| |  Pregnancy
Tips Eating
well can help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy newborn. Being physically
active may help you have a more comfortable 9 months and an easier delivery. Use
the ideas and tips in this booklet to improve your eating plan and become more
physically active before, during, and after your pregnancy. Make changes now,
and be a healthy example for your family for a lifetime. Tips
for pregnancy - Talk
to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain during your
pregnancy.
- Eat
foods rich in folate, iron, calcium, and protein, or get these nutrients through
a prenatal supplement.
- Talk
to your health care provider before taking any supplements.
- Eat
breakfast every day.
- Eat
high-fiber foods and drink plenty of water to avoid constipation.
- Avoid
alcohol, raw fish, fish high in mercury, soft cheeses, and anything that is not
food.
- Aim
to do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week. Talk
to your health care provider before you begin.
- After
you deliver your baby, continue eating well. Return to a healthy weight gradually.
- Slowly
get back to your routine of regular, moderate physical activity.
- Take
pleasure in the miracles of pregnancy and birth.
HEALTHY
EATING
What is a healthy eating plan for pregnancy?
A healthy eating plan contains a wide variety of foods from the five basic food
groups.* Every day, you should try to eat:
- 6
or more servings of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta.
- One serving equals
one slice of bread, 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal (about 1 cup of most cereals),
or 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta.
- If you are physically active,
you can eat more servings (up to 11 servings if you are very active).
- 3
to 5 servings of vegetables.
- One serving equals 1 cup of raw leafy
vegetables such as spinach or lettuce, or 1/2 cup of chopped vegetables, cooked
or raw.
- 2
to 4 servings of fruit.
- One serving equals one medium piece of fruit like
an apple, banana, or orange; 1/2 cup of chopped fresh, cooked, or canned fruit;
1/4 cup dried fruit; or 3/4 cup of 100-percent fruit juice.
- 2
servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese
- One serving equals 1 cup of milk or
yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese like cheddar or mozzarella, or 2 ounces
of processed cheese like American.
- If you are 18 years or younger and
pregnant, you need at least 3 servings of milk, yogurt, and cheese.
- Choose
low-fat or fat-free dairy products most often.
- 2
to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, or nuts.
- One serving
equals 2 to 3 ounces of cooked meat, poultry, or fish-about the size of a deck
of cards. Choose lean cuts and eat no more than 5 to 7 ounces of meat,
poultry, or fish a day. One cup of cooked beans such as kidney beans
or 2 eggs count as a serving.
- Four tablespoons of peanut butter or 2/3
cup of nuts also equals a serving.
- At
least 8 glasses of water.
- Drinking milk, 100-percent juice, seltzer or
other non-alcoholic beverages counts toward your amount of daily water.
*
Adapted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Department of Health and Human
Services Food Guide Pyramid.
NIH
Publication No. 02-5130
September 2002
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