"Now that you know what you should be eating, how do you go about figuring out how much you should be eating ? The gold standard would be to walk around reading little nutrition labels and keeping a small, ongoing food journal in your pocket so that you can keep track of how much of each nutrient you’ve taken in on a daily basis-but let’s wake up and live in reality. No one has that much time on their hands. Because you can’t always keep track of exactly where you’re at with your daily requirements you’re going to have to learn to make some sweeping generalizations.
The easiest way to do precisely that is to estimate how much of each food group you are going to need on a daily basis, then pick foods from each group that you’re particularly fond of and that provide you with a wide variety of nutrients. An example of a food group chart is shown below :
" early pregnancy nutrition "Carbohydrates
• Fruits-3 servings daily
• Vegetables-4 servings daily
• Whole grain foods-9 servings daily
Meat
• Poultry, fish, meat or legumes-3 servings daily
• Milk, yogurt or cheese-3 to 4 servings daily
Does that sound like more than you could eat in a week, much less a day ? Don’t worry. A serving in this context isn’t the half a plate that your mother used to give you. A ham sandwich made with whole grain bread will give you two servings of whole grains and one serving of meat. Add an apple to that and you’ve just had one of your fruit servings as well. A typical serving of meat is considered to be four to six ounces, about the size of a chicken breast that you would find in a formal dining establishment. An eight ounce glass of milk will give you a serving of dairy.
" The newfound popularity of veganism and vegetarianism has made it easier than ever to eat a healthy diet while you’re pregnant without compromising your scruples. Most foods have a vegan or vegetarian substitute. Since you can still have fruits calcium fortified juices (many of which have as much calcium as regular milk), rice milk and soy milk make great staples to your diet instead of milk, and beans and nuts are excellent sources of protein and iron.
"A day’s menu to meet all of your nutritional requirements might look something like this :
Breakfast
2 cups of fortified cereal with milk (protein, dairy and whole grains)
Banana
Glass of orange juice
Snack
Whole wheat English muffin
Apple
Glass of milk
Lunch
Ham sandwich made with whole grain bread
6 oz baby carrots
Glass of milk
" pregnancy and nutrition "Snack
Glass of tomato juice
Whole grain bagel with organic cream cheese
Broccoli florets dipped in Ranch dressing
Supper
Trout fillet with lemon
Baked potato
6 oz peas
Whole grain roll
Glass of milk
Snack
Hot chocolate
2 slices of whole wheat toast with calcium fortified butter
" You may run into some trouble with your Vitamin B12 if you are a vegan and do not eat or drink dairy products, so it is vitally important that your doctor be made aware of your diet at your first pre-natal checkup. They may prescribe a supplement for you or recommend that you attempt to purchase tofu, soy milk, yeasts and other foods that are specially made for vegans and are fortified with B12. Most fortified cereals also contain some B12, so the next time you’re at the store pick up your favorite brand of Lucky Charms and check the B12 content. You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised !
"Just as there are certain foods that you should be sure to stock up on, so too are there foods that you should avoid as though they would give you the plague if you were to breathe in their general area if you were pregnant. Of course, this list changes from year to year so take most of these recommendations with a grain of salt !
If you’re unsure whether a food is safe for you to eat, or if you have heard mixed reports or have a concern based on your individual circumstances, consult your OB/GYN. Since they are regularly required to take continuing education classes and receive frequent updates from the research fields they would be the most qualified to provide you with information pertaining specifically to your pregnancy.
" what not to eat when pregnant "The answer is, get creative ! If you suffer from diabetes or a digestive disorder, or you have a major metabolic disorder such as PKU or tyrosinemia (and these are only a few from a very long list that are usually diagnosed during early childhood) you probably have a pretty good idea of how to manage your diet to provide the most nutrients at a time without overdoing it. To be safe, however, it would be wise to speak with your doctor about what foods you can and cannot have (and in what amounts you are allowed to have them) in the coming months.
If you do not have a condition that requires specific, direct medical supervision and simply need to make some changes to the diet shown earlier you’re going to find that it’s going to be much simpler than you would think (although you’re probably going to be pretty sick of your core foods by the time you deliver !) With some dietary substitutions, however, you should still be able to maintain a healthy diet throughout the course of your pregnancy.
" Vitamin D is another vitamin that usually isn’t found in the vegan diet but can be compensated for by getting 20 to 30 minutes of direct sunlight a day. If your schedule keeps you inside during the day your doctor may prescribe a supplement ; however, these should only be taken if prescribed. Too many vitamins can be just as harmful as too few.
"Alcohol is first on the list of No-No’s for Mommies to Be, and with good reason. The amount of alcohol that is safe to consume in a day while pregnant has yet to be determined, and the incidence of known cases of birth defects due to alcohol consumption is on the rise. According to the March of Dimes “alcohol is the most common known cause of damage to developing babies in the United States and is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation.”
