Healthy lifestyle choices, such as refraining from smoking and eating a balanced diet, are critical during pregnancy. Your baby may have be premature or have birth defects if you are pregnant and can’t get enough food. To keep yourself and your baby healthy, make regular prenatal visits to an obstetrician and ask for advice about healthy eating during pregnancy.
Calorie Requirements
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to eat enough food for two adults while you are pregnant. According to MayoClinic.com, you should gain about three pounds during the first trimester, and about three pounds per month toward the middle and end of your pregnancy. You can achieve this weight by eating about 150 to 200 extra calories per day during the first trimester and 300 calories per day during second and third trimester. High-calorie foods, such as peanut butter, can help you increase your calorie intake.
Essential Nutrients
Fortified grains can help you increase your intake of folate and iron. Folate, or folic acid, is essential for preventing neural tube birth defects, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Your iron requirements increase during pregnancy because of your higher blood volume. Vitamin A is necessary for your baby’s heart to develop properly. A deficiency of essential nutrients can impair your baby’s growth and development. According to MayoClinic.com, morning sickness may limit your food intake. A strategy to get enough nutrients is to emphasize fortified and naturally nutritious foods.
Getting Aid
Food supplementation programs are available to help you get enough food when you are pregnant. The Food and Nutrition Service at the USDA administers Women, Infants and Children, or WIC. This program provides low-income pregnant and post-partum women and young children with healthy foods, such as milk, peanut butter, cereal, fruits, vegetables and fish. Local religious or nonprofit organizations may run soup kitchens or food pantries to help needy individuals and families get enough food.
Additional Assistance
Temporary Cash Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, is a federal program that provides money to disadvantaged families. If you're pregnant and are having trouble getting an adequate diet, you can use these subsidies for purchasing healthy food. Individual states are responsible for administering TANF programs in their states. The Food and Nutrition Service Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, helps low-income individuals purchase food. Participants use Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, cards at grocery stores to receive free or discounted food.
Considerations
Healthy eating to maximize your intake of essential nutrients is even more important when you're having trouble getting enough food. Foods such as fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy products are usually higher in nutrients than fast foods or other processed choices. Prenatal multivitamin and mineral supplements with calcium, iron, folate and vitamin D help make up for potential gaps in your diet according to MayoClinic.com. Ask your doctor to recommend the best supplement for you.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Pregnancy Weight Gain: What's Healthy?
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center: Pregnancy and Lactation
- MayoClinic.com: Prenatal Vitamins: Give Your Baby the Best Start
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service: Women, Infants and Children
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service: Women, Infants and Children: Benefits and Services
- Temporary Cash Assistance for Needy Families: California
- Montana's Official State Website: Public Assistance Programs
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
