Pregnancy Nutrition

Pregnant women gets lots of advice -- more advice than they want!  But pregnant want more than just a list of "dont's".  They want to know what to eat in order to have a healthy baby.  Pregnancy nutrition is certainly an important topic.

The first thing for pregant women to consider is that they are eating for not only their own nutrition but also that of the baby.  The baby will get all of its nutrients from the food you each, which is why pregnancy nutrition is so important.  The baby will siphon off nutrients from your food (and he or she will also get some of the "negatives" that you ingest). 

Tip #1: Drink milk.  You need lots of calcium to keep your bones strong during pregnancy and to help your baby get its nutrients.  This is vital for pregnancy nutrition.  Milk is only one source of calcium but it's typically the easiest.  Other dairy products such as yogurt and cheese are also good.  If you are lactost intolerant you might consider taking calcium supplements.  A couple of Tums will give you 40% of your daily recommended calcium.

Tip #2: Get your protein.  A key part of pregnancy nutrition is getting ample protein.  Meat and fish are an excellent source, and fish are also a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids.  Just stay away from tuna.  Beans, cheese, and tofu are other excellent sources of protein.

Tip #3: 5-9 Fruits and vegetables.  Getting your fruit and vegatable servings is important for all people, but especially as part of pregnancy nutrition.  Here's a tip for getting 5 servings in one snack: Jamba Juice has new all-fruit smoothies that have 5 servings in one 20 ounce serving!

These are just three tips for pregnancy nutrition.  A lot of pregnancy nutrition is simply obvious: eating what seems to be a health meal instead of a fast food hamburger.  You can eat some "unhealthy" foods while you're pregnant, but these 9 months are important for getting your baby off to a health start.