Supporting your body during your pregnancy involves nutrition, movement, and love. This week, let’s talk nutrition! In pregnancy, you need extra support for your own teeth, skin, and vital organs — including the placenta, which is about to form and will pass nutrients to your baby. Meanwhile, your baby is growing the brain, bones, and well, everything!
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Get started with these daily pregnancy nutrition recommendations:
- 4-6 protein servings
- 5 or 6 servings of veggies
- 1 yellow fruit or veggie
- 1 apple or a small bowl of berries
- 1-2 cups of whole grains
- 4 quarts of water
- Salt-to-taste
A prenatal, food-based, vitamin and mineral supplement is worthwhile as well. For pregnant people who have an MTHFR Mutation, a different type of prenatal may be needed such as this one. Aim for 1,000 mg of calcium per day. You can supplement your calcium intake if need be. Build smart brains for baby and yourself by working healthy fats into your diet, like black walnuts, avocados, and coconut oil. Cod liver oil or prenatal Omega-3 DHA are shown to reduce pregnancy complications and enhance baby’s brain. Be sure to find real sources as imitation DHA is not absorbable.
We are loving Lily Nichols RDN, CDE and her book Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition. Along with honoring ancestral diets, she turns conventional advice on its head and has the science to back it up. Nichols employs the plate method to evaluate food choices and portions. She recommends that half the plate be non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter be protein and good fats, and one-quarter be carbohydrates, specifically grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, fruit, and dairy. These portion recommendations are a dramatic departure from current guidelines.
When it comes to food in general, keep it real. A dab of real butter, for example, is better than margarine. If you drink milk, choose whole milk. Don’t choose low-fat dairy products for pregnancy. It’s better to consume less dairy and choose better quality!
