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.