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
• Quinoa
• Seeds
• Nuts
• 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 drinks. 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 okay 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.**