How to Eat for Two and Stay Healthy By: Amanda Holmes
Is eating for two during pregnancy an old wives tale? How much weight should I gain during pregnancy? How can I increase my fruit and vegetables daily? These and many more questions run through the mind of an expectant mother. Giving your baby a nutritional advantage during pregnancy is extremely important.“Nourishment of the fetus depends on the supply of nutrients from the mother’s diet and her nutrient stores,” and there is a direct link between what you eat and the health of your baby (Brown 2).The food you eat should not be empty calories; it should provide nutrients both you and the baby will benefit from.
Is eating for two during pregnancy an old wives tale?
Instead of worrying about how much you are eating, it is better to take note of what you are eating. Of course it is important to get the right amount of calories each day, but it is also important that those calories come from a balanced source of fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy. According to Judith Brown, author of Nutrition and Pregnancy, “well nourished women are less likely to experience miscarriages, or to develop iron deficiency anemia, constipation, fatigue, and other common problems of pregnancy” (Brown 3). She further explains that babies born to healthy “well nourished women are more likely to be born in robust health, to feed vigorously, to grow optimally, and to be alert and responsive” (3). According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “pregnant women should have 3 servings of milk, yogurt, and cheese, 3 servings of protein, 3 servings of fruits, 4 servings of vegetables, and 9 servings of whole grain products each day” (“Essential Nutrients”).
Tips to increase your fruits and vegetables:
·Add frozen peas, carrots, broccoli, and corn, to your meat and pasta dishes. It won’t take away from the flavor or the texture to add just a bit of green! (Prinq).
·Keep pre-cut and pre-washed servings of vegetables refrigerated in baggies, so they are easy to grab and go, like zucchini, cucumbers, bell peppers, celery sticks and carrots.
·Use chunky salsa instead of ranch dressing to dip those veggies into (Prinq).
·If you’re making canned soup, add some frozen vegetables when you’re heating it up (Prinq).
·Make your own pizzas at home. You can customize and add bell peppers, artichokes, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, pineapples, mushrooms, and cheese; these all make great toppings.
·Add strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or peaches to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles, or pancakes at breakfast (Prinq).
·Make a smoothie for a healthy snack. Blend vanilla yogurt, milk, ice, and fruits such as bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries melon, pineapple, or any fruit. And you can keep frozen fruit on hand to make a thick cool treat out of your smoothies!
How much weight should you gain during pregnancy?
How much weight you will gain during pregnancy depends on your weight before pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends “a weight gain of 25 to 37 pounds during pregnancy for women who were a normal weight before pregnancy” (“Weight Gain”).
Overweight women should gain less and underweight women should gain more, “talk with your doctor about the amount of weight you can expect to gain. This may vary if you are pregnant with more than one baby” (“Weight Gain”).
Works Cited:
Brown, Judith E. Nutrition and Pregnancy: A Complete Guide from Preconception to Post Delivery. Los Angeles CA:Lowell House, 1998. Print.
“Essential Nutrients & Vitamins For Pregnancy.”American Pregnancy Association. 26 June 2010. Web. 26 June 2010.Prinq, Kristi. “Tips For Getting More Fruitsand Vegetables in Your Diet” Simply Moms. 26 June 2010. Web. 26 June 2010.
“Weight Gain.”The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.26June 2010. Web.26 June 2010.