Diet for a healthy pregnancy
Diet for a healthy pregnancy
published by BabyCenter
Fine-tune your diet - even if you already eat well
Now that you're a mum-to-be, it's important to try and increase your intake of certain vitamins and minerals (such as folic acid and iron) and calories (slightly) during your pregnancy. If your diet is poor to begin with, it is even more important to make the transition to eating delicious, nutritious, well-balanced meals. Limit junk food, as it offers little more than empty calories (calories with few or no nutrients.)
Your body becomes more efficient when you're expecting a baby and makes even better use of the energy you obtain from the food you eat. The average woman does not need any extra calories for the first six months of pregnancy and only about 200 extra calories per day for the last three months. Two hundred calories is equivalent to two slices of wholemeal toast and margarine/butter; a jacket potato with an ounce of cheese; or one slice of cheese on toast.
Your own appetite is the best indication of how much food you need to eat and you may find it fluctuating during the course of your pregnancy. For example in the first few weeks your appetite may fall away dramatically and you may not feel like eating proper meals, especially if you suffer from nausea or sickness. During the middle part of your pregnancy your appetite may be the same as before you were pregnant or slightly increased. Towards the end of your pregnancy your appetite will probably increase, but if you suffer from heartburn or a full feeling after eating you may find it helpful to have small frequent meals.
The best rule to remember is eat when you are hungry. Don't worry about your changing appetite as long as you are following the advice given about the type of food you need to eat and you are gaining weight at the appropriate rate, which your midwife/doctor will monitor.
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