Are there any certain foods I should focus on eating to get good nutrition during my pregnancy?

- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water (from8- glasses a day). - Careful to eat foods rich in folic acid such as oranges and cantaloupe melon and fresh vegetables such as spinach. - Careful eating iron-rich foods such as molasses, spinach and white beans. - Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. - Reduce the starches and sugars and fats in excess of the needs of pregnant Energy foods. - It does not specify the amount of salt in cases of normal pregnancy but it is advisable in all cases, the reduction of salted foods such as pickles, herring and Alvesik. # Healthy foods for pregnant women:1. preserved fruit in natural juices rather than in Syrup.2. soy milk, one bottle of it extends the pregnant woman about one-third of the amount you need daily calcium and vitamin D.3. raisins, pregnant women extends about2 grams of fiber0.4% of the total iron km recommended.4. yogurt, foodstuff very important they provide the body with about% of the daily requirement of calcium .. It also extends the pregnant woman with many of the necessary vitamins and minerals.5. Authority, which enters the contents of the following vegetables, cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes in addition to the balls.6. small islands, rich in vitamin A and fiber and can be dipped in yogurt skimmed For more nutritional benefits .. It also provides him broccoli, cauliflower (ensure a good wash vegetables before eating).7. mozzarella cheese low-fat rich in calcium and some proteins.8. orange juice is rich in vitamin .. (c) It also provides for pregnant women% of the total needs of calcium.9. grains such as oats are a healthy breakfast for pregnant women, especially that oats is rich in vitamins and minerals.. White cheese is also rich in calcium.

Daily guidelines for eating healthy during pregnancy

• Calcium: Calcium is needed in the body to build strong bones and teeth. Calcium also allows the blood to clot normally, nerves to function properly, and the heart to beat normally. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends1, milligrams (mg) per day for pregnant and lactating (breastfeeding) women. Women years or younger need1, mg a day. Eat or drink four servings of dairy products or foods rich in calcium. Dairy products are the best source of calcium. Other sources of calcium are dark, leafy greens, fortified cereal, breads, fish, fortified orange juices, almonds and sesame seeds.
• Folic acid: Folic acid is used to make the extra blood your body needs during pregnancy. ACOG and the March of Dimes recommend micrograms (mcg) per day for pregnant women. This amount is included in your prenatal vitamins. The March of Dimes suggests that percent of all neural tube defects can be avoided with appropriate folic acid intake. Some women are at an increased risk for having a baby with an open neural tube defect (including but not limited to women with a family history of spina bifida, women on anti-epileptic medication, etc.). ACOG recommends additional folic acid for women at an increased risk for neural tube defect. Your doctor can discuss this with you and in some instances, refer you for genetic counseling to discuss further. Foods rich in folic acid include lentils, kidney beans, green leafy vegetables (spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, and broccoli), citrus fruits, nuts and beans. Folic acid is also added as a supplement to certain foods such as fortified breads, cereal, pasta, rice, and flours.
• Iron: Iron is an important part of red blood cells, which carry oxygen through the body. Iron will help you build resistance to stress and disease, as well as help you avoid tiredness, weakness, irritability, and depression. ACOG recommends you receive total mg of iron a day between food and your prenatal vitamin. Good sources include whole grain products, lean beef and pork, dried fruit and beans, sardines and green leafy vegetables.
• Vitamin A: ACOG recommends you receive mcg of Vitamin A daily. Foods rich in Vitamin A are leafy green vegetables, deep yellow or orange vegetables (e.g., carrots or sweet potatoes), milk, and liver.
• Daily recommendations: Include two to three servings of vegetables, two servings of fruits, at least three servings of whole grain bread, cereals, pasta, two to three servings of lean protein (e.g., meat, fish, and poultry).
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D works with calcium to help the baby’s bones and teeth develop. It also is essential for healthy skin and eyesight. All women, including those who are pregnant, need international units of vitamin D a day. Good sources are milk fortified with vitamin D and fatty fish such as salmon. Exposure to sunlight also converts a chemical in the skin to vitamin D.
• DHA: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), recommends pregnant and lactating women should aim for an average daily intake of at least mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) a day in addition to your prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins, as well as DHA, can be purchased over the counter or with a prescription.
• Protein: Protein is an important nutrient needed for growth and development. Protein is needed for energy and to build and repair different parts of your body, especially brain, muscle and blood. A pregnant woman needs additional protein for her baby's growth. Each person needs different amounts of protein depending on their size. A woman weighing pounds needs grams of protein every day. (To estimate, use your pre-pregnant weight and divide by two.) Choose a variety of protein-rich foods, which include seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds. Use labels on packaged food to determine how many grams of protein each food provides.
• Avoid alcohol: Alcohol has been linked with premature delivery and low birth weight babies, as well as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
• Caffeine: It is recommended to limit your caffeine intake. You may choose: two5-ounce cups of coffee, three5-ounce cups of tea, or two-ounce glasses of caffeinated soda.
• Eat salty foods in moderation. Salt causes your body to retain water and could lead to an elevation in your blood pressure.
• Do not diet! Even if you are overweight, your pregnancy is not an acceptable time to lose weight. You or your baby could be missing essential nutrients for good growth.

