Knowing what a healthy pregnancy diet is can be confusing. the American food guide has undergone so many geometric changes morphing from squares to pyramids from stacked steps to slivered triangular sections that most people are happy if they can know what shape the FDA is currently using to promote healthy eating, never mind a balanced diet pregnancy plan.
Yet eating a good diet during pregnancy becomes a source of great concern for expectant mothers who want to do all they can to care for the fragile life they carry. Understanding a few basic principles of nutrition will greatly aid the goal of a healthy pregnancy diet.
So How much should a Pregnant Woman Eat Anyway?
The first step is knowing how much to eat each day to achieve a balanced diet in pregnancy. there is a great misconception that foils many women’s attempts to eat a healthy diet during pregnancy. This myth is the thought that being pregnant means the consumption of enough calories to sustain two grown individuals or in other words, eating for two.
In reality, the recommendation for pregnant women is to eat only 300 more calories per day than they would consume if they were not pregnant. one more problem gums up this calorie consumption equation. Most people, be they a man, woman or child, have no idea how many calories they should consume to maintain a healthy, vital body.
In the end, the answer varies widely from individual to individual. Metabolism, health concerns, exercise patterns and many other issues factored together yield that magical number, and who wants to jump through all those calculations?
There is a much simpler way to figure out how much of which types of food a pregnant woman should eat to achieve an exhilarated and healthy pregnancy followed by the equally joyful birth of a vibrant baby. Eating well has to do with eating the right foods.
Keep these simple tips in mind:
- Eating vegetables should be a must every day. Most Americans are vaguely aware that vegetables are important, but they have no idea what a real green leafy vegetable is. a simple rule is to choose vegetables by their color. the deeper the color, the more rich in vitamins and minerals the vegetable is.
- Protein, protein, protein. In diet fads gone by, protein has been alternately demonized or placed upon a pedestal. When the pregnancy diet is the concern, protein is absolutely necessary. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. It is perfectly logical that a developing baby needs plenty of protein to develop normally.
- Water in large amounts. Water should be a pregnant woman’s drink of choice. Dehydration not only decreases energy output by as much as 30 percent, it also accounts for common pregnancy complications. For example, a lack of water is a contributing factor in 80 percent of preterm labor.
- Listen to your body but don’t enable it. if you crave salt, sugars or fatty foods, feed your body what it needs. This does not mean potato chips or chocolate cake all slathered in butter. a healthy diet during pregnancy will minimize cravings because your body will get the sugars, salts and fats needed from nutritious sources of fruit, whole grains and meats.
These are just a few of simple ways to increase healthy eating for two, in the right way. Learning more will only increase the health of both mother and baby.
Simple Tips For a Healthy Pregnancy Diet
