Pregnancy And Diet: What To Eat & Not Eat When You’re Pregnant

When you’re pregnant, what you eat is very important.

Eating or drinking the wrong thing can be devastating, especially if you do so unknowingly.

Did You Know?…

You only need 300 extra calories per day when pregnant. Consider this to be the caloric equivalent of a low-fat smoothie or a single chicken breast. That doesn’t sound quite as liberating as “eating for two.” The average mom that eats well and maintains a balanced diet during her pregnancy should expect to gain approximately 25 to 35 pounds — most of which will naturally come off after pregnancy. Aside from the occasional water weight and bloating, the rest is fat storage. Source

 

Eat More Of This

There are some necessary ingredients that you need to have in your diet when you’re pregnant:

• Calcium. It’s important to drink and eat several servings of foods containing calcium such as milk and hard cheese, to name just 2 items.
• Iron. You can get plenty of iron from lean red meat, legumes, and nuts.
• Omega 3 fatty acid. There are a couple of ways you can get enough omega 3 fatty acids into your diet. For one, drink organic milk that contains DHA. You could also eat fish — such as wild salmon and mahi mahi.

 

Eat Less Of This

When you’re pregnant, your immune system is much more susceptible to being compromised.

These are some foods to avoid when pregnant:

• Alcohol. Contrary to what some may think, no amount of alcohol is safe to consume when you’re pregnant.
• Caffeine. It’s best to consult your doctor before consuming any caffeine, but in most cases 150 mg of caffeine per day is okay — such as you’d find in 1 cup of coffee.
• Raw foods. Only certain raw foods are included here — like sushi, eggs that are runny, and cookie dough. Raw fruits and vegetables are perfectly fine.
• High mercury fish. This would include swordfish, tuna, grouper, and mackerel.
• Eggs and milk products that aren’t pasteurized. This leaves them open to being tainted with bacteria that can cause infections and endanger your pregnancy.
• Lunch meat and hotdogs. This also includes cured meats like ham too! They can be tainted with listeria monocytogenes another type of bacteria.
• Soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt. These can contain listeria.

There is one other item you want to be sure is pasteurized before you buy it. I bet you would never think of this one. After all, apple cider is perfectly safe to drink, right?

Well… yes and no. If you purchase your apple cider at a farmer’s market for example, it might not be. Not all of the apple cider at markets is pasteurized, so it’s simply a good idea to ask before you buy.

 

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