I think micro nutrients are the ones that are usually overlooked.Most people will get close to, enough or even too much of the macro nutrients (carbs,protein,fats)but not enough micro nutrients(vitamins ,minerals etc) I believe it would be a smart move to ensure you get enough of these micro nutrients and remember to also take in essential fatty acids like fish oil, which is another thing that is usually overlooked.I also believe cravings might have something to do with instinct,your body telling you it needs certain nutrients.

Now that you're a mum-to-be, it is important to eat well. This will make sure you get all the nutrients you and your developing baby need.

                             

If you know you haven't been eating as well as you could, it is even more important to start having nutritious, well-balanced meals. Your daily meals should include a variety of foods from the four main food groups shown in the Food Standards Agency's eatwell plate:

Fruits and vegetables. You can buy these fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced. Aim for at least five portions each day.

Starchy food. These include bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Try to choose wholegrain options.

Foods rich in protein. These include lean meat and chicken, fish, eggs and pulses (such as beans and lentils). Try to aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including of oily fish.

Dairy foods. These include milk, cheese and yoghurt, which contain calcium.

 

Dairy products, along with sea fish and sea salt are all good sources of iodine. You need plenty of iodine in your diet to help your baby's development.

Do I need to eat more now I’m pregnant?

Your body becomes more efficient when you're pregnant, and makes even better use of the energy you get from your food. This means you don’t actually need any extra calories for the first six months of pregnancy. Then you only need about 200 extra calories per day for the last three months. Two hundred calories is equivalent to:

a slice of wholemeal toast with a small can of baked beans

a toasted pitta bread with two tablespoons of reduced-fat hummus

a slice of malt loaf or fruit scone with butter or spread

one slice of cheese on toast

 

Your appetite is your best guide of how much food you need to eat. You may find your appetite fluctuates throughout your pregnancy:

In the first few weeks your appetite may fall away dramatically and you may not feel like eating proper meals, especially if you have nausea or sickness.

During the middle part of your pregnancy your appetite may be the same as before you were pregnant or slightly increased.

Towards the end of your pregnancy your appetite will probably increase. If you suffer from heartburn or a full feeling after eating you may find it helpful to have small, frequent meals.

 

The best rule to remember is to eat when you are hungry. Have a good balance of foods every day and you will gain weight steadily as your baby grows.

Should I take any vitamin supplements?

In an ideal world, free of morning sickness or food aversions, a balanced diet would be all you'd ever need. But an antenatal vitamin-mineral supplement may be good insurance to make sure you’re getting the right nutrients.

 

It's recommended that you take two important supplements during your pregnancy:

400 micrograms (mcg) folic acid a day for the first 12 weeks

10mcg of vitamin D a day throughout your pregnancy

 

Later on in your pregnancy you may need to take an iron supplement. Your iron levels will be checked during your pregnancy, and your doctor or midwife will advise you about your needs. Calcium is also important while you’re pregnant, as you'll now need twice as much each day.

 

You could take a special pregnancy multivitamin that contains folic acid, vitamin D, iron and calcium. Look for one that also contains vitamin C, vitamin D, B vitamins such as B6 and B12, potassium, zinc, iodine and vitamin E.

 

Don't take any supplements which contain retinol, the animal form of vitamin A. In large quantities, this can be toxic to unborn babies. However, the plant-based carotene type of vitamin A is safe in pregnancy. Also don’t take megadoses of vitamins and minerals, as this could be harmful to your baby.

 

Talk to your doctor or midwife about special supplements you might need if you:

are a strict vegetarian or vegan

have diabetes or gestational diabetes

have pre-eclampsia

have anaemia

have had a baby with a low birth weight before

Are there any foods I shouldn’t eat during pregnancy?

There are some foods that you’ll have to steer clear of during pregnancy, because they could be unsafe for your baby:

Cheeses with a white, mouldy rind, such as brie and camembert, and blue-veined cheeses such as roquefort. All these cheeses could contain listeria, a bacteria that could harm your baby.

Pate, and raw or undercooked meat and eggs. All are possible sources of bacteria that can harm your unborn baby. When cooking meat and eggs, make sure they are cooked properly.

