A Healthy Lunch Plan For A Pregnant Woman

Pregnancy places extra demands on your body. You need extra calories daily to support the growth of your baby. You also need extra folate to prevent certain birth defects and extra calcium for the development of your baby's skeletal structure and to promote your own bone health. Your needs for protein, carbohydrates, fats, B vitamins, iron and vitamins C and D increase, too. Eating a variety of healthy, whole foods at every meal, including lunch, can help you meet these needs.

Calories

Your calorie needs depend on your size, age and activity level. Use an online calculator to help you determine how many calories you need per day. If the calculator you choose does not factor in pregnancy, add about 300 calories to the total. Divide the calories evenly over three meals and two smaller snacks. For example, if you figure you need 2,200 calories per day, aim for three 550-calorie meals and two 275-calorie snacks. Skipping meals, especially lunch, which gives you important midday energy, is not an option during pregnancy.

Food Choices

For a balanced daily diet, you need six to eleven 1-oz. servings of grains, 2 to 4 cups of fresh fruit, 3 to 5 cups of vegetables, 3 cups of milk and 5 to 7 oz. of protein foods. Try to consume at least half of your grains from whole grains and opt for low-fat or nonfat milk to minimize intake of saturated fats. Dark leafy greens, white beans and asparagus are good sources of folate. Calcium-rich foods include skim milk and yogurt, canned salmon with the bones and fortified soy milk and orange juice. You should also strive to get about 30 percent of your calories from healthy fats, such as plant oils, nuts and fatty, low-mercury fish such as salmon. You should plan lunches to include one or two servings from at least four of these categories. Including all of these foods regularly will help you get the extra nutrients your body and your developing baby need.

Sample Meals

While you might include about 100 extra calories and more leafy greens and calcium-rich foods, your lunches while you are pregnant look very much like healthy lunches you eat when you are not pregnant. A sandwich made with two slices of 100-percent whole-wheat bread, roasted turkey breast, spinach leaves, sliced tomatoes and mustard, a container of low-fat yogurt and an apple provides protein, fiber, folate and calcium. You might also opt for a large salad made with dark leafy greens that are rich in folate, additional vegetables, grilled chicken and olive oil dressing with whole-grain crackers and a glass of calcium-fortified orange juice. For a hot meal, try whole-wheat pasta with broccoli, low-sodium tomato sauce and lean ground turkey topped with part-skim mozzarella cheese. For vegetarian lunches, try great northern beans wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla with shredded romaine lettuce, salsa and avocado or lentil soup with baby spinach stirred in, a glass of skim milk and a whole-grain bagel.

Concerns

You should avoid raw sushi, especially high-mercury types such as mackerel and tuna, during pregnancy. Deli meats and smoked fish may be contaminated with listeria, which could cause miscarriage. Listeria is a bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Raw eggs and unpasteurized dairy products can also cause food-borne illness or increase your risk of miscarriage. Stick primarily to unprocessed, whole foods to make your lunches as nutritious as possible. Junk foods and processed foods often lack adequate vitamins, minerals and fiber but pad your diet with too many extra calories, sugars, saturated and trans fats and sodium.