Eating For Two

A Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

By the end of this lesson you will: 

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Activity 1:
List three reasons why you think having a healthy diet during pregnancy is important.

1.
2.
3.

Pregnancy is a big responsibility and this includes choosing healthy foods! The health of your baby begins at the moment of conception. Nutrition is important before, during, and after pregnancy to ensure a healthy baby and a healthy mom.

All of the nutrients needed to properly develop your baby come from the foods you choose to eat. It is therefore easy to understand why the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI's) for most nutrients increase during pregnancy - some almost double! Because the need for calories is only slightly higher (by about 300 calories per day) you must make wise food choices. The goal is to eat highly nutritious foods while avoiding excessive calories, fat, and sugar.

Choosing nutritious foods will help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis that many women may face after pregnancy and later in life. Expectant mothers have the responsibility of eating to maintain the health of the developing baby while maintaining their own health and well-being.

The old saying is true; you ARE eating for two!

How much weight should I gain during my pregnancy?

As we all know, gaining weight during pregnancy is a normal part of a healthy pregnancy. But what is the right amount of weight to gain? If you are underweight when you begin your pregnancy, you should gain slightly more than the average weight woman. If you are overweight when you begin your pregnancy, you should gain slightly less than the average weight woman. If you are a teenager and pregnant, you need to support your own growth as well as your child's and therefore your weight gain should be the highest of all.

Let's look at the guidelines of recommended weight gain during pregnancy set by the National Academy of Sciences:

Where is all this weight going?

Are you on tract with your weight gain?
Here are some tips if you are not.

WHAT FOODS SHOULD I BE EATING?
Since a woman needs approximately 300 extra calories after her first trimester in order to support a healthy pregnancy, she must choose her foods wisely. This means avoiding foods that are high in fat and calories, and replacing them with foods that are high in nutrients and vitamins.

Let's take a close look at the recommended number of daily food group servings made especially for pregnant women.

Activity 3:
How are you doing? Think back to what foods you ate yesterday and answer the following:

Fruits and vegetables provide numerous vital nutrients. Both fruit and vegetables are considered nutrient dense foods because they contain many vitamins and minerals with few calories and little fat. Vegetables are a good source of folate and zinc needed for new cell growth and development, and iron for a greater blood supply. Fruits are rich in Vitamins A and C and potassium. These vitamins support cell growth of a developing fetus. Both fruits and vegetables also contain fiber, which helps reduce constipation.

Here are examples of one serving from the fruit and vegetable group:

Activity 5: Select the food that equals 2 servings of a vegetable.

MEAT & MEAT ALTERNATIVES

Meat and meat alternatives such as eggs, seafood, nuts, peanut butter, tofu, dried beans, and legumes are great sources of protein. Protein is needed during pregnancy to support tissue growth and development of the unborn baby. Iron and zinc are important minerals found in meat.

Here are examples of one serving from the meat and meat alternatives group:

FATS & SWEETS

Fats and sweets are not considered a food group, but they are represented at the top of the pyramid. These foods provide additional calories but do not contain significant amounts of vitamins and nutrients. Therefore, these foods should be eaten in moderation because they often lead to excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Fats and sweets include candy, cakes, potato chips, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and soda pop. Of course, pregnant women do not have to entirely stop eating these foods, just eat them in moderation and choose healthy alternatives like pretzels instead of chips.

Activity 7: See if you can come up with some healthy substitutes.

(A good alternative would be plain low fat yogurt that also provides calcium.)

(A good alternative would be fresh fruit which also provides Vit A & C.)

Let's look at some other important nutrients and vitamins that are needed during pregnancy:

IRON

If you are pregnant, you need double the amount of iron! Choosing foods that are good sources of iron helps provide sufficient iron for the blood supply and iron stores for your developing baby. Red meat and dark green leafy vegetables are good sources of iron. While you are pregnant you need about 30mg of iron daily.

Let’s look at some foods that are good sources of iron:

Activity 8: Choose the vitamin or mineral that helps your body absorb iron. Take a guess!

So, if you are concerned about your iron intake, drink a glass of orange juice with your iron containing foods – you’ll absorb the iron better! While Vitamin C helps you absorb iron, calcium does the opposite. So, drink your milk in between meals. Remember, Vitamin D helps your body use calcium and phosphorous – not iron.

Folate (same as Folacin and Folic Acid)

Folate is one of the B vitamins found in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and citrus fruits like oranges. An adequate intake of folate can help reduce the risk of certain kinds of birth defects like spina bifida. It is recommended a pregnant woman consume about 400 µg of folate daily – this is especially important during the first trimester!

Let’s look at some foods that contain Folate:

CALCIUM

Calcium is an important component of a healthy pregnancy. Calcium helps the baby’s bones and teeth develop. If dietary calcium is lacking, the mother’s bones will give up calcium to meet the needs of the developing baby. If you are a pregnant teenager it is especially important to get adequate calcium while you are pregnant because your bones are also still developing! Milk, yogurt and cheeses are excellent sources of dietary calcium. Calcium can also be found in broccoli and other dark green leafy vegetables. If you are looking to boost your calcium intake, try calcium fortified orange juice. It is recommended a pregnant woman consume 1300mg of calcium per day according to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI’s).

Let’s look at some common food sources of calcium.

ASK THE DOCTOR
•Don’t forget that taking your prenatal vitamins everyday as prescribed by your doctor is a very important part of a healthy pregnancy.
•Regular exercise is also important during pregnancy, ask your doctor for safe guidelines and tips.

SUBSTANCES TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY

Nearly everyone knows pregnant women shouldn’t take illicit drugs, but it’s the legal ones – alcohol & tobacco – that are more commonly the source of pregnancy problems.

Smokers put their babies at a significantly higher risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth compared with nonsmokers. After birth, the babies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to have poor lung development, asthma, and respiratory infections, and to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). If a woman quits smoking early in pregnancy, however, she can still improve her chances of having a healthy baby. Expectant fathers or other members of the family should quit, too, because studies suggest breathing second-hand smoke may be dangerous as well.

Alcohol, too, can damage a developing fetus. Alcohol travels rapidly to the bloodstream, so when an expectant mother drinks, her baby drinks also. Alcohol is known to cause mental retardation and facial abnormalities in babies, a condition called fetal alcohol syndrome. No one knows what amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy; therefore, the U.S. Surgeon General recommends pregnant women avoid alcohol altogether.

A QUICK REVIEW
Please fill in the answers.

1. A normal weight woman should gain this amount of weight to support a healthy pregnancy:

2. A pregnant woman should increase her calorie intake by this amount during her 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters:

3. It is recommended that a pregnant woman consume how many servings of vegetables every day?

4. It is recommended that a pregnant woman consume how many servings of meat & meat alternatives every day?

5. Major sources of calcium come from what group on the food guide pyramid?

6. Vitamin C helps absorb this nutrient:

7. This B vitamin helps prevent certain types of birth defects like spina bifida:

Answers:
25 – 35 pounds
300 calories
4 – 5 servings
3 servings
milk & milk products
iron
folate

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Revised: 06-13-2008