Pregnancy Diet Plan
Making sure you are getting the essential nutrients can be easier than ever with this pregnancy diet plan.
Sep 14, 2006
Pregnancy can be an especially challenging time for many busy mothers today to get what they need. Working expectant mothers can find it difficult to eat essential nutrients while "on the go." Some might be tempted to stop for fast food rather than cooking an elaborate meal.
Here is a helpful pregnancy diet plan to be sure that you and your baby are getting all of the essential nutrients every day:
Meat/Protein Group - 6 ozs. total per day
Pregnancy Diet Plan Ideas include:
- red meat
- poultry - remove skin
- fish (see Foods to Avoid)
- egg
- cooked beans
- nuts
- peanut butter
(Serving size is one egg, ½ cup cooked beans or 1 ½ T peanut butter or 1 oz of meat.)
Grain Group - 6-11 servings per day
Pregnancy Diet Plan Ideas include:
- whole grain breads
- high fiber cereal - look for 5 gm of fiber per serving
- whole wheat pasta
- oatmeal
- whole wheat crackers
- brown rice
(Serving size is 1 slice of bread, ½ bagel, 1 oz of cereal, 5-6 whole wheat crackers, 2 ozs cooked pasta or ½ cup of cooked grains)
Vegetable Group - 3-5 servings
Pregnancy Diet Plan Ideas include:
- dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, leaf or romaine lettuce, collards or other greens)
- deep yellow vegetables (squash, pumpkin, carrots)
- others - tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, green peas, green/yellow beans, broccoli
(Serving size is 1 cup of leafy green vegetable, ½ cup of the others.)
Fruit Group - 2-4 servings
Pregnancy Diet Plan Ideas include:
- citrus - oranges, grapefruit, tangerines
- strawberries
- melons
- mangoes
- apples, bananas, peaches
(Serving size is 1 medium apple, orange or banana, ½ diced fruit or ¾ cup of fruit juice.)
Milk Group - 3 or more servings
Pregnancy Diet Plan Ideas include:
- low fat yogurt
- hard cheese
- milk
(Serving size is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1 ½ oz cheese.) Read this article on special diets if you are lactose-intolerant and you need to alter the dairy in your pregnancy diet plan.
Tips for pregnancy diet planning and eating healthy include:
- 1. Make double or triple recipes on the weekend so that you won't be tempted to eat unhealthy food that you can get down faster when you are hungry. One of my family's favorites is smoked turkey, which can easily be smoked on a weekend and then used in sandwiches, salads and casseroles all week.
- 2. Keep sliced vegetables sealed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for quick, healthy snacking to make part of your pregnancy diet plan.
- 3. Try making your own trail mix with nuts, seeds and raisins for eating on the go or adding to yogurt or ice cream. If you get the munchies, see information on cravings.
- 4. A good rule of thumb about eating healthier is simply not to buy junk food or heavily-processed food so it won't be in the house. Empty calories will pack on the calories but not the nutrients you need as part of your pregnancy diet plan.
- 5. Consider the benefits to you and the baby of eating organic food. For more information, read Organic Foods and Pregnancy.
- Be sure to visit all articles in the nutrition series on this site. Click here.
- What is your favorite food group? Tell us.
