Pregnancy Diet: Nutrients You Need

Your Healthy Pregnancy Diet: Top Nutrients

Folic Acid

Baby Benefits: Helps protect against spinal cord birth defects during the first 30 days of pregnancy, helps prevent early miscarriage and premature delivery.

Your Benefits: Prevents anemia.

Pregnancy RDA: 600 micrograms (mcg)

Best Food Sources

• Lentils, 1 cup cooked -- 358 mcg
• Spinach, 1 cup cooked -- 263 mcg
• White enriched rice, 1 cup cooked -- 195 mcg
• Enriched spaghetti, 1 cup cooked -- 172 mcg
• Broccoli, 1 cup cooked -- 168 mcg
• Orange juice, 1 cup -- 110 mcg
• Enriched bread, 2 slices -- 34 mcg

Iodine

Baby Benefits: Needed for brain and nervous system development; important for preventing stunted growth, severe mental disability, and deafness; important in preventing miscarriage and stillbirth.

Your Benefits: Important for a healthy thyroid.

Pregnancy RDA: 250 mcg, do not exceed 1,100 mcg

Best Food Sources

• Cod, 3 oz -- 99 mcg
• Yogurt, plain, ¾ cup -- 58 mcg
• Cottage cheese, 1 cup -- 65 mcg
• Baked potato with peel 60 mcg
• Cow's milk, 1 cup -- 56 mcg
• Fish Sticks, 2 -- 35 mcg
• Baked turkey breast, 3 oz -- 34 mcg
• Navy beans, ½ cup cooked -- 32 mcg

Iron

Baby Benefits: Helps prevent premature delivery.

Your Benefits: Wards off anemia in pregnant women.

Pregnancy RDA: 27 mg; don't exceed 45 mg

Best Food Sources

• Whole Grain Total Cereal, 3/4 cup -- 22 mg
• Cheerios, 1 cup -- 10 mg
• Enriched rice, 1 cup cooked -- 8 mg
• Canned white beans, 1 cup -- 8 mg
• Beef, 3 oz cooked -- 3 mg
• Lamb, 3 oz cooked -- 2 mg
• White meat chicken, 3 oz. cooked -- 1 mg

Potassium

Your Benefits: Helps keep blood pressure in check and maintain proper fluid balance; necessary for normal heart beat and energy.

Pregnancy RDA: 4,700 mg

Best Food Sources:

• White beans, 1 cup canned -- 1,189 mg
• Winter squash, 1 cup -- 896 mg
• Spinach, 1 cup cooked -- 839 mg
• Lentils, 1 cup cooked -- 731 mg
• Sweet potato, 1 medium cooked -- 694 mg
• Yogurt, fat-free, 1 cup -- 579 mg
• Orange juice, 1 cup -- 496 mg
• Broccoli, 1 cup cooked -- 457 mg
• Cantaloupe, 1 cup -- 431 mg
• Raisins, 1 cup -- 250 mg