What Should You Eat During Pregnancy

Alcohol Caffeine And Fish

• Pregnant women and women who may become pregnant should not drink alcohol. Drinks containing alcohol include beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks, and malt beverages.Even moderate drinking during pregnancy can cause behavioral or developmental problems for a baby. Heavy drinking during pregnancy can result in serious problems for the baby, including malformation and intellectual disability.

• While its unclear whether or not high caffeine intake leads to miscarriage, it appears moderate caffeine intake does not.Still, its probably a good idea to limit caffeine in your diet during your pregnancy. Too much caffeine can interfere with sleep, contribute to nausea, and lead to dehydration.

• Fish can be a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other healthy nutrients. But pregnant women should take care to avoid certain kinds of fish because they contain high levels of mercury, which can harm a growing baby. Fish you should avoid include shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.

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There’s No Need To Eat For 2

You will probably find that you are more hungry than usual, but you do not need to “eat for 2” even if you are expecting twins or triplets.

Try to have a healthy breakfast every day, because this can help you to avoid snacking on foods that are high in fat and sugar.

Eating healthily often means changing the amounts of different foods you eat, so that your diet is varied, rather than cutting out all your favourites. You can use the Eatwell Guide to get the balance of your diet right. It shows you how much of what you eat should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

You do not need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a week.

Unpasteurized Foods And Raw Meat

According to the USDA, pregnant women are at high risk of getting sick from two different types of food poisoning: listeriosis, caused by the Listeria bacteria, and toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite.

Listeriosis is about 20 times more common in pregnant women than in the rest of the population, according to a study published in the journal Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology. The CDC says that Listeria infection may cause miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term labor, and illness or death in newborns.

To avoid listeriosis, the USDA recommends avoiding the following foods during pregnancy:

• Unpasteurized milk and foods made from it, such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, queso blanco and queso fresco. Pasteurization involves heating a product to a high temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
• Hot dogs, luncheon meats and cold cuts, unless heated to steaming hot before eating to kill any bacteria.
• Store-bought deli salads, such as ham salad, chicken salad, tuna salad and seafood salad.
• Unpasteurized refrigerated meat spreads or pâtés.

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What If I Have Other Concerns About My Diet

Some women may be lactose intolerant, they cant fully digest lactose in dairy products. Others are unable to eat things like gluten due to Celiac Disease. Your provider can help you plan your diet or advise you take certain supplements. Other helpful tips for healthy eating are:

• For lactose intolerant women, calcium can be found in other foods like seeds, nuts and soy. There are also lactose-free milks, cheeses and other dairy products.
• For women with Celiac Disease, many gluten-free options can be found in grocery stores and include a variety of fruits, vegetables, meats potatoes, poultry and beans.

Last reviewed April, 2020

What To Eat During Pregnancy

During this time, you should be thinking about the food you eat as a source of support for your body and your fetus. Everything you eat, your baby eats as well, so it’s also good to include various tastes and foods into your diet to give them variety.

You should eat food that is organic, local, and, as much as possible, free from chemicals. It’s also good to eat food that is unprocessed and does not contain too many chemicals.

We’ll look at some of the foods you should be eating on the following slides.

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Can You Take Pregnancy Test In The Evening

Theres no right answer to this question since everyones body is different, but its generally recommended that pregnant women take pregnancy tests first thing in the morning when their urine is most concentrated. This is because the best time to detect the hormone hCG is when your urine is most acidic. hCG is the hormone produced by the placenta thats used to detect a pregnancy.

However, that doesnt mean you cant take a pregnancy test in the evening. If youre really eager to know if youre pregnant, go ahead and take the test. Just keep in mind that you may get a false negative if you take the test too late in the day. This is because the hCG hormone may not be as detectable in your urine later in the day.

How Can I Eat Healthy If I Am A Vegetarian

If youre a vegetarian and pregnant, its possible to get the nutrients you need. Talk to your provider about how to get the nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy. Some helpful tips are:

• Make sure you get enough protein from sources like soy milk, tofu and beans. If youre on a diet that allows for animal products, you can also eat eggs, milk and cheese.
• Eat lots of foods that have good amounts of iron such as vegetables and legumes like spinach, white beans, kidney beans and chickpeas.
• For calcium if you cannot have dairy foods, eat dark leafy greens, calcium-enriched tofu and other products enriched with calcium such as soy milk, rice milk or orange juice.
• Some cereals and milk may also be fortified with Vitamin B12.

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Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

It is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet when you are pregnant. Healthy eating during pregnancy will give your body the nutrients it needs. It will also help your baby to develop and grow.

You can eat a balanced diet by following the food pyramid. It gives guidance on how much food in each group you should eat for a healthy and balanced diet.

