Eating Well During Pregnancy

Eating well during pregnancy is more than simply increasing how much you eat. You must also consider what you eat.

Although you need about 300 extra calories a day — especially later in your pregnancy, when your baby grows quickly — those calories should come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby's growth and development.

Eating Well When You're Pregnant
Do you wonder how it's reasonable to gain 25 to 35 pounds (on average) during your pregnancy when a newborn baby weighs only a fraction of that? Although it varies from woman to woman, this is how those pounds may add up:

7.5 pounds: average baby's weight
7 pounds: extra stored protein, fat, and other nutrients
4 pounds: extra blood
4 pounds: other extra body fluids
2 pounds: breast enlargement
2 pounds: enlargement of your uterus
2 pounds: amniotic fluid surrounding your baby
1.5 pounds: the placenta

Of course, patterns of weight gain during pregnancy vary. It's normal to gain less if you start out heavier and more if you're having twins or triplets — or if you were underweight before becoming pregnant. More important than how much weight you gain is what makes up those extra pounds.

When you're pregnant, what you eat and drink is the main source of nourishment for your baby. In fact, the link between what you consume and the health of your baby is much stronger than once thought. That's why doctors now say, for example, that no amount of alcohol consumption should be considered safe during pregnancy.

The extra food you eat shouldn't just be empty calories — it should provide the nutrients your growing baby needs. For example, calcium helps make and keep bones and teeth strong. While you're pregnant, you still need calcium for your body, plus extra calcium for your developing baby. Similarly, you require more of all the essential nutrients than you did before you became pregnant.

A Nutrition Primer for Expectant Mothers
Whether or not you're pregnant, a healthy diet includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water. The U.S. government publishes dietary guidelines that can help you determine how many servings of each kind of food to eat every day. Eating a variety of foods in the proportions indicated is a good step toward staying healthy.

Food labels can tell you what kinds of nutrients are in the foods you eat. The letters RDA, which you find on food labeling, stand for recommended daily allowance, or the amount of a nutrient recommended for your daily diet. When you're pregnant, the RDAs for most nutrients are higher.

Here are some of the most common nutrients you need and the foods that contain them:

Nutrient : Needed for Best sources

1) Protein
Needed for : cell growth and blood production
Best Sources : lean meat, fish, poultry, egg whites, beans, peanut butter, tofu

2) Carbohydrates
Needed for : daily energy production
Best Sources : breads, cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruits, vegetables

3) Calcium
Needed for : strong bones and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve function
Best Sources : milk, cheese, yogurt, sardines or salmon with bones, spinach

4) Iron
Needed for : red blood cell production (to prevent anemia)
Best Sources : lean red meat, spinach, iron-fortified whole-grain breads and
cereals

5) Vitamin A
Needed for : healthy skin, good eyesight, growing bones
Best Sources : carrots, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes

6) Vitamin C
Needed for : healthy gums, teeth, and bones; assistance with iron absorption
Best Sources : citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, fortified fruit juices

7) Vitamin B6
Needed for : red blood cell formation; effective use of protein, fat, and
carbohydrates
Best Sources : pork, ham, whole-grain cereals, bananas

8) Vitamin B12
Needed for : formation of red blood cells, maintaining nervous system health
Best Sources : meat, fish, poultry, milk

(Note: vegetarians who don't eat dairy products need supplemental B12)

9) Vitamin D
Needed for : healthy bones and teeth; aids absorption of calcium
Best Sources : fortified milk, dairy products, cereals, and breads

10) Folic acid
Needed for : blood and protein production, effective enzyme function
Best Sources : green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits and vegetables,
beans, peas, nuts

11) Fat
Needed for : body energy stores
Best Sources : meat, whole-milk dairy products, nuts, peanut butter, margarine,
vegetable oils

(Note: limit fat intake to 30% or less of your total daily calorie intake)


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Important Nutrients :

Scientists know that your diet can affect your baby's health — even before you become pregnant. For example, recent research shows that folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects (including spina bifida) from occurring during the earliest stages of fetal development — so it's important to consume plenty of it before you become pregnant and during the early weeks of your pregnancy.

Even though many foods, particularly breakfast cereals, are fortified with folic acid, doctors now encourage women to take folic acid supplements before and throughout pregnancy (especially for the first 28 days). Be sure to ask your doctor about folic acid if you're considering becoming pregnant.

Calcium is another important nutrient. Because your growing baby's calcium demands are high, you should increase your calcium consumption to prevent a loss of calcium from your own bones. Your doctor will also likely prescribe prenatal vitamins for you, which contain some extra calcium.

