At 21 weeks, or a little more than five months, you are well into your second trimester of pregnancy. This is the time when your nausea tends to fade, allowing your appetite to really kick into high gear. While indulging some of your cravings may be the key to keeping you happy during this time, try not to allow your appetite to get the better of you.
Extra Calories
When you are 21 weeks into your pregnancy, you only need to consume 500 extra calories per day. This is the equivalent of one extra meal. Often, women make the mistake of thinking that it is necessary to eat double of everything to sustain the developing baby, as well as the newly heightened metabolism. While it is true that you are eating for two, remember that the second person is only about 7 inches long, so he doesn’t need as much as you do.
What to Eat
It is best to satiate your increased appetite and meet your calorie needs through the addition of healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, rather than high-fat, high-calorie foods, like pizza and ice cream. At 21 weeks, consume 5 to 5.5 cups of fruits and vegetables, 9 to 10 oz. of whole grains, 6.5 oz. of lean proteins and 3 cups of dairy products every day.
Choose a variety of different fruits and vegetables, whole-grain breads, whole-grain cereals, oats, barley, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, beans, chicken, nuts, seeds, yogurt, cheese and milk. Including a protein source at every meal and snack can help control your appetite and keep you feeling satisfied.
What to Avoid
Avoid processed foods and foods with excess amounts of saturated fat at this point in your pregnancy. Relying on these foods to meet your calorie needs makes it easy to gain excess weight in the form of fat, rather than a growing baby. Continue to avoid alcohol and limit caffeine.
Considerations
If you do not have an appetite at 21 weeks pregnant and you have failed to gain weight, contact your doctor. By this time, you should have a healthy appetite and you should have gained approximately 10 to 15 lbs.
If you have an increased appetite but aren’t gaining weight, increase your calorie intake a little more. If you are gaining weight very rapidly, reduce calorie intake slightly.
Member Comments