Pregnancy And Baby Care Articles Pregnancy Diet

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...and keep in mind when preparing a diet plan:

• She must be eating about three to four servings of vegetables and three to four servings of fruit.
• She must consume five to six servings of milk or milk products.
• A pregnancy diet must include essential fatty acids and minimize the intake of oils, fats, salt and simple sugars.
• Make sure that all vitamins and minerals are included in the pregnancy diet.
• No meals must be skipped.

It is also a good thing to give heed your cravings as they usually tell you what nutrients are lacking in your pregnancy diet. At the same time, do not indulge in cravings that are unhealthy for you or the baby while making a pregnancy diet plan.

Foods to avoid during pregnancy

• Avoid caffeine or caffeinated drinks.
• Avoid sea food that contains too much mercury. Such foods include all large fish such as mackerel or king fish.
• Avoid using artificial sweeteners.
• Avoid frozen foods. Essential nutrients
• Iron: Iron is essential to maintain a steady flow of blood to the fetus through the placenta. Iron rich foods include red meats, legumes, green leafy vegetables, and any iron fortified drinks or foods. Iron is not easily absorbed in the pregnancy diet. It is therefore essential to increase the intake of iron rich foods. Another way of increasing absorption is to drink some orange juice or any drink that is rich in Vitamin C as it helps in the absorption of iron.
• Folic acid: Folic acid increases the quantity of the mother's blood and decreases the chance of developing neural tube defects which are basically defects in the brain.
• Energy: An additional 300 calories should be added to a pregnancy diet. This must be done using energy from healthy sources such as skim milk or fresh fruits and nuts.
• Calcium: All the calcium that is needed for the development of healthy teeth and bones of the baby are obtained from the mother. It is therefore essential to increase the calcium intake by about 1000 mg. This is roughly about four to five servings of milk or dairy products per day in a pregnancy diet.

Read more articles from the Pregnancy Diet Category.