Better Rewards : Join Our Baby Club!

Art of Eating for Two

Good prenatal nutrition is key to delivering a healthy baby. Your child is totally dependent on you for nourishment, and the good news is that what’s good for you is also good for the baby. So eating well for two shouldn’t be difficult at all. A well-rounded, balanced diet can fit into the ups and downs of pregnancy, and will be well worth the thought and effort you put into it.

Increasing calories and nutrients
Pregnancy isn’t the time to cut back on calories or go on a diet. In fact, a steady weight gain is one of the signs that your pregnancy is progressing well and that your baby, too, is gaining the necessary weight. If you don’t eat enough nutritious foods, your baby will be robbed of important calories and nutrients, possibly resulting in premature delivery, low birth weight, or an increased incidence of childhood health problems. Eating sufficient nutritious foods to gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy will improve your chances of having a full-term, normal-weight, healthy baby. Remember it’s not so much the quantity of food you eat, as the quality of the food choices you make.

The fiber from foods, such as whole grains and vegetables, helps prevent constipation during your pregnancy.

How many calories do you need?
Your daily calorie needs during the first trimester stay pretty much the same as they were before pregnancy, but this will vary depending on your height, weight, and activity level. If you experience an increased appetite, go ahead and satisfy it by choosing nutritious foods. By the second and third trimester, you’ll need an extra 300 calories daily to meet the growing demand of a developing baby. Your vitamin and mineral needs, at this point, will be at an all-time high, so make every bite count.

Fortunately, giving your baby the best combination of nutrients and calories is a simple matter of eating a variety of wholesome foods, based on the Food Guide Pyramid.