Eating healthfully for you and your baby

Eating a variety of nutritious foods can go a long way to keeping you and your baby healthy while you are pregnant.

You don’t need extra calories during your first trimester, but you should be getting 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.

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.

There are certain things you should avoid consuming when you are pregnant, including:

• Alcohol: No level of alcohol has been determined as safe during pregnancy, so avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while you are pregnant.
• Fish that may have high levels of methylmercury: Avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish while pregnant, since these fish have high levels of methylmercury, which could harm your baby. You can safely consume up to 12 ounces of fish that is lower in methylmercury (e.g., shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, catfish). Eat no more than six ounces of canned albacore (white) tuna or tuna steaks per week.
• Soft cheeses and cold lunchmeats, hot dogs, and deli meats: Soft cheeses (e.g., Brie, feta, Camembert, Roquefort, Mexican-style soft cheese) and cold lunchmeats, hot dogs, and deli meats can contain bacteria that can harm your unborn baby.
• Raw fish, meat, or poultry: These foods can result in food poisoning that may cause harm to your baby.
• Nonfood items: Some pregnant women crave nonfood products, such as cornstarch or clay, a condition called pica. You should avoid consuming these things and tell your doctor if you are having cravings for nonfood items.

You should also limit your intake of caffeine, which has been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Most healthcare professionals believe that a cup or two of coffee per day will not harm your baby, but since some studies suggest that even small amounts of caffeine may be harmful, it is best to avoid caffeine altogether.

If you are a vegetarian, are lactose-intolerant, or have other dietary restrictions, consult your doctor or a dietician, who can help you plan a well-balanced, healthful diet to fit your lifestyle and needs.

• Exercise