Your best food sources of calcium are milk and other dairy products. However, if you have lactose intolerance or dislike milk and milk products, ask your doctor about a calcium supplement. (Signs of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, bloating, or gas after eating milk or milk products. Taking a lactase capsule or pill, or using lactose-free milk products may help.) Other calcium-rich foods include sardines or salmon with bones, tofu, broccoli, spinach, and calcium-fortified juices and foods.

Doctors don't usually recommend starting a strict vegan diet when you become pregnant. However, if you already follow a vegetarian diet, you can continue to do so during your pregnancy — but do it carefully. Be sure your doctor knows about your diet. It's challenging to get the nutrition you need if you don't eat fish and chicken, or milk, cheese, or eggs. You'll likely need supplemental protein and may also need to take vitamin B12 and D supplements.

To ensure that you and your baby receive adequate nutrition, consult a registered dietitian for help with planning meals.

Food Cravings During Pregnancy :

You've probably known women who craved specific foods during pregnancy, or perhaps you've had such cravings yourself. Some theories held that a hunger for a particular type of food indicated that a woman's body lacked the nutrients that food contains. Although this turned out not to be so, it's still unclear why these urges occur.

Some pregnant women crave chocolate, spicy foods, fruits, and comfort foods, such as mashed potatoes, cereals, and toasted white bread. Other women crave non-food items, such as clay and cornstarch. The craving and eating of non-food items is known as pica. Consuming things that aren't food can be dangerous to both you and your baby. If you have urges to eat non-food items, notify your doctor.

But following your cravings is fine as long as you crave foods that contribute to a healthy diet. Often, these cravings let up about 3 months into the pregnancy.

Food and Drinks to Avoid During Pregnancy
No level of alcohol consumption is considered safe during pregnancy. Also, check with your doctor before you take any vitamins or herbal products. Some of these can be harmful to the developing fetus.

And although many doctors feel that one or two 6- to 8-ounce cups per day of coffee, tea, or soda with caffeine won't harm your baby, it's probably wise to avoid caffeine altogether if you can. High caffeine consumption has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, so limit your intake or switch to decaffeinated products.

When you're pregnant, it's also important to avoid food-borne illnesses, such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, which can be life-threatening to an unborn baby and may cause birth defects or miscarriage. Foods to steer clear of include:

a) soft, unpasteurized cheeses (often advertised as "fresh") such as feta, goat, Brie, Camembert, and blue cheese

b) unpasteurized milk, juices, and apple cider

c) raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs, including mousse and tiramisu

d) raw or undercooked meats, fish, or shellfish

e) processed meats such as hot dogs and deli meats (these should be well-cooked)

f) fish that are high in mercury, including shark, swordfish, king mackeral, or
tilefish

If you've eaten these foods at some point during your pregnancy, try not to worry too much about it now; just avoid them for the remainder of the pregnancy. If you're really concerned, talk to your doctor.

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More About Fish :

Fish and shellfish can be an extremely healthy part of your pregnancy diet — they contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and are high in protein and low in saturated fat. But limit the types of fish you eat while pregnant because some contain high levels of mercury, which can cause damage to the developing nervous system of a fetus.

Mercury, which occurs naturally in the environment, is also released into the air through industrial pollution and can accumulate in streams and oceans, where it turns into methylmercury. The methylmercury builds up in fish, especially those that eat other fish.

Because canned albacore (or white) tuna and tuna steaks are generally considered to be higher in mercury than canned light tuna, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that you eat no more than 6 ounces a week. A 2006 review by Consumer Reports, though, showed that some canned light tuna can contain levels of mercury even higher than that of white tuna. But the FDA maintains that the levels are safe if consumption of the fish is limited, and that the current recommendations should stand.

It can be confusing when recommendations from trusted sources differ. But since this analysis indicates that amounts of mercury in tuna may be higher than previously reported, some women may want to eliminate tuna from their diet while pregnant or when trying to become pregnant.

Almost all fish and shellfish contain small amounts of mercury, but you can safely eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury, such as salmon, shrimp, clams, pollock, catfish, and tilapia.

Talk with your doctor if you have any questions about how much — and which fish — you can eat.

Managing Some Common Problems :

Because the iron in prenatal vitamins and other factors may cause constipation during pregnancy, try to consume more fiber than you did before you became pregnant. Try to eat about 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Your best sources are fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain breads, cereals, or muffins.

Some people also use fiber tablets or drinks or other high-fiber products available at pharmacies and grocery stores, but check with your doctor before trying them.

(Don't use laxatives while you're pregnant unless your doctor advises you to do so. And avoid the old wives' remedy — castor oil — because it can actually interfere with your body's ability to absorb nutrients.)

