Diet Menu for Pregnancy

Nausea, exhaustion, and constipation often make eating well during pregnancy more difficult than it sounds. The right diet is essential to both mother and baby, and luckily simple is often best.

Nutritional Needs

Eating for two doesn't mean doubling your daily calories. While you do need to boost your calorie intake during pregnancy, you only need about 300 more each day. Making sure each calorie counts will help you maintain a healthy weight during the pregnancy and make it easier to take off excess weight after the baby is born. As with any healthy diet, be sure to include five to seven servings of fruit and vegetables each day, three to four servings of lean protein, four to six servings of dairy and six to 11 servings of grain products.

Breakfast

Breakfast is extremely important, especially if you tend to feel queasy in the morning. Though it seems counter-intuitive, putting something in your stomach will help you feel better than avoiding food. If you wake up nauseous, keep a few crackers by the bed. Once you are up and around, one of the following combinations will keep you going until your mid-morning snack.
*Whole-grain cereal (preferably fortified with iron) with skim milk and a banana
*Fruit smoothie with dairy base and whole-grain toast
*Scrambled eggs with whole-grain toast and cantaloupe
*Veggie Omelet with whole-grain toast and orange juice

Lunch

Even if your day is hectic, you are never too busy for a healthy lunch. If you are working, consider taking lunch with you so that you don't find yourself tempted to hit the drive-through and miss an opportunity to nourish yourself and your baby.
Some combinations to try:
*Whole-wheat turkey or chicken pita with lettuce, and vegetable soup
*Spinach salad with turkey, dried cranberries, and balsamic vinagrette, and a whole-grain roll
*Whole-grain bagel with hummus, spinach, feta, and sprouts, and fruit salad
*Black beans, corn, cheese, and mild salsa on a whole-wheat tortilla, along with a leafy green salad

Dinner

Dinner should be an easy and relaxing way to end the day with family and friends. Consider what you've eaten throughout the day, and fill in nutritional or caloric holes. If you skimped on your fresh veggies at lunch, include a leafy green salad as well as a side vegetable at dinner. Include lean protein such as grilled chicken or pork. Consider eating casseroles, as they are easy to prepare and often combine vegetables, protein and grains such as pasta or rice.

Snacks

Healthy snacks are an essential part of a healthy pregnancy diet. Each snack should include protein, carbohydrates and fruit or vegetables.
Examples of healthy snacks:
*Cheese and crackers with an apple
*Yogurt and a banana
*Fruit smoothie with dairy base
*Trail Mix with almonds, dried fruit, and wheat cereal (Wheat Chex, for example)

Beverages

Hydration during pregnancy is extremely important, but remember that beverages are calories, too. First and foremost, ditch the soda as much as possible. As with food, you should be getting the most out of your beverages as well. Try green tea or ginger tea, which can also settle your stomach if nausea has set in. Milk, water and fruit juice are also excellent choices. Be careful with energy or sports drinks, as they can contain caffeine or supplements that are not advisable for pregnant women.