Eating well during pregnancy can keep you healthy and might make your labor easier, according to the American Pregnancy Association. It also helps to determine how healthy your baby is at birth. During your second and third trimesters, you will need to consume about 300 extra calories a day from the major food groups to get the nutrients your body needs.
Protein
According to the American Pregnancy Association, you need 75 to 100 g of protein a day during pregnancy. This will encourage the growth of fetal and uterine tissue and increase your blood supply. Chicken, lean beef, fish, red beans, black beans and chickpeas are all good sources of protein.
Calcium
Aim to get 1,000 mg of calcium every day during pregnancy to regulate your bodily fluids and build your baby's bones and tooth buds. You can find calcium in dairy products such as milk, eggs and yogurt. Tofu and almonds also are good sources of calcium.
Iron and Folic Acid
During pregnancy, you need 27 mg of iron daily to increase blood volume. You can find iron in leafy vegetables and whole grains. You also need 600 to 800 mg of folic acid to reduce the risk of your baby developing neural tube defects, so include sources like spinach, turnips, oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, melon and oatmeal in your diet.
Foods to Avoid
To keep your unborn baby safe, avoid consuming meat that is raw or undercooked. Avoid lunch meat unless it is heated until steaming to prevent bacteria from potentially harming your baby. And while fish can help your baby's brain development, eating high-mercury fish like tilefish, shark and mackerel can hurt your unborn baby. You also should avoid caffeine and alcohol while you are pregnant.
Recommendations
To help make sure you are receiving the nutrients you need during pregnancy, you might want to take a prenatal vitamin. Be sure to talk to your doctor about which prenatal vitamin is best for you, because too much of some types of vitamins can be harmful during pregnancy. If you are pregnant with multiples, your nutritional requirements will be different every day, so ask your doctor what is best for you.
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