On a more personal note, alcohol can also aggravate many of the common side effects of pregnancy such as nausea and heartburn. It also takes up space in your stomach that could be filled with more healthy things, like water or juice. If you can forsake alcohol completely during your pregnancy, that would be the best choice for you and your baby. Does that mean that a sip of your glass when you toast your cousin’s wedding is going to leave your baby scarred for life ? No, probably not. Use your good sense. While a sip or two of wine every now and then probably won’t hurt your growing angel, a shot or two of tequila might not be as forgiving. Pregnancy is only nine months long. Your baby lasts a lifetime.
" pregnancy meal plans "Food allergies, particularly those to milk, soy, nuts and wheat, can be a major issue when it comes to maintaining a proper diet. It’s very hard to get enough calcium when you can’t drink a single glass of milk or eat a milk product ! The key here is to talk to your doctor about recommending some healthy substitutions. There are some, such as a milk allergy or a peanut allergy, that are easy to work around with calcium fortified juices and chewable supplements and other sources of protein.
If you have either one of these allergies you should be very careful to keep your food essentially isolated, something which you are undoubtedly already aware of. Many smoothies and “Meals in a Box” contain these ingredients in some quantity or another. The severity of your allergy should be considered when you’re choosing your foods, but if you suffer from anaphylaxis you are going to want to stay clear of them altogether. Choose plain meats and fresh fruits and vegetables over stews and casseroles, and try to avoid gravies if you can’t see the list of ingredients.
" If you are a picky eater you may run into trouble when you’re pregnant as well, since you’re probably going to get very tired, very quickly of eating the same foods or groups of foods over and over and over again for the next nine months. Most of the time you will be able to find an acceptable substitute for the foods you don’t like that will provide you with the nutrition you need for a healthy pregnancy.
"The other scare when it comes to pregnancy eating has come from an unexpected source-fish. Long lauded as the best source of protein for pregnant women, it was recently discovered that fish was also high in mercury, a condition caused by the dumping of waste into the water. Mercury can cause irreparable damage to a fetus’s developing nervous system. The debate as to whether specific fish can be considered safe or not is still ongoing, but pregnant women are currently being encouraged to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, bluefish, tuna steak, striped bass, freshwater fish and canned tuna.
While highly processed foods may not cause permanent damage to your unborn baby they usually contain enough preservatives to qualify them as highly suspicious. Remember, anything that claims to be sugar free yet tastes sweet has some form of sugar substitute in it. The question is, what are they substituting ? Labels such as “fat free” and “caffeine free” should also be approached with caution. Take the high road here and attempt to buy whole, natural foods as often as possible. Look at the list of ingredients on the label. The longer it is, the less likely it is to be healthy for your baby.
" pregnancy meal plan "Occasionally allergic reactions will be more intense in pregnancy, so if you had a mild reaction to certain foods before you were pregnant you should handle them with care now. Remember, pregnancy is only nine months long. Your body should go back to normal when it’s all said and done and you can go back to your favorite foods and drinks then. Until then, it never hurts to err on the side of paranoia.
If you have an allergy to wheat or soy you may have a bit more trouble, since many of the foods you are going to need to eat to get your servings of carbohydrates are going to contain these ingredients. (Unless you ac" "Once you have your list work on ways to spice things up ! If you don’t like red meat and pork you’ll probably get tired of chicken after a while. Try frying it up with some lo-mein, putting it in a whole wheat pita with some raw spinach or chopping it up into a Caesar salad. Serve it with salsa, cheese or sour cream. Mix it in with your favorite pasta. The possibilities are endless.
"
"If you have a hard time getting started in the morning without your cup of Joe, now’s going to be the time to learn. Caffeine impedes iron absorption, contributing to anemia in pregnant women who don’t have enough to spare, robs the body of precious calcium and aggravates heartburn all in one fell swoop. It also transfers to your baby through your breastmilk, which means that if you like to drink coffee and you’re planning on breastfeeding you can expect a lot of late nights.
Although you could switch to decaf, for the dedicated coffee drinker this is about the equivalent of taking a perfectly good cup of coffee and filling it 2/3 full of water. As a placebo it’s a poor substitute. Instead, try a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider in the morning. (Heating apple juice and adding a little cinnamon works too.) The hot beverage will hit a few of the “wake up” buttons that coffee triggers, and while you’ll probably feel the lack of caffeine for the first week or two you should find that getting through the day gets easier-and hey, pregnant women are supposed to nap regularly anyway !
" what not to eat during pregnancy "You’ll find these included in many bread products, so it would be prudent to get your carbohydrates from other sources. The list of nutrient sources provides you with some acceptable alternatives, so don’t feel that you have to eat a particular food just because it’s on your list. If you have preexisting health conditions they must be considered first. Many women with a mild milk allergy or wheat allergy will deliberately deal with the side effects in the interest of providing their babies with vital nutrients. Pregnancy is uncomfortable enough without adding to it by making yourself sick !
If you are unsure about which foods can be substituted in your diet without causing you to lose nutritional value make an appointment to speak with the nutritionist at your physician’s office or local health department. They" If you don’t want to spend the money to buy a cookbook you can find recipes for almost anything online-and it won’t cost you a thing. You can even print them out to put together your own cookbook. You’ll probably still want to eat these dishes after you’re pregnant, and if you find one you really like it’s going to drive you nuts if you don’t print it out and you have to go back and try to find it again. The following sites will provide you with recipes for almost everything, regardless of your preferences.
