The key to a good pregnancy diet is balance, reports WomensHealth.gov. Eating a balanced, healthy diet combined with physical fitness is the best way to give your new baby a great start in life. However, there’s no need to follow the common advice on “eating for two” -- you’ll only need an extra 300 calories a day during the last six months of your pregnancy.
Recommended Fruit and Vegetables
WomensHealth.gov lays out a series of recommended foods that you should aim to include in your diet. Fruits and vegetables are a healthy choice whether or not you're pregnant, but WomensHealth.gov specifically recommends mangoes, prunes, apricots, bananas, oranges, avocados, grapefruit and melons. You can also enhance the fruit part of your diet by drinking fruit juice. Recommended vegetables include carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, red pepper and tomatoes.
Other Recommended Foods
Meat contains nutrients such as zinc and iron, which are vital to both you and your baby's well-being. Make healthy choices about which grains you consume, for example, by swapping your normal white bread for a more nutritious whole-grain variety. Low-fat and nonfat dairy products, including yogurt and milk, contain high levels of calcium, riboflavin and protein. If you're a vegetarian, take a supplement to ensure that you are getting enough iron, protein, vitamin D and vitamin B12.
Foods to Avoid
Certain types of fish can be high in mercury, so avoid or limit this food while you are pregnant or breastfeeding, warns the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Do not eat shark, king mackerel, swordfish or tilefish, and limit your consumption of albacore, or “white” tuna, to 6 oz. a week. You can eat up to 12 oz. of shrimp, salmon, pollock and canned tuna each week, because these fish have much lower mercury levels. You should also avoid soft cheeses such as feta, brie and queso blanco, unpasteurized milk, store-made salads and refrigerated pate and meat spreads. The American Pregnancy Association also strongly advises avoiding raw meat, raw eggs, caffeine, alcohol and deli meats, unless they are reheated to steaming hot.
Supplements
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking a folic-acid supplement before and during your pregnancy, as it reduces the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly by between 50 and 70 percent. Look for a supplement that gives you at least 40 mcg of folic acid -- the recommended daily amount. You can also supplement your pregnancy diet with a fortified cereal that includes the same amount of folic acid. Taking a prenatal vitamin can help “top up” your nutrition, but you shouldn’t rely on a supplement to make up for an unbalanced, unhealthy diet. Most women eating a balanced diet will not need supplements while breastfeeding, but health care professionals may recommend them in certain circumstances, so you should discuss this with your doctor.
References
- WomensHealth.gov: Pregnancy, Staying Healthy and Safe
- American Pregnancy Association: Essential Nutrients and Vitamins
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Pregnancy & Breastfeeding, Food Safety
- American Pregnancy Association: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Facts About Folic Acid
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Supplements During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