If constipation is a problem for you, your doctor may prescribe a stool softener. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, when increasing fiber intake, or you can make your constipation worse. One of the best ways to avoid constipation is to get more exercise. You should also drink plenty of water between meals each day to help soften your stools and move food through your digestive system. Sometimes hot tea, soups, or broth can help. Also, keep dried fruits handy for snacking.

Some pregnant women find that broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and fried foods give them heartburn or gas. You can plan a balanced diet to avoid these foods. Carbonated drinks also cause gas or heartburn for some women, although others find they calm the digestive system.

If you're frequently nauseated, eat small amounts of bland foods, like toast or crackers, throughout the day. If nothing else sounds good, try cereal with milk or a sweet piece of fruit. To help combat nausea, you can also:

Take your prenatal vitamin before going to bed after you've eaten a snack — not on an empty stomach.

Eat a small snack when you get up to go to the bathroom early in the morning.
Suck on hard candy.

How to Know If You're Eating Well During Pregnancy :

The key is to eat foods from the different food groups in approximately the recommended proportions. If nausea or lack of appetite cause you to eat less at times, don't worry — it's unlikely to cause fetal harm because your baby gets first crack at the nutrients you consume.

And although it's generally recommended that a woman of normal weight gain about 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy (most gain 4 to 6 pounds during the first trimester and 1 pound a week during the second and third trimesters), don't fixate on the scale. Instead, focus on eating a good variety and balance of nutritious foods to keep both you and your baby healthy.

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This Article Extracted from http://kidshealth.org
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Pregnancy Diet for Moms

Foods To Avoid When Pregnant

Foods to Avoid When Pregnant

* Avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol has been linked to premature delivery, mental retardation, birth defects, and low birth weight babies.

* Limit caffeine to no more than 300 mg per day. The caffeine content in various drinks depends on the beans or leaves used and how it was prepared. An 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 150 mg of caffeine on average while black tea has typically about 80 mg. A 12-ounce glass of caffeinated soda contains anywhere from 30-60 mg of caffeine. Remember, chocolate contains caffeine -- the amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is equal to 1/4 cup of coffee.

* The use of saccharin is strongly discouraged during pregnancy because it can cross the placenta and may remain in fetal tissues. But, the use of other non-nutritive or artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA is acceptable during pregnancy. These FDA-approved sweeteners include aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet), acesulfame-K (Sunett), and sucralose (Splenda). These sweeteners are considered safe in moderation so talk with your health care provider about how much non-nutritive sweetener is acceptable during pregnancy.

* Decrease the total amount of fat you eat to 30% or less of your total daily calories. For a person eating 2000 calories a day, this would be 65 grams of fat or less per day.

* Limit cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less per day.

* Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish (also called white snapper), because they contain high levels of mercury.

* Avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, and Mexican-style cheese. These cheeses are often unpasteurized and may cause Listeria infection. There’s no need to avoid hard cheese, processed cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt.

* Avoid raw fish, especially shellfish like oysters and clams.

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Eating Right When Pregnant

Good nutrition during pregnancy, and enough of it, is very important for your baby to grow and develop. You should consume about 300 more calories per day than you did before you became pregnant.

Although nausea and vomiting during the first few months of pregnancy can make this difficult, try to eat a well balanced diet and take prenatal vitamins. Here are some recommendations to keep you and your baby healthy.

Goals for Healthy Eating When Pregnant

* Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Recommended daily servings include 6-11 servings of breads and grains, two to four servings of fruit, four or more servings of vegetables, four servings of dairy products, and three servings of protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs or nuts). Use fats and sweets sparingly.

* Choose foods high in fiber that are enriched such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables.

* Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet while pregnant. You should take a prenatal vitamin supplement to make sure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day. Your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter brand or prescribe a prenatal vitamin for you.

* Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting 1000-1300 mg of calcium in your daily diet during pregnancy.

* Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day to ensure you are getting 27 mg of iron daily.

* Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, green peppers, tomatoes, and mustard greens. Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a day.

* Choose at least one good source of folic acid every day, like dark green leafy vegetables, veal, and legumes (lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas and chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

* Choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day. Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, spinach, water squash, turnip greens, beet greens, apricots, and cantaloupe. Know that excessive vitamin A intake (>10,000 IU/day) may be associated with fetal malformations.

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Top 12 Healthy Frozen Dinners

Frozen meals have come a long way since the TV dinner. Here are our picks for the healthiest ones.

