will need to increase your consumption of certain nutrients, including folate, calcium, and iron. Folate deficiencies are associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects, so up your folate intake by consuming more:

• Orange juice
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Beans
• Fortified breads
• Breakfast cereals

You will probably also take a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement to ensure you are getting enough folate.

Extra calcium is needed during pregnancy to protect your bone density and help your baby’s bones grow. You should consume the equivalent of three cups of milk per day to get the calcium you need (1 cup milk = 1 cup lowfat yogurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese).

You also need to get enough iron, which helps your and your baby’s blood carry oxygen. Iron-rich foods include lean red meats, enriched grain products, eggs, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beans and peas, raisins, prunes, and peanuts.

• Exercise During Pregnancy
• Weight Gain