Foods to Eat While Pregnant

Eating a healthy diet while you are expecting is very important for the health of your baby. Getting good nutrition helps prevent low birth weight and birth defects. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. I recommend a vegetarian diet for everyone, including pregnant women. The benefits are incredible. Being a vegetarian will also help to get your child off to a healthy life. Remember to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. 10 – 12 is far better. I also recommend drinking bottled water.

Calcium:
Soy Milk
Tofu
Collard Greens
Turnip Grees
Broccoli
Blackstrap Molasses
Figs
Sunflower Seeds
Cheese

Protein:
Beans
Vegeburger
Cheese
Eggs

Folic Acid:
Avocado
Oranges
Eggs
Spinach
Beets
Turnip Greens
Brewers Yeast
Bananas
Tomatoes
Cantaloupe
Dried peas and beans
Whole Grain Breads

Iron:
Blackstrap molasses
Iron enriched breads and cereals
Dried beans
brewers yeast
Turnip Greens
dried fruits
Nuts and seeds
Prunes

Vitamin D: Sun Exposure for 5 to 15 minutes a day
Fortified Cereals

Vitamin B12:
Nutritional Yeast
Fortified Cereals
Fortified Soy Milk

Vitamin C:
Citrus Fruits
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Berries
Peppers
Melons
Potatoes with Skin

Vitamin A:
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Spinach
Turnip Greens
Cantaloupe
Apricots

Carbohydrate:
Whole Grain Breads and Cereals
Fruits
Potatoes
Whole Wheat Pasta
Rice
Vegetables

Don’t . . .

Do NOT use Tobacco products, alcohol, recreational drugs at anytime during your pregnancy. Not only are these products bad for you, but they can do serious damage to your unborn baby.

Babies that are born to moms who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from asthma, ear infections, and low birth weight. Alcohol causes low birth weight, birth defects, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Drugs can cause low birthweight, birth defects, retardation. Often babies are born addicted to the drug and must go through a “withdrawl” period following birth. You have a choice. Your baby doesn’t.

Do not drink coffee. The baby does not need the caffeine. Don’t drink soft drink. Your baby doesn’t need the caffeine and you both need your calcium. Soft drinks deplete the body of calcium. Don’t continually eat junk food. Try to make every meal count. It is ok to have a sweet snack, but limit your consumption of foods with no nutritional value.

Enjoy this time with your baby. Help your baby to get off to a good start by providing healthy meals now before he or she is born!

**The ideas on this page are for information only.**
**Please consult your doctor or Midwife if you have questions about your nutrition or before changing your diet.**

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