5 Things to Keep in Mind Eating When Pregnant

It takes little guesswork to figure out why women are so intensely interested in what they should be eating when pregnant. This is important even for your first pregnancy. And nutrition is doubly important for every time thereafter! The body is depleted by pregnancy; it is just a natural phenomenon. Even with optimal nutrition there are things you will need to replenish afterwards, by continuing on a course of good eating. For example, women who have several pregnancies in short order frequently display calcium deficiencies in their bones. Keeping up with your nutrition for these important nine months will not only keep you feeling good, it will help you when the demands of a new baby keep you on your toes for the first few months. Maximize and Vary - No matter what you have heard, no food is “perfect” for any stage in your life unless you are a nursing infant. However, it is especially important to get a wide variety of nutrients at this time. That potentially involves expanding your normal eating horizons a bit, but in the long run it is well worth while the effort. Besides, you might just find some new foods you like. Eat Regularly – This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to eat three meals every day at 8, 1 and 6. It means that you must work out some way to keep your energy levels stable and your nutrition high. For many pregnant women this turns into half a dozen small meals, more like power snacks, each day. As the baby grows there is less room for full sized meals anyway, so this offers a good solution. Other women stick with three larger meals and a couple of small snacks; only you will be able to figure out what works for you. Minimize Junk Food – With the old adage that you are eating for 2 it is easy to succumb to the temptation of eating nutritional garbage. After all, maybe it is the baby that wants that chocolate cake topped with a pint of ice cream, right? While no one is exactly sure what drives women’s pregnancy cravings, there is no denying that they exist and can be quite strong. Try to minimize how often you indulge your cravings, and when possible, substitute a healthier alte ative. If you crave something sweet a sweet potato or some figs might fit the bill. If you want a salty snack bake some kale chips and top them with sea salt. Drink Plenty of Water – Recommendations as to how much water we should drink each day vary betwee 64 ounces and 2/3 of an ounce per pound of weight we carry. Either way you want to drink plenty. Not only does water keep your body hydrated and feeling fresh, it contributes to your amniotic fluid levels, keeps spinal discs flexible and healthy and ensures that everything else runs smoothly. Keep up Calcium, Iron and Protein Intake – Of course your goal is a well balanced diet, but the things that get most depleted during a pregnancy are iron, calcium and protein, if you don’t have enough to offer the baby. There are certain nutrients that the body will scavenge most enthusiastically when building a baby, these are the ones. Fortunately, many of the foods that are rich in calcium are also rich in iron; lentils and spinach are good examples. Have a piece of wild caught salmon on top of a simple spinach salad and you are golden! In fact, make sure you get some protein in every snack and meal and you will have that taken care of too.