RESEARCH: Diet & NUTRITION
What Should I Eat?
General Advice
Yes, be a bit more mindful but your pregnancy should still be delicious! You should feel good about the food you are eating! Guilt, shame and restriction have no place in pregnancy, so we hope that your healthy pregnancy diet will feel rich, nourishing and nutritious, not restrictive or junky. Your foods should mostly be nutritious and delicious, but do not have to be perfect. If a small daily treat is what gets you out of bed in the morning, have a treat! You can make your treats count toward, and not against, healthy pregnancy nutrition if you like, or, you can just have a small exquisitely delicious and unhealthy treat because pleasure is important. You cannot go wrong with a diet that is rich in unprocessed foods including plenty of healthy protein, vegetables, healthy fats and whole, unprocessed grains. You will feel better, you will gain less unnecessary weight, and you will be doing exactly what is needed to grow a healthy baby. Plus, you'll have more wiggle room for the occasional banana split!
How Much Should I Eat?
You are eating for two, it’s true, but the second person is a tiny baby. You should be eating around 300 extra calories a day toward the middle of pregnancy and 500 extra calories near the end. If you are very young, active and/or underweight, you'll probably need more. If you are sedentary and/or overweight, you probably need less. The average non-pregnant person needs between 1600 and 3000 calories a day, which is quite a range, depending on size and activity level. It is hard in our culture to have a healthy, happy relationship with food, our bodies and weight. Additionally, weight bias has a strong influence on research and medical practice. But we do think that evidence supports limiting weight gain for most pregnant people. This seems to correlate with a whole host of benefits, including reduced chances of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, cesarean section, postdate pregnancies and long labors. In general, if you are quite thin and have been told you are underweight, you should gain up to 45 pounds. People who are “average” weight should gain between 15 and 25 pounds, and those of us who start out heavier can gain 0-15 pounds and have very healthy outcomes. People who are heavy and make major diet improvements in pregnancy may even lose some weight and that is common and fine. Chances are, if you eat good, real food, focusing on nourishing yourself with nutrient dense foods while exercising daily, that you will gain a perfect amount of weight for you and your baby.
Is There Anything I Should NEVER Eat or Drink?
It is best to avoid the following: Alcohol, large amounts of caffeine, soda, more than 1 cup of coffee a day (decaf is fine), partially hydrogenated fats, fish containing mercury like shark, swordfish, and ahi-tuna, raw fish, unpasteurized milk and cheeses. Standard advice also includes deli meats, deli counter foods etc.
What Should I Minimize?
We don't believe in NEVER when it comes to favorite foods, but it is best to avoid processed foods (anything in the middle of the grocery store, basically), sugary baked goods, sodas, undiluted fruit juice, etc.
What Should Be On My Plate?
A Good Rule of Thumb: Create Colorful Plates!
Protein
Necessary for growth and development. Adequate protein is necessary for blood volume expansion and may help prevent preeclampsia and edema. Include protein in every meal or snack to help prevent nausea and hypoglycemia. Eating adequate, healthy protein can help manage sugar cravings.
Amount: 70-100 grams per day.
Sources: Meats, fish, dairy, soy, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds. For protein supplements, consider Spirulina or Blue-green algae which contribute many other nutrients to the diet.
Greens
Green, leafy vegetables are excellent sources of many, many vitamins and minerals. Please include them every day! Look to greens for A and B complex vitamins. Greens are also a great source of folic acid, fiber, iron, vitamin K, calcium, and antioxidants. A diet rich in greens will provide many of the nutrients needed for proper growth and development. In general, the darker the green the more nutritious. This is the time to learn how to make cooking greens – kale, collards, turnip greens, etc.
Amount: 2 or more servings a day
Sources: Leaf lettuce, Kale, Collard greens, Mustard greens, Turnip greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Dandelion greens, Parsley, and Brussel sprouts.
