Women who eat well and avoid known risks tend to have fewer complications during pregnancy and labor and are more likely to deliver larger, healthier babies. Eating a well-balanced diet, high in nutrients, is one of the most important things you can do to ensure the future health of both you and your baby.
You can easily select what your body and baby need by eating a variety of foods from all five food groups daily:
- Breads, Cereals and Grains
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts
- Milk, Yogurt and Cheese
Breads, Cereals and Grains
Pregnant women need 6 to 11 servings daily from this group. It’s important to distinguish between helpings and servings though: A sandwich with two slices of bread -- a typical helping -- is actually two standard servings according to the Food Pyramid. A typical plate of spaghetti contains at least one cup of pasta, which is two standard servings. You should eat at least the minimum number of servings and add other servings to meet your caloric needs.