Raw seafood, such as oysters, or sushi that has not been frozen before making.

Shark, swordfish or marlin. These fish contain unsafe levels of naturally occurring mercury. Tuna contains some mercury too, so it's best you don't eat more than four medium-sized cans, or two fresh tuna steaks per week.

Don't eat liver and liver products (such as pate or liver sausage), because they may contain large amounts of the retinol form of vitamin A. Too much of this could be harmful to your developing baby.

You should stop drinking alcohol during pregnancy, too.There is no way to know how much alcohol is safe during pregnancy. However, we do know that the more you drink, the higher your baby's risk of long-term health problems. In the first trimester, alcohol can also increase your risk of miscarriage. Since we don't know if any amount of alcohol is safe, experts recommend avoiding it altogether while you're pregnant.

It's best not to have more than 200mg of caffeine a day. That’s two mugs of instant coffee or four cups of tea or five cans of cola a day. You could switch to decaffeinated hot drinks and colas, instead.

 

Starchy foods, such as potatoes and bread, are an important part of your diet, but try not to over-cook or over-bake them. When starchy food is fried, baked, roasted or grilled at high temperatures a natural chemical, called acrylamide, forms.

 

Some research has suggested that eating a lot of acrylamide-rich food in pregnancy may be associated with low birth weight. Experts say more research is needed to be sure. But it's easy to reduce levels of acrylamide in your diet, so you may think it's worth doing anyway:

Fry potatoes and chips so they take on only a light colour.

Toast bread so it’s pale brown.

Cook pre-prepared foods that need frying or oven-heating according to the packet instructions.

Try not to eat too many packet biscuits or ready meals, as acrylamides have been found in processed foods.

 

Store potatoes somewhere dark, cool and dry, but not in the fridge. Putting them in the fridge can increase the amount of sugar they hold, which could lead to higher levels of acrylamide when you bake, roast or fry them.

Can I go on a diet?

Dieting during pregnancy could harm you and your developing baby. Some diets can leave you low on iron, folic acid, and other important vitamins and minerals. Remember, weight gain is one of the most positive signs that you’re having a healthy pregnancy.

 

 

So if you're eating fresh, wholesome foods and gaining weight, just relax. You're supposed to be getting bigger!

 

If you are overweight, you can improve your diet by cutting out foods high in fat and sugar and taking some exercise. However, see your doctor first for advice before changing how much you eat or doing more exercise.

What's a healthy way to put on weight?

It's best to gain weight gradually. You'll probably gain between 10kg and 12.5kg during your pregnancy.

 

Bear in mind that weight gain varies among women, and how much weight you put on during your pregnancy depends on many factors. So concentrate on eating a healthy diet of plenty of starchy carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, protein, and milk and dairy foods, and just a little in the way of fats and sugars.

 

When you put on weight may be as important as the amount you put on. You may gain the least weight during the first trimester. Your weight should then steadily increase throughout the second trimester, and you may put on the most weight over the third trimester, when your baby is growing the most.

How many meals should I eat?

Even if you're not hungry, chances are your baby is, so try to eat regularly. Aim for three meals and two to three healthy snacks in between. And if morning (or all-day) sickness, food aversions, heartburn, or indigestion make eating a chore, eat less, more often. You may find that eating five or six small meals is easier on your body.

 

Eating high-fibre and wholegrain foods will help to keep you feeling full, and will be more nutritious, too.

Can I still have occasional treats?

You don't have to give up all your favourite foods just because you're pregnant. But foods and snacks high in fat, salt and sugar shouldn't be the main part of your diet, either.

 

 

So as far as snacks are concerned, try a banana rather than a packet of crisps or tinned fruit in juice rather than ice cream. But don't feel guilty if you fancy the occasional biscuit. Enjoy every bite!

In terms of actual food that you should be eating depends on your likes, don't force yourself with food which don't agree with you, however the basics include:

Milk

Fruit Vegetables (for natural  iron levels and vitamins) Orange/Kiwi/Banana/apples Greens..broccoli / spinach

Fish (omega-3)

However most importantly drink plenty of FLUIDS!! 

Pregnant woman should take balanced diets and should focused on additional proteins, folic acid, iron, calcium. They may take  following foods:

Lean Meat: Its a great source of protein and also fullfill the need for heme iron so that anemiac conditions can be avoided.

Yogurt: Its a great source of protein and calcium

Lentils: Its a great source of plant proteins, Vitamin B, Folic acid. By use of folic acid neural tube defects can be avoided

Spinach:  It is rich in folate, iron, vitamin A, Vitamin D

 

 

 

You need to take some supplements