Healthy Eating for a Healthy Pregnancy

You're pregnant - Congratulations! So what should you eat to have a really healthy pregnancy? You know that you need to have a healthy diet but your appetite may be all across the board. In the first trimester eating anything may be a challenge. Just the thought, sight or smell of food can be a big turn-off. Once you finally regain your appetite you may find you have some bizarre cravings that satisfy your hunger but are really not all that good for you. What's a mom-to-be to do?
Here are some tips to help you choose foods that are really good for you and your baby.

Let's start by looking at calories. It takes about 75,000 calories to make a baby. Does that seem like a lot? Before you were pregnant you needed about 2000 calories daily. Now that you're pregnant you need to increase that to 2500 - 2600 calories daily. The additional calories are especially important in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Be aware that not all calories are created equal. For example a tuna fish sandwich has about 288 calories and a snickers bar has about 273. Those numbers are pretty close but the quality of the calories is anything but! Some calories contained little more than sugar and fat. Those calories just make you fat and do nothing for your health. Try to eat nutrient dense calories. For example, the tuna fish sandwich has lots of protein and could have some good carbohydrates if it's made with whole grain bread. Plus it has vitamins and minerals from the egg and onions and celery. The snicker bar on the other hand is highly processed and has mostly sugar and fats. Make your calories count.

There are some specific nutrients which are necessary for your baby's development. If you eat a well balanced diet you will be getting most of what you need, however it is important to take a prenatal supplement also. Supplements work like a safety net. They ensure that you have all bases cover nutritionally. Remember that supplements are just that - supplements. They are not meant to replace food.

One of the first nutrients mentioned when talking about pregnancy and diet is folic acid. This is super important to the development of your baby's nervous system. A lack of folic acid can lead to serious birth defects. The amount of folic acid that you need (400 micrograms) is included in your prenatal vitamin. Additionally many cereals are enriched with folic acid. It is also found in leafy greens. If you are thinking about getting pregnant you can take folic acid 3 months prior to becoming pregnant and you should take it until you finish breast feeding.
Pregnant women are encouraged to drink milk and eat dairy products because of the calcium. Calcium is necessary for the development of your baby's bones and teeth. The amount of calcium that you need increase with each trimester. During the 1st trimester you need 1000mg. By the 2nd trimester you will need 1200mg and by the end of your pregnancy you will need 1600. Calcium is also included in your prenatal vitamin., however it is easy to include in your diet. Good sources of calcium are dairy products of course but also dark leafy greens, broccoli, sardines, canned salmon with bones, molasses and organic tofu. As you can see, if you are lactose intolerant you do have choices. Lactaid milk fortified with calcium is also an option.
Remember learning in school that proteins (essential amino acids) are the building blocks of life? That's why they are so important when you are pregnant. After all you are "building" a baby. Your developing baby's cells are constantly dividing and without sufficient amounts of protein in your diet that is hard to do. Before you were pregnant you needed about 45 grams of protein daily. That amount should double by the end of your pregnancy. Increases of about 10 grams a trimester is a good measure. Sources of protein are lean meats, organic chicken, wild caught fish, organic eggs, and nuts (especially walnuts). If you are a vegetarian you must be very careful that you are getting enough protein. Combining foods such as rice and beans and choosing grains such as quinoa, which is high in protein is helpful.

Essential fatty acids - FATS! Yes you need them. They are essential for brain development as well as new tissue growth. Make sure you have a good source of fats. You can get good sources of fats from olive oil, butter, flax oil and avocados.

I've mentioned the good foods but we also need to be aware of foods to avoid. Alcohol is out because it is linked to all sorts of bad things such as premature delivery, birth defects, mental retardation and low birth weight. Don't eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tile fish. They have high levels of mercury. Also avoid soft cheeses such as feta and brie which are often made with unpasteurized milk and may cause Listeria infection.

You have lots of choices for good healthy food. The more colorful your plate the healthier. Have a yummy, healthy pregnancy!