Dieting Tips – How To Maintain a Healthy Diet When You Are Pregnant

If you are pregnant or have been before then you more than likely have heard the old saying “Go ahead, you’re eating for two anyway”. But in reality you really aren’t eating for two. Even though it is true that you need to nourish the child that is growing inside of you, you really shouldn’t think that it is a requirement that you double what you eat in order for your child to gain weight and be healthy. The best thing you can do for your unborn child is to make sure that you maintain a healthy diet because it’s beneficial for the both of you.

On the average an adult should consume about 2,000 calories each day but when you are pregnant you don’t want to increase that amount to 4,000 calories. Although you should increase your calorie intake some. But the amount that you want to increase it to should fall between 200 and 500 extra calories for each day and even less when you are in your first trimester of pregnancy. Adding some healthy snacks each day to your diet like juice or some string cheese for example should be enough for those few extra calories that you need.

You will need to add some very specific nutrients to your diet when you are pregnant. Vitamins A and C should be extra and you can add those by simply eating fruits like apples or oranges. It’s highly recommended that you have seven or more servings of fruits and veggies each day in order to supply your baby and yourself with the needed nutrients to be healthy. You also will need to make sure that you include 3 or more servings of some sort of dairy product. You need extra calcium for both your bones as well as your baby’s.

You should get enough protein as well. This is a nutrient that is much need for the two of you. You diet needs to contain some lean meat, poultry, eggs, nuts and fish all of which are enriched with protein. Protein is also filling and it will increase your body’s ability to be able to burn off calories. It’s far better to have a good supply of this for your body than giving your body fatty foods. It will also make it easier to lose weight after you give birth.

There are some foods that a pregnant woman should always stay away from those would be foods like sushi, raw oysters and raw meats. All of these things can be extremely harmful to your unborn baby. These foods often carry some harmful bacterial in them that are considered to be extremely unsafe for any pregnant woman to eat. If you happen to like rare steaks, doctors say that it’s OK as long as the outside of the steak is fully cooked.

Note: If you have any questions about your diet it is wise to talk to your doctor and have them answer your questions.

Source by Jack Bulker