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Health 360

    Eat This Not That For Pregnancy

    Eat This Not That For Pregnancy

    What 20to 20eat 20while 20pregnant
    ​What you should be eating… 
    • Eat a variety of foods while pregnant to ensure adequate nutrition is achieved. 
    • 300 more calories per day than before pregnancy (but if a woman is overweight in her 2nd or 3rd trimester, she should not increase her intake.) 
    • Prenatal Vitamin supplement with folic acid. Pregnant women should consume at least 0.4 mg of folic acid daily. (Sources of folic acid include: dark green leafy vegetables, veal, and legumes.) 
    • Dairy or Calcium-rich foods. Eat or drink at least 4 servings daily. The recommended intake of calcium is 1000-1300 each day. 
    • Iron-rich Foods. Three servings of iron (about 27 mg) are recommended daily. Examples: Prune juice, red meat, and dark, leafy greens. 
    • Vitamin C can be found in oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, broccoli, tomatoes, and green peppers. Pregnant women need at least 70 mg daily. 

    Foods to avoid…
    • Seafood high in mercury. This may include: swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish. You may eat up to 12 ounces a week of seafood that contains little mercury, such as: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, catfish, cod, and pollock. 
    • Raw meats, eggs, fish, shellfish. Make sure these foods are adequately cooked prior to consuming to avoid food-borne illnesses. Items such as crab, lobster, and hotdogs can be eaten in moderation if they are fully cooked. 
    • Deli Meat can be consumed if it is reheated until it is steaming. 
    • Soft Cheeses such as: Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Feta, Gorgonzola, and Mexican style cheeses that include queso blanco and queso fresco.
    • Caffeine should be consumed in moderation during pregnancy. Consumption should be limited to fewer than 300 mg per day.
    • Alcohol should not be consumed during pregnancy.  There is no amount of alcohol that is known to be safe during pregnancy.