General Nutrition

When you’re pregnant, you absolutely cannot be concerned about gaining weight.  Most of us during our lives struggle with weight and when we see that scale climbing rapidly, and it inevitably will, it’s a shocker.  But don’t panic!  Gaining weight while you’re pregnant is a good thing.  It may be hard to wrap your brain around that at first.  If you eat right and exercise sensibly you will gain a healthy amount for you and your baby and be able to get it off easier later on. 

While I’m discussing nutrition during pregnancy, remember that the exact same rules apply while you’re breastfeeding.  Did you know that you’ll also have cravings while you’re nursing?  It’s true!  Your nutritional plan doesn’t need to change at all once baby is born.  The only thing that may need to change is the supplements you take.  I’ll cover this in the supplements section of this site.  So, let’s talk about some nutrition basics.

First and foremost, don’t fall under that old belief that you need to “eat for two”.  In reality, you only need to add about 200 calories to your diet while you’re pregnant to ensure you get enough calories to maintain your energy level (which is very important during this time).  Absolutely do not skip meals!  Your baby will get what it needs from your body but if you don’t get enough calories, your health could deteriorate and I want you to be healthy for yourself as well as your baby.

So what should you eat as a pregnant mom?  I realize you’re going to have cravings.  Just remember, everything in moderation.  Don’t overeat because it will just be harder to lose that pregnancy weight once baby is born.  You’re going to have less time to think about yourself so take care of you now!  A simple rule about food intake is to eat five to six small meals a day, ideally eating every two or three hours.  This applies whether you’re pregnant or not but it’s especially important to maintain a good eating schedule while you’re pregnant.  Even if you’re not hungry, your developing baby needs regular sustenance, and high frequency eating ensures proper blood glucose levels inhibiting the dreaded insulin spike, which causes that afternoon energy crash.

Your meals should consist of equal parts of healthy proteins, veggies, and fruit.  The more natural your food is, the better for you and baby.   Serving size recommendations for the average, healthy pregnant woman include 6-11 servings of breads and grains, two-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).  Your body is busy making a new life so give it the tools it needs to make your baby the most beautiful and healthy baby it can! 

What’s a serving size?

There are many different thoughts on this and you could always look on the package of the food products you buy but here’s a simpler way to understand what a serving size is.

Grains: 1 slice of bread, 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta (about the size of a 1/2 baseball).

Vegetables: 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables (about the size of a small fist), 1/2 cup of other vegetables or 1/2 cup of vegetable juice.

Fruits: 1 medium fruit (medium is defined as the size of a baseball); 1/2 cup chopped, cooked or canned fruit; or 1/2 cup juice.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans and Nuts: 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish; 1/2 cup cooked dry beans; or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese: 1 cup of fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces fat-free or low-fat cheese.

Think small fist, baseball, hockey puck and a computer mouse. These are all things that describe a “serving size.” The comparisons will help you eat more of the things you need and less of the things you don’t.

• One serving of raw leafy vegetables or a baked potato should be about the size of a small fist. A serving is a lot smaller than most people think.
• A cup of fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt, or a medium fruit should equal about the size of a baseball.
• A half a bagel is about the size of a hockey puck and represents a serving from the grains group.
• Three ounces of cooked lean meat or poultry is about the size of a computer mouse. Three ounces of grilled fish is about the size of a checkbook.
• A teaspoon of soft margarine is about the size of one die.
• An ounce of fat-free or low-fat cheese is about the size of six stacked dice.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.