Other Vegetables
Other veggies – often orange, red and purple - are healthy and nutritious. Many of these vegetables are high in Vitamin A and C and other micronutrients. Vitamin A is necessary for growth and repair of tissue, immune system function, and healthy skin. Vitamin C is also helpful for fighting infection and aids iron absorption.
Amount: 2 or more servings a day
Sources: Peppers, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts.
Whole Grains
You need carbohydrates to fuel your body and grow a baby. Whole grains can also be excellent sources of nutrition, while processed grains (white bread, cereal, white pasta, packaged foods, baked goods) are mostly empty calories. Avoiding or limiting processed grains and sugar will increase the healthfulness of any diet dramatically.
Amount: 2-5 servings a day
Sources: Whole-grain bread (look for 100% whole wheat), brown rice, oats, corn (polenta, grits, cornbread, home-made popcorn), millet, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and couscous, unpolished barley, and amaranth.
Fruit
Fruits of all kinds are sources of important vitamins and minerals. Fruits make great sweet snacks too. Many people eat one or two fruits primarily – use pregnancy as a time to expand the kinds of fruits you snack on and cook with. Look to seasonal fruits for tasty inspiration.
Amount: 2+ servings a day
Sources: Banana, apple, citrus, melons, berries, figs, pears. Avoid undiluted juice and excessive dried fruits
Fats
Fats provide energy, are carriers for fat-soluble vitamins and provide essential fatty acids for growth and development. Fats are incredibly important for baby's brain development, especially fats from fish, pastured meat and egg yolks. Fats can also actually increase the availability of nutrients in some foods. Avoid hydrogenated oils, shortenings, and margarine.
Amount: 70+g per day
Sources: Butter, olive oil, coconut oil, fatty fish, fatty meats, dairy, avocados, nuts, and seeds
Salt
Sodium is an essential nutrient. Sodium needs increase during pregnancy – sodium is essential for an increased blood volume, amniotic fluid and tissue growth. It is easy to have WAY too much salt in our culture from processed foods. But, if you are not consuming processed foods, salt to taste. If salt cravings are very intense, contact your midwife.
Sources: Processed foods, table salt, soy sauce, tamari, and Braggs
Water
Water is life, and water is essential for every bodily process and function in pregnancy and beyond. Clear, non-caffeinated drinks should be your primary source of water. Avoid artificial sweeteners and limit sugary drinks as much as possible. Many people find that carrying a bottle of water helps them drink enough. Others don't like sipping and do better with a “gulping plan” (aka, large glass with every meal, upon waking and before bed).
Amount: Drink to thirst, around 2 quarts daily or half your body weight in ounces
Sources: Water, herbal tea, and diluted juice.
Day-to-Day
Treats
It is impossible to eliminate treats during pregnancy. Try to choose treats that are as nutritionally dense as possible. Ice cream is a better choice than candy, for example. Cookies can be made with whole wheat flour and sugar can be reduced and/or replaced with honey, sucanat or maple syrup in sweet drinks and some recipes.
Snacks
Always have nutrient dense, easy snacks on hand. These include almonds, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, unsweetened yogurt, hummus etc. Eat snacks and small meals throughout the day vs. one or two large meals with many hours in between.
Going Out to Eat
When going out to eat, aim for meals that include protein and lots of vegetables. A steak or piece of chicken with veggies and sweet potato fries is a better choice than a burger and fries, for example. Even fast-food restaurants have a better pregnancy option – a grilled veggie sandwich with a side salad or a big meaty salad. It can be helpful to get in the habit of mindfulness when ordering and eating.
Tools
Books
Real Food for Pregnancy - Lily Nichols
Real Food for Gestational Diabetes - Lily Nichols
Apps
My Fitness Pal - an app that helps track your diet. It comes with an enormous database of nutritional information.
Good Food, Healthy Recipes – Just what it sounds like
Epicurious – easy to sort recipes based on type of eating and ingredients
Whole Foods Market Recipes
Sparkrecipes – again, the sorting abilities of this app are what make it helpful.
Fish4Health – will help identify fish that is safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding