subject: Maintaining a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy [print this page] Maintaining a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy
When you are pregnant staying healthy is most mothers concern. Sometimes it is difficult to eat right with nausea creeping in on you every few hours but being healthy is a must for you and your unborn child. Prenatal nutrition is crucial to your baby's development. A healthy diet during pregnancy can prevent brain defects and reduce the risk of birth defects.
How much you eat is not nearly as important as what you eat. Yes, you are eating for two but this does not necessarily mean that you need to double your calorie intake. A healthy diet during pregnancy consists of eating balanced meals. This may be difficult especially with all the cravings that most pregnant women have but it is necessary to eat right when you are pregnant. Ideally, you should be consuming about 300 calories more than you usually would. Remember when choosing food that it is not only you that is consuming it but also your baby. So choose wisely.
You will be advised by your doctor to take pre natal vitamins. Aside from this, you need to make sure that your body has enough minerals, folic acid and fiber. Pick your meals accordingly. A healthy diet during pregnancy should include protein that will assist the growing tissues in your body. Examples of such proteins are beans, chicken, fish and lean meats. Try to get three servings a day of protein packed dishes.
To ensure your baby's proper bone formation, having at least 4 servings of calcium a day is advised. This is especially crucial during the last trimester of the pregnancy. Calcium can be found in milk, yogurt and cheese.
Staying healthy while you are pregnant does not mean you have to eat boring meals everyday. Be creative. Choose the food that you normally enjoy and adjust it to fit the guidelines of a healthy diet. Once in a while it is okay to give into those cravings. Being pregnant is no joke and a bag of chips or a cup of ice cream is fine as long as you do not go overboard. Think of your baby and how all the healthy eating will allow it to enter this world without any defects and you will surely stick to the diet plan.