"Unpasteurized cheeses, soft or fresh cheeses such as Brie, deli meats, hot dogs, undercooked eggs, fish, rare to medium well meats and unpasteurized juices are also being added at various intervals to the “no-no” list that OB/GYNs are handing out to their patients in an attempt to stop the spread of pathogens such as E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria, all of which are often present in undercooked or uncooked meats.
Listeria, the leading cause of meningitis in children less than one year old, has the ability to cross the placenta and infect the baby. It can also cause miscarriage. Salmonella has been associated with stillbirth. Even if fetal death doesn’t occur, dehydration from the diarrhea and vomiting that accompany Salmonella infection is a serious risk. A severe infection with E. coli can cause dehydration as well as potentially triggering premature labor or miscarriage.
" pregnancy what not to eat "• Soy
• Soy flour
• Soy cheese
• Soy protein
• Textured soy protein
• Textured vegetable protein
• Tofu
• Vegetable protein
• Yuba
• Edamame
• Tempeh
• Mono-diglyceride
• Natto
• Okara
• Soya, soja, soybean, soyabeans
• Wheat
• Bulgur
• Couscous
• Enriched/white/whole wheat flour
• Farina
• Gluten
• Graham flour
• Kamut
• Semolina
• Triticale
• Wheat bran/germ
" This is also a great chance to try adding some foreign foods to your diet, since most countries use the same core ingredients in very different ways. Latin, Chinese, Italian and French foods are fairly easy to emulate no matter what country you happen to live in, since the foods you are going to need are universal and available almost anywhere. This gives you a great chance to expand your culinary skills and wow your friends, family and co-workers, and the next time someone wants to go out to dinner to a restaurant that doesn’t have a hamburger in site you’ll be able to order with confidence.
"By the same token, it is vitally important that you wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly before you eat them, particularly if you grow your own. You were probably told by your physician that while you were pregnant you shouldn’t handle kitty litter due to a potential infection with Toxoplasma, a parasite that lives in cat feces. Toxoplasma is also present in the soil, particularly in areas where cats often roam and do their business outside. There is always a risk of Toxoplasma appearing in commercially processed foods, although it is less common than in home grown.
It is better to be safe than sorry when dealing with Toxoplasma. The parasite can cross the placenta, infecting the baby and causing stillbirth or long term damage. There is a 15% chance of the parasite infecting the baby if exposure occurs in the first trimester, 30% in the second and 60% in the third.
" how to deal with pregnancy "Food intolerance is another common and yet frequently undiagnosed problem, since most people don’t know the difference between an allergy and an intolerance. If they have the allergy test and it comes back negative they assume they’re imagining things. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Food allergies are determined by your immune system. Your body essentially identifies the incoming food as a foreign invader and releases something called histamine from the cells. These histamines cause the allergic reaction. Intolerance, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the immune system. When there is something that the body is unable to digest properly it rejects it, usually causing digestive discomfort.
" Be careful when you’re cooking foods from countries that tend to be heavy on the spices, since many of these may upset your stomach and/or aggravate heartburn. It is usually wise to cut the portions of those ingredients that are only used for seasonings by 1/3 to ½ while your stomach is more sensitive. You can always add them back in later, and it’s a lot better than sitting up in the middle of the night because you don’t feel well. You’ll do enough of that when the baby actually gets here !
"Pathogenic infection of the developing fetus can be potentially devastating, particularly when it is caused by an invader that an adult immune system would be able to battle off with ease. It is far better to take the time to carefully ensure that your food is pathogen free during pregnancy than to have to live with the consequences.
As children are exposed to more foods at an earlier age the incidence of food allergy and intolerance is rising. Add to this the problems of diabetes, vegan and vegetarianism, metabolic disorders and general dislikes and you can come up with an equation that equals trouble for a pregnant woman. The question is, what do you do when you can’t eat a regular pregnancy diet ?
" pregnancy nutrition guide "You should avoid foods you have intolerance for as fervently as you would an allergy, since the diarrhea and potential for dehydration with repeated exposure can present you with some serious side effects for both you and your baby. The best thing you can do is find an acceptable substitute that is going to provide you with the necessary nutrients without leaving you feeling as though you need to spend the rest of the day in the bathroom.
Veganism/Vegetarianism
The newfound popularity of veganism and vegetarianism has made it easier than ever to eat a healthy diet while you’re pregnant without compromising your scruples. Most foods have a vegan or vegetarian substitute. Since you can still have fruits calcium fortified juices (many of which have as much calcium as regular milk), rice milk and soy milk make great staples to your diet instead of milk, and beans and nuts are excellent sources of protein and iron.
" Your post-partum diet is primarily going to be determined by whether or not you are nursing. We’ll start with the assumption that you’re bottle feeding, since that comes with fewer instructions ! If you are bottle feeding then you don’t have any unusual nutritional requirements you have to meet. The diet you were on when you first got pregnant is perfectly sufficient, although until the bleeding from the delivery stops you are going to want to consume a little more protein, iron and fluids than you would otherwise.
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