Eating For Two Is No Excuse: Pregnancy Nutrition

Congratulations! You are pregnant and you are now thinking that you can eat whatever you want because you are going to be the size of a whale in a few months time anyway. Unfortunately, being pregnant is not a free license to raid the cookie jar on a regular basis. I’m afraid to say that the old adage “eating for two” does not apply when you are pregnant.

It is vital that you maintain a balanced diet while you are pregnant, even from the outset. The baby will be getting all of the nutrients it needs from you via the umbilical cord; so you still need to be cautious about what you eat.  And gaining too much weight during pregnancy can cause problems for you as well as your baby.

What to Eat: Pregnancy Diet

During the earlier stages of your pregnancy and even if you are trying to get pregnant, it is important that you get a generous helping of Folic Acid. This helps the baby’s nervous system to develop well. You will find Folic Acid in a number of healthy foods such as rice, lentils, green vegetables and orange juice. You can also take a supplement of Folic Acid if you prefer.

It is basically down to common sense; we all know what a balanced diet means. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, rice and legumes will make sure that your bump will be getting all of the nutrients it needs to come out of your body at a healthy weight! On the flip side, you need to cut back or omit altogether all of the things that you would like to indulge in such as cakes, sweets, chips, cookies and junk food. Of course, if you do have that craving that you just can’t shake then it will not harm you to give in – just do not go completely overboard!

There are some foods that are recommended that you should totally avoid while you are pregnant. Food stuffs such as liver are high in Vitamin A, which should be omitted as much as possible while you are pregnant. Similarly, unpasteurized cheeses, pate and blue-veined cheeses should not be eaten at all during your pregnancy.

You may be bit worried if you previously followed a vegetarian or vegan diet. As you have to eat a balanced and nutritional diet while pregnant, you may wonder if these types of diets will be enough. Well, as long as you ensure that you are getting enough of the nutrients and vitamins that you and your baby need, there is no reason not to continue with these kinds of diets.

As long as you follow a common sense approach to diet before, during and after your pregnancy you can expect to have a fairly healthy and trouble-free time.