Eating regular meals with a variety of foods will help keep you healthy and strong.

Staying healthy during your pregnancy – HSE mychild.ie

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What Food Can I Eat During Pregnancy

What Food Can I Eat During Pregnancy

Congratulations! Youre pregnant! Its an exciting time, but it can also be a little confusing trying to figure out what you can and cant eat. Heres a guide to what food is safe to eat during pregnancy.

First and foremost, you should be eating a variety of healthy foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat proteins, and healthy fats. Its also important to drink plenty of water.

When it comes to specific foods, there are a few that you should avoid. Raw or undercooked meat, fish, and eggs can contain bacteria that can make you sick, so its best to avoid them. Also, avoid unpasteurized milk and cheeses.

Some foods are safe to eat but should be eaten in moderation. These include caffeine, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners. Too much caffeine can cause problems like insomnia and anxiety, and alcohol can harm your babys development. As for artificial sweeteners, theres not enough evidence to say for sure whether theyre safe or not, so its best to avoid them.

There are also a few foods that you should eat more of during pregnancy. These include iron-rich foods like leafy greens, legumes, and lean red meat, as well as calcium-rich foods like dairy products and fortified foods.

Overall, the best thing you can do is to listen to your body and eat what feels good. If youre not sure whether a food is safe to eat, ask your doctor.

• Can You Take Pregnancy Test In The Evening

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The Benefits Of Fruit

Fruits are super, that’s for sure! They provide vitamins and minerals that can help your baby along throughout your pregnancy. Pregnant mothers require foods rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin A and C, folic acid, and other nutrients in order to keep their bodies strong until baby arrives, and fruits can be an excellent and easy source.

What Nutrients Do I Need During Pregnancy To Keep My Baby And Me Healthy

During pregnancy, you can get a lot of nutrients from different sources or food groups such as grains, proteins, vegetables, fruits, and dairy. Other sources of nutrients are fats and vitamins and minerals.

Proteins help your body with muscle and tissue growth and also with your babys growth. Protein can be found in foods like:

• Beef, pork, fish and poultry

Complex carbohydrates give longer lasting energy and can be found in:

• Whole grain products, like bread, rice and pasta
• Starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn

Fiber is also a type of complex carbohydrate and can be found in plant foods. Fiber can help with digestion. The following foods are good sources of fiber:

• Vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, kale
• Fruits like, berries, oranges, apples and peaches with the skin
• Legumes such as chickpeas, black beans, lentils

Certain amounts of fat are also important for your body. During pregnancy, the fats you eat are a source of energy and help with your babys organs and the placenta. However, be careful not to eat too much saturated fat and trans fat because those can cause problems for your health.

Other nutrients that you need during pregnancy to keep yourself and your baby healthy include:

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Vegetables Salad And Fruit

You should base your meals on plenty of vegetables, salad and fruit. You need 6 servings a day.

You should only drink unsweetened fruit juice once a day. Foods you could regularly eat include:

• raw vegetables like salad or sliced carrots
• boiled or steamed vegetables like peas and broccoli
• 150mls pure unsweetened fruit juice
• pieces of fruit like bananas, apples and oranges

Healthy Eating For Pregnant Women

What you eat during pregnancy affects not only your own health and wellbeing and the development of your baby, but there is also substantial evidence that it can have a lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of your child later in life.

Choose a wide variety of healthy foods from the 5 food groups to make sure your and your babys nutritional needs are met to support the health and growth of your baby.

You may find that you need to eat more of some foods to ensure key nutrients are obtained, but there is no need to eat for two.What to include in your pregnancy diet:

• A variety of fruits and vegetables of different types and colours. Ideally 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day.
• Increase your intake of grain and cereal foods to 8½ serves a day. Choose mostly wholegrain and high fibre options.
• Select foods high in iron . Iron-rich foods are important for pregnant women. 3½ serves of meat or meat alternatives are recommended.
• Make a habit of drinking milk, eating hard cheese and yoghurt, or calcium-enriched alternatives. Reduced-fat varieties are best. 2½ serves per day are recommended.
• Drink plenty of water
• Limit your intake of foods and drinks high in saturated fat, added sugar and salt to small amounts.

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Paleo Breakfast Fried Rice

This one-pan recipe will definitely help you switch up your morning breakfast routine, and it might even tempt you to have breakfast for dinner!

Made with cauliflower rice instead of the traditional grain, its suitable for those whove adopted a paleo or Whole30 diet. The veggie-packed dish gets its flavor from ingredients like mushrooms, as well as bacon, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Youll get about 7 grams of protein from each 1-cup serving of rice. For the perfect protein-packed meal, eat a slightly larger serving of rice and choose 2 eggs as a topping.

