Practicing Proper Nutrition During Pregnancy

Practicing proper nutrition during pregnancy is vital for a healthy baby and mother so as soon as you start thinking about having a baby, you should start thinking about what you eat. Begin loading up on the foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, learn the five food groups and balance your meals. And once you do become pregnant, make good nutrition a priority. Talk to your doctor about the foods that will provide the nutrients important to your baby's growth, as well as to your own well-being.

While nutritional needs and your own tolerance for eating will change during the different trimesters of your pregnancy, there are some general guidelines that will be important to follow throughout the nine months. For starters, eat balanced meals, do not skip meals, eliminate caffeine and drink lots of water, six to eight glasses a day.

Calcium is one of the most important minerals you will need during pregnancy. The current recommended amount of calcium intake during pregnancy is 1,200 mg, an increase of 400 mg a day over your usual needs. An increase in dairy products such as skim milk, cheese, yogurt, pudding and ice milk, is an easy way to consume lots of calcium. There are also many good non-dairy sources of calcium, including salmon, kale, broccoli, beans and calcium-fortified orange juice.

Folic acid is essential for a healthy baby and helps in the development of the fetal brain and spine. It is especially important during early pregnancy when many women don't even know that they are expecting.

Women should take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day throughout their pregnancy and may need to take a multi-vitamin or prenatal vitamin to meet this requirement. Some excellent sources of folic acid include dried beans, tofu, peanuts and peanut butter, as well as fortified cereals. Many breads are now also fortified with folic acid. Folic acid can also be found in many dark green vegetables, corn, cantaloupe, squash and beets.

Vitamin B12, found in animal products, is essential for proper nerve and brain functioning for both mother and baby. This is of special concern for women who are vegetarians. Vitamin B12 can be found in fortified soy milk and/or soy meat replacements, as well as vitamin supplements.

Protein intake should be increased by 10 grams a day and can easily be found in animal products including meats, milk and eggs. Some plant foods, such as legumes, seeds and cereal grains, can also provide high quality protein. It is more beneficial if you combine one food from two of these categories in the form of such dishes as hummus, split pea soup, bean tacos or even a peanut butter sandwich.

Nutrition For Kids
When it comes to feeding your child, it may seem like there are a dizzying number of rules to follow. Your child needs nutrients to grow strong and healthy, but you also have to limit treats and serving sizes so that your child doesn't develop weight and health problems down the line. Obesity is becoming a common problem in the United States. Almost two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and more than half of them get too little physical activity. U.S. nutrition off ...

The Role Of Fruits And Vegetables In Nutrition
The role of fruit and vegetables in nutrition is important and you should include as much of them in your diet as you can. Here's the lowdown on the nurtitional values in some of your favorite fruits and vegetables. More Color More Health Growing up you may have been told to eat your greens, but what about your reds, oranges, yellows and blues? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 5 A Day Partnership encourages YOU to "Sample the Spectrum" of the col ...

Liquid Nutritional Supplements
liquid nutritional supplements are quite popular these days but do We Need Nutrition in a Can? Are Liquid Supplements for YOU? Until recently such products as Ensure (tm) and Boost (tm) were primarily used to meet the special needs of patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Lately we have seen companies marketing these drinks to people of all ages and states of health. Liquid supplements are supposedly the answer for busy moms with a tight schedule, business people dash ...

More Articles...