Why, What, and How to Eat Healthy During Your Pregnancy

Eating during pregnancy can be a challenge! Between nausea, crazy cravings, and expenses it makes you wonder how anyone can eat healthy during pregnancy. Here we are going to share why it’s important to have healthy nutrition while pregnant, what to eat, and how with some tips and tricks to help make eating healthy a lot easier.

Why Should I Eat Healthy While Pregnant?

Good nutrition can help with baby growth and even alleviate some of your negative pregnancy symptoms. It can help your body as it handles the extra demands of carrying and growing a newborn. As you learn to eat healthy, remind yourself that the goal is to help support your baby’s growth, help support your body’s changes, and maintain a healthy weight.

What Nutrients Are Essential?

  • Folate and Folic Acid
    • These can help prevent brain and spinal cord problems with baby. Take 600-1,000mcg per day.
    • Foods: Leafy greens, broccoli, avocados, fortified breakfast cereals, eggs, oranges, asparagus, citrus fruits, liver, bananas, and Brussel sprouts.
  • Calcium
    • Helps to strengthen both yours and babies bones. Take 1,300 milligrams per day.
    • Foods: Dairy (milk, pasteurized cheese, soy milk/yogurt), fish (make sure they are fully cooked), leafy greens, nuts and seeds, orange, , broccoli, edamame, chickpeas, pinto beans, tofu, juices.
  • Vitamin D
    • Provides bone strength, take 600 IU per day.
    • Foods: Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines), swordfish, eggs, mushrooms, and red meat.
  • Protein
    • Can help baby grow and develop, take 71 grams per day.
    • Food: Egg, nuts, cheese, peanut butter, milk, fish, beans, legume, plant protein, plant protein powder.
  • Iron
    • Help prevent anemia during your pregnancy, which lessens symptoms of fatigue, weakness, light-headedness, paleness, rapid/weak pulse, fainting, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, and cravings for ice or cornstarch. Take 27 milligrams per day.
    • Foods: Red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried beans and peas (like kidney beans, black-eye beans, and baked beans), dark leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and tofu.
  • DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)
    • DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for brain, heart, and eye function and development for you and baby. Take 200-300 mg per day.
    • Foods: Fatty fish, eggs, fortified foods (milk, juice, and yogurt), algae-based DHA supplements.
  • Plenty of Water
    • Make sure you plenty of water to stay hydrated during your pregnancy. Water consumption can help with your amniotic fluid, circulate nutrients, remove waste, aid digestion, produce extra blood, grow and build new tissue, decrease swelling, decrease risk of urinary tract infections, and decrease preterm labor.
    • Consume up to 8-12 cups 64 to 94 ounces) of water per day.

How? Tips and Tricks

  • It’s so easy to get caught up in the slogan, “Eating for Two” (even when breastfeeding!), that it can actually harm you and baby. Instead of thinking that you should “eat for two” think instead “eating twice as healthy”! If you are carrying one baby, it is recommended to eat an extra 340 calories per day as you start the second trimester and a little more when you reach third trimester. If you are carrying twins, it is highly recommended to eat 600 extra calories a day! If you carry triplets, consume 900 extra calories a day.
  • Having a multivitamin and prenatal vitamin are essential in providing vitamins and minerals that are needed during pregnancy. You can decide if it is easier to take your prenatals and multivitamins via pill or liquid form. Whatever is easier for you to consume. Always consult with your provider of what prenatal is best for you and only take one a day, higher doses of some ingredients can cause birth defects.
  • Drink all the ingredients in a smoothie, it will be easier to consume and “hide” the ingredients that you normally don’t want to eat.
  • Think of eating the Rainbow. Colorful food, like fruits and vegetables, help you gain the vitamins you need.
  • Eat smaller meals more often, this can especially help if you are feeling nauseous and sick all the time.
  • Eating protein rich foods can help decrease nausea.
  • Eating cold foods can help decrease the gag reflux, such as yogurts, smoothies, sorbet, popsicles, chilled fruits, watermelon, or ice-cream.
  • eat foods with ginger, can help decrease nausea symptoms.
  • Prepare food and freeze them ahead of time, so it makes it easier to heat and eat on the spot. No need to prepare a meal.

We hope this guide and these suggestion will help you in your goal to eat healthy during your pregnancy. Here at The Utah Birth Place, we are ready to help and guide you as you work through this journey. Looking for a functional nutritionist to help you in your specific needs? Contact Laurel Fetzer, MS, RDN, IFMCP of Elevated Functional Nutrition via (801) 414-9336 or laurel@elfxn.com

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