Pregnancy Food Tips
Eating Right When Pregnant
Good nutrition during pregnancy, and enough of it, is very important for your baby to grow and develop. You should consume about 300 calories more per day than you did before you became pregnant.
Almost two-thirds of all pregnant women have food cravings. If you develop a sudden urge for a certain food, go ahead and indulge your craving if it provides energy or an essential nutrient - but always remember to keep a balanced diet.
Although nausea and vomiting during the first few months of pregnancy can make mealtime difficult, try to eat a well balanced diet and take prenatal vitamins. Here are some recommendations to keep you and your baby healthy.
Foods to Enjoy
- Six to eleven servings of breads and grains, two to four servings of fruit, four or more servings of vegetables, four servings of dairy products, and three servings of protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs or nuts).
- Choose foods high in fiber such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables.
- Take a prenatal vitamin supplement to make sure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day. Your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter brand or prescribe a prenatal vitamin for you.
- Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting 1000-1300 mg of calcium in your daily diet during pregnancy. The best sources of calcium are dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, cream soups and pudding, as well as greens, broccoli, spinach, sardines, dried peas, beans and tofu. Vitamin D will help your body use calcium. Adequate amounts of vitamin D can be obtained through exposure to the sun and in fortified milk, eggs and fish.
- Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day to ensure you are getting 27 mg of iron daily. The best sources of iron include meat (beef, lamb, liver, veal), seafood (clams, crab, oysters, shrimp), legumes (beans, peas, lentils, soybeans), fish, pork, poultry, egg yolk, vegetables (black-eyed peas, broccoli, brussel sprouts, collard and turnip greens, lima beans, sweet potatoes, spinach), enriched grain products, fruit (berries, apricots, prunes, raisins, grapes, grapefruit, oranges, watermelon), peanuts, pumkin seeds and pine nuts. Vitamin C helps your body use iron. It is important to include sources of vitamin C along with foods containing iron and iron supplements.
- Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, green peppers, tomatoes and mustard greens. Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a day.
- Choose at least one good source of folic acid every day, like dark green leafy vegetables, veal, and legumes (lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
- Choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day. Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, spinach, water squash, turnip greens, beet greens, apricots and cantaloupe. Know that excessive vitamin A intake (>10,000 IU/day) may be associated with fetal malformations.
Foods to Avoid
- Avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol has been linked to premature delivery, mental retardation, birth defects and low birth weight babies.
- Limit caffeine to no more than 300 mg per day. The caffeine content in various drinks depends on the beans or leaves used and how it was prepared. An 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 150 mg of caffeine on average while black tea has typically about 80 mg. A 12-ounce glass of caffeinated soda contains anywhere from 30-60 mg of caffeine. Remember, chocolate contains caffeine — the amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is equal to 1/4 cup of coffee.
- The use of saccharin is strongly discouraged during pregnancy because it can cross the placenta and may remain in fetal tissues. But, the use of other non-nutritive or artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA is acceptable during pregnancy. These FDA-approved sweeteners include aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet), acesulfame-K (Sunett), and sucralose (Splenda). These sweeteners are considered safe, in moderation, so talk with your health care provider about how much non-nutritive sweetener is acceptable during pregnancy.
- Decrease the total amount of fat you eat to 30% or less of your total daily calories. For a person eating 2000 calories a day, this would be 65 grams of fat or less per day.
- Limit cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less per day.
- Do not eat tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish (also called white snapper), because they contain high levels of mercury.
- Avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined and Mexican-style cheese. These cheeses are often unpasteurized and may cause a Listeria infection. There’s no need to avoid hard cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese or yogurt.
- Avoid raw fish and especially shellfish like oysters and clams.
Pregnancy and Soothing Foods
- Morning Sickness: Eat crackers, cereal or pretzels before getting out of bed; eat small, frequent meals throughout the day; avoid fatty, fried and greasy foods.
- Constipation: Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Also drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.
- Diarrhea: Eat more foods that contain pectin and gums (two types of dietary fiber) to help absorb excess water. Examples of these foods are applesauce, bananas, white rice, oatmeal and refined wheat bread.
- Heartburn: Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day; limit your liquid intake at mealtime; try drinking milk before eating and limit caffeinated foods and beverages.
Pregnancy and Oral Health
Regular dental visits are important before, during and after pregnancy. Be sure to inform your Dentist and/or Dental Hygienist that you are pregnant.
Heart Disease, Stroke and Pneumonia - Healthy teeth and gums contribute to overall health. Recent research suggests that bacteria from diseased gums may travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. This can contribute to a number of serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and pneumonia.
Low Birth Weight and Pre-Term Labour Infants - Gum disease in pregnant women may contribute to low birth weight and to pre-term labour infants. Regular professional teeth cleaning is essential for the health of your gums.
Pregnancy Gingivitis - Hormonal changes during pregnancy can lead to an increased reaction of the gum tissue to bacteria and dental plaque (dental plaque is the film of bacteria that grows on everyone’s teeth). This can lead to a condition called pregnancy gingivitis. Pregnancy gingivitis can cause gum tissues to become more tender and swollen and may cause the gum tissues to bleed more than usual. Prevention with good oral home care and professional oral care is very important during pregnancy.
Morning sickness - Morning sickness may be very detrimental to your teeth. Stomach acid left on the teeth may damage your teeth and cause tooth decay. If you vomit you should rinse your mouth with water or a fluoride rinse as soon as you can afterward.
LIVE IN THE TORONTO AREA AND NEED A DENTIST?
CALL DR. CHRISTAKOS 416-491-4411
(Find out about our FREE teeth whitening)