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Feature - Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Roasted poblano chilies, steak tips with Portobello mushroom, pumpkin squash ravioli … these sound like mouth-watering restaurant entrees, but you can get them at your local supermarket. Just stroll down the freezer aisle to find these and many other enticing frozen dinners that can be ready in minutes.

Frozen dinners are hotter than ever, claiming more shelf space than most any other type of frozen food. Forget the old-fashioned TV dinner featuring Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Today, you can find ethnic, vegetarian, low-calorie, supersized, natural, and organic meals on your frozen food aisle.

Frozen meals these days are trending toward less sodium, more vegetables, zero trans fats, more fiber, and 100% whole grains, says Leah McGrath, RD, corporate dietitian for the Ingles grocery chain. Some of the latest frozen meal choices include paninis/grilled sandwiches, gluten-free meals, and steamer bowls.

"Steaming is the hottest trend with frozen meals because of a new technology that allows you to steam in the container," she says. "And that word 'steam' means healthy, lower fat, and easy to most consumers, so it has been a big seller."

It's no surprise frozen dinners are popular. They're fast, convenient, and pre-portioned, a boon for singles, busy families, dieters, older people, and office workers. They can also be a money-saver when compared to restaurant meals.

"At a time when most people are looking to save money, a frozen meal costing between $2.50-$4 is less expensive than eating out," says McGrath.

With so many choices, the challenge is to find frozen meals that taste good, satisfy your hunger, and are healthy. WebMD went to the supermarket to find out which frozen dinners fit the bill.
Best Frozen Meals: 12 Healthy Options

There are too many healthy frozen dinners on the market to list, but here are 12 of the healthiest to consider when choosing your next frozen entree. All are relatively low in calories and fat, have some protein for satiety, and are not too high in sodium:

1)Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake
2)Healthy Choice Cajun Style Chicken and Shrimp
3)Lean Cuisine Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken
4)Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli
5)Kashi Black Bean Mango
6)Lean Cuisine Beef Chow Fun
7)Smart Ones Thai Style Chicken Rice Noodles
8)Healthy Choice Sweet Asian Potstickers
9)Lean Cuisine Glazed Chicken
10)Kashi Ranchero Beans
11)Healthy Choice Café Steamer 5 Spice Beef & Vegetable

How to Choose Frozen Dinners

Ready to find your own favorite frozen meals? There's no getting around it: You'll need to read the " nutrition facts" panel on the package to see whether your choice is a healthy one.

In general, look for meals that include one or more servings each of vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat, fish, or poultry. These tend to be lower in calories and higher in vitamins and minerals as well as fiber (which helps fill you up).

Skip frozen dinners with cream sauces, gravies, or fried foods. And although dessert may look like a bonus, experts suggest having a piece of fresh fruit instead, for more fiber, nutrition, and fewer calories.

Here are the experts’ guidelines for choosing a healthy frozen dinner. Keep in mind that some healthy meals will meet some, but not all, of these recommendations:

* 300-500 calories
* 10-18 grams of total fat, or less than 30% of total calories
* Less than 4 grams of saturated fat
* Less than 600 milligrams of sodium
* 3-5 grams of fiber
* 10% of the Recommended Daily Value of vitamins or minerals
* 10-20 grams of protein

It's also important to pay attention to serving sizes. Although they may be lower in calories, smaller entrees may leave you hungry. But don't be afraid to add a few extras to boost nutrition and satisfaction, experts say.

"Adding fruit, a side salad, and low-fat dairy boosts the nutritional value of the meal [and] adds fiber and calories, so it will fill you up and satisfy your hunger," says, Linda McDonald, MS, RD, editor of Supermarket Savvy newsletter.

If you want to boost the protein, add 1/2 cup of beans or a sprinkling of nuts to your meal.

The Facts on Frozen Dinners

One thing to watch for: Even with a trend toward lower sodium, most frozen meals are high in it, says McDonald.

"Sticking with the brands that claim to be lighter and healthier (such as Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers Smart One’s) makes it easier to make a healthier choice since they must be low in fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol to meet the Food and Drug Administration requirements for 'healthy' meals," she says.

But there are no guarantees. You still need to read the label to be certain.

Look for frozen meals with less than 800 milligrams of sodium (that's about 1/3 of a day's recommended allotment). If you're on a low-sodium diet, divide your recommended daily number of sodium milligrams by three, and use that number as a guide.

Although most brands of frozen meals are reputable, some labels may use wording that could mislead you. For example, it's not always clear what makes products labeled "natural" qualify for that terminology. And, some labels boast that their dinners are "preservative free" – but most frozen meals don't include preservatives anyway, because freezing prevents spoilage.

The bottom line: Don't assume a product is healthy without checking out the nutrition facts panel.