Eating and nutrition

• It’s important to eat healthy foods during pregnancy.
• Most pregnant women need around 300 extra calories per day.
• Take a prenatal vitamin every day.

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A gal’s gotta eat, right? Especially a pregnant gal! But just because you have a bun in the oven doesn’t mean you get a license to eat whatever you want, as much as you want. So put the ice cream down, and let’s talk about eating healthy during pregnancy.

Most pregnant women need only about 300 extra calories per day. The exact amount depends on your weight before pregnancy. If you’re underweight before pregnancy, you may need more calories. If you’re overweight before pregnancy, you may need less. Talk to your health care provider about what’s right for you. Use this sample menu to plan healthy meals

How much should you eat each day during pregnancy?

How can you make sure you’re making healthy meal plans?
Use these tips when planning your meals:

• Eat foods from the five food groups at every meal.
• Choose whole-grain bread and pasta, low-fat or skim milk and lean meat, like chicken, fish and pork.
• Plan on eating four to six smaller meals a day instead of three bigger ones. This can help relieve heartburn and discomfort you may feel as your baby gets bigger.
• Make sure your whole meal fits on one plate. Don’t make huge portions.
• Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Put as much color on your plate as you can, with all different kinds of fruits and vegetables.
• Drink at least six to eight glasses of water, juice or milk every day. And take your prenatal vitamin every day. This is a vitamin made just for pregnant women.

 Last reviewed November 2012

See also: Take folic acid before you're pregnant, Food shopping on a budget, Handling food safely, Foods to avoid or limit during pregnancy, Sample week menu