High-calorie Pregnancy Diet

While it's important to eat healthy when you're pregnant, some women have a difficult time eating enough calories to promote adequate weight gain. Poor weight gain during pregnancy can affect the health of your baby and increase your risk of delivering a low birth weight baby. If you are having difficulty meeting your monthly weight gain goals, your doctor may suggest you follow a high-calorie diet.

Grains

Grains are a good source of calories, protein, fiber, folate and iron. Include at least six servings of grain on your high-calorie diet. One serving equals one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked pasta or rice or five crackers. You can increase the calories of your grains by making your hot cereal with milk, and adding butter or margarine to your bread, pasta and rice.

Fruits

Fruits are not high in calories but are an important source of essential nutrients you need during pregnancy, including vitamins A and C and folate. Higher calorie fruit choices include fruit juice, dried fruit and canned fruit packed in heavy syrup.

Vegetables

Like fruits, vegetables are also not high-calorie foods but an important part of a healthy pregnancy diet. You can add calories to vegetables by cooking them in oil, or adding butter, margarine or cheese sauce. Salad dressings also add calories to vegetables.

Meat and Beans

Meat and beans provide protein and iron and can also help you meet your higher calorie needs. Choose higher-calorie cuts of meat, such as dark poultry meat and red meat with more fat marbling. You need at least 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 oz. of meat or beans a day to promote adequate weight gain. A 1-oz. serving of beans equals 1/4 cup cooked beans. You can also add calories to meats by cooking them in oil and adding gravies when you eat them.

Dairy Foods

Dairy foods are a good source of calories on your high-calorie pregnancy diet. Choose whole milk and full-fat yogurts and cheese to maximize your calorie intake. Dairy foods are also a good source of calcium, an important nutrient for both you and your growing baby. Aim for at least three servings of dairy foods a day, where one serving equals 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of yogurt or 1 1/2 oz. of cheese. You can also use nonfat dried milk powder as a calorie booster to foods. Add it to your milk, yogurt, hot cereal, soup and mashed potatoes to increase calories.

Fat

Fats are a concentrated source of calories and can help you meet your higher calorie needs without causing you to feel too full. Try to include 6 to 8 tsp. of fat a day on your diet plan. Good choices include olive oil, canola oil, mayonnaise, butter and margarine. Nuts and seeds are also considered fat choices and are a good source of protein and fiber. A 1-oz. serving of nuts contains 150 to 200 calories, helping you maximize both your calorie and nutrient intake.