Pregnancy Diet
Welcome to motherhood! I too, just found out I was pregnant.
As a Dietitian, my mind went straight to food.
I knew there were foods I needed to avoid and nutrients I needed to consume.
I did my research and came up with a condensed and detailed list...
I thought I would share my insight.
Nutrients you should consume: Protein: you need to aim for around 60-80 grams of protein a day (speak with your Dietitian for specific individual needs).
The good news is that protein content is listed on every nutrition label, so if your food comes with a label, keep track of your intake.
Items such as lunch meat from the deli counter won't have a nutrition label.
In this case simply estimate that 1 ounce of meat = 7 grams of protein Calcium: aim for 1,000mg of calcium per day (if you are a teenager, aim for 1,300mg).
To calculate calcium, look at the bottom of a nutrition label and find the calcium percentage.
It's easy to convert a percentage into milligrams by just adding a zero (ex.
30% calcium = 300mg).
Folate: aim for 600mg of folate per day.
You can meet your folate needs through foods like chicken, oranges, fortified grain products, green vegetables and legumes (your prenatal vitamin will also cover your baseline needs).
Iron: aim for 27mg of iron per day.
You can meet your iron needs consuming red meat, spinach, raisins, dried fruit and green vegetables (your obstetrician will closely monitor your iron levels and prescribe extra iron supplementation when needed).
Fiber: aim for 25-35grams of fiber per day.
Remember to increase fiber slowly over a period of time to avoid stomach distress.
Fluids: aim for 8 cups of non-caffeinated, calorie-free beverages daily.
Watch out for excessive use of artificial sweeteners (Acesulfame Potassium (Sunett), Aspartame (equal), Sucralose (splenda) are all considered safe in moderation).
Foods you should avoid: Unpasteurized Cheeses: Unpasteurized cheeses may cause Listeriosis, the bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes, which causes infection and can cross the placenta.
This can be possibly fatal to the baby.
Cooked Meals Left to Chill:Cooked chicken or seafood that is left to chill can also cause Listeriosis.
Deli Meat Deli meat can be contaminated with LIsteria (to be safe, reheat meat until it is steaming).
Undercooked Eggs & Undercooked Poultry Undercooked eggs and poultry may cause a food poisoning called, Salmonella.
Salmonella poisoning may lead to a miscarriage or preterm labor.
Raw Seafood: Raw oysters, clams, or sushi may lead to the risk of intestinal parasites or Hepatitis.
Heavy Metals: King Mackerel, Swordfish, Shark and Tile Fish may contain heavy metals and promote heavy metal poisoning.
Alcohol: It is best to abstain from the use of alcohol during pregnancy due to the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Caffeine: Aim to stay under 200mg of caffeine per day.
Do not forget that caffeine can come in the form of a beverage, food, or medicine.
As a Dietitian, my mind went straight to food.
I knew there were foods I needed to avoid and nutrients I needed to consume.
I did my research and came up with a condensed and detailed list...
I thought I would share my insight.
Nutrients you should consume: Protein: you need to aim for around 60-80 grams of protein a day (speak with your Dietitian for specific individual needs).
The good news is that protein content is listed on every nutrition label, so if your food comes with a label, keep track of your intake.
Items such as lunch meat from the deli counter won't have a nutrition label.
In this case simply estimate that 1 ounce of meat = 7 grams of protein Calcium: aim for 1,000mg of calcium per day (if you are a teenager, aim for 1,300mg).
To calculate calcium, look at the bottom of a nutrition label and find the calcium percentage.
It's easy to convert a percentage into milligrams by just adding a zero (ex.
30% calcium = 300mg).
Folate: aim for 600mg of folate per day.
You can meet your folate needs through foods like chicken, oranges, fortified grain products, green vegetables and legumes (your prenatal vitamin will also cover your baseline needs).
Iron: aim for 27mg of iron per day.
You can meet your iron needs consuming red meat, spinach, raisins, dried fruit and green vegetables (your obstetrician will closely monitor your iron levels and prescribe extra iron supplementation when needed).
Fiber: aim for 25-35grams of fiber per day.
Remember to increase fiber slowly over a period of time to avoid stomach distress.
Fluids: aim for 8 cups of non-caffeinated, calorie-free beverages daily.
Watch out for excessive use of artificial sweeteners (Acesulfame Potassium (Sunett), Aspartame (equal), Sucralose (splenda) are all considered safe in moderation).
Foods you should avoid: Unpasteurized Cheeses: Unpasteurized cheeses may cause Listeriosis, the bacterium Listeria Monocytogenes, which causes infection and can cross the placenta.
This can be possibly fatal to the baby.
Cooked Meals Left to Chill:Cooked chicken or seafood that is left to chill can also cause Listeriosis.
Deli Meat Deli meat can be contaminated with LIsteria (to be safe, reheat meat until it is steaming).
Undercooked Eggs & Undercooked Poultry Undercooked eggs and poultry may cause a food poisoning called, Salmonella.
Salmonella poisoning may lead to a miscarriage or preterm labor.
Raw Seafood: Raw oysters, clams, or sushi may lead to the risk of intestinal parasites or Hepatitis.
Heavy Metals: King Mackerel, Swordfish, Shark and Tile Fish may contain heavy metals and promote heavy metal poisoning.
Alcohol: It is best to abstain from the use of alcohol during pregnancy due to the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Caffeine: Aim to stay under 200mg of caffeine per day.
Do not forget that caffeine can come in the form of a beverage, food, or medicine.
Source...