You may suffer from breakfast boredom at some point or another. Its so easy to get stuck in a rut, making the same quick meal every day. However, you dont have to sacrifice taste and variety if youre in a time crunch!

With ingredients like black beans and eggs, this quick recipe for Mexican stuffed sweet potatoes gives you 12 grams of protein to fuel your day! Increase the amount of beans or eggs, or incorporate cheese, to get even more protein.

Top it off with some healthy condiments, or use 1 ounce of plain Greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute, and youve got a delish and different breakfast meal.

Nutrient Needs During Pregnancy

A person needs more water- and fat-soluble vitamins during pregnancy and lactation. This includes folate, choline, and vitamins B12, A, and D, among others.

Doctors

To help prevent illnesses and other complications during a pregnancy, avoid:

• Seafood that contains mercury: Avoid shark, swordfish, and marlin, or keep the intake to an absolute minimum.
• Uncooked or partially cooked meats: Opt for thoroughly cooked meats.
• Uncooked shellfish: This is due to a risk of bacterial or viral contamination, which can cause food poisoning.
• Raw eggs: Avoid these and any foods that contain them.
• Soft, mold-ripened cheese: Cheeses such as brie and camembert carry a risk of Listeria contamination. Listeria is a group of bacteria that can cause potentially fatal infections in pregnant people and their babies.

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What If I Am Gaining Too Much Weight

Try to get your weight back on track. Don’t consider losing weight or stopping weight gain altogether. You should try to slow your weight gain to recommended amounts, depending on your trimester. During the first trimester, you should gain 2 to 4 pounds total during the second and third trimester, you should gain 1 pound per week. Consider trying these diet changes to gain weight more slowly:

• Eat the appropriate portion size and avoid second helpings.
• Choose low-fat dairy products.
• Exercise consider walking or swimming on most if not all days.
• Use low-fat cooking methods.

A Complement To Nutrition

Prenatal Vitamins: Although the main source of vitamins and nutrients needed during pregnancy should come from your diet, a daily prenatal vitamin can help fill small gapsjust in case you unintentionally do not get enough key nutrients. Prenatal vitamins should be taken up to three months before conception, if possible.Consult your healthcare provider about which supplement is best for you.REMEMBER a prenatal vitamin, or any other supplement can only complement a healthy diet during pregnancy.

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Are You Really Eating For Two

When people say that a pregnant woman is “eating for two,” it doesn’t mean she needs to consume twice as much food or double her calories.

“A woman is not eating for two during her first trimester,” Krieger said. During the first three months, Krieger tells women that their calorie needs are basically the same as they were before pregnancy.

Krieger typically advises pregnant women to add 200 calories to their usual dietary intake during the second trimester, and to add 300 calories during their third trimester when the baby is growing quickly.

Nausea And Vomiting During Pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting, especially morning sickness, are common during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester. Some suggestions that may help include:

• Eat some dry bread, biscuits or cereal before getting up in the morning. Get up slowly, avoiding sudden movements.
• Drink liquids between, rather than with, meals to avoid bloating, as this can trigger vomiting.
• Avoid large meals and greasy, highly spiced foods.
• Suck on something sour like a lemon.
• Relax, rest and get into the fresh air as much as possible. Keep rooms well ventilated and odour free.
• Try food and drinks containing ginger, such as ginger tea, as these sometimes relieve nausea.

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Why Certain Foods Should Be Avoided During Pregnancy

Certain foods are more likely to contain bacteria like Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli that can cause disease. During pregnancy, your immune system also has a tougher job warding off infections.

If you combine those two factors, you’re more likely to become ill or experience issues like a miscarriage or an early birth if you ingest something that is contaminated by mistake. The ability of microorganisms that cause foodborne disease to penetrate the placenta is equally alarming. Additionally, because her immune system is still growing, your baby is at danger of getting a serious illness or potentially having birth abnormalities.

Ideal Foods To Eat During Pregnancy

The following foods are beneficial to your health and fetal development during pregnancy:

• Vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, cooked greens, tomatoes and red sweet peppers

• Fruits: cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, prunes, bananas, apricots, oranges, and red or pink grapefruit

• Dairy: fat-free or low-fat yogurt, skim or 1% milk, soymilk

• Grains: ready-to-eat cereals/cooked cereals

• Proteins: beans and peas nuts and seeds lean beef, lamb and pork salmon, trout, herring, sardines and pollock

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Follow A Healthy Eating Pattern

Eating healthy means following a healthy eating pattern that includes a variety of nutritious foods and drinks.

• Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and protein foods.
• Choose foods and drinks with less added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium .
• Limit refined grains and starches, which are in foods like cookies, white bread, and some snack foods.
• If you are feeling sick, try eating a piece of whole-grain toast or whole-grain crackers.