HEALTHY EATING IN PREGNANCY

What is a healthy eating plan for
pregnancy?
A healthy eating plan for pregnancy includes a vari-
ety of nutrient-rich foods . In January 2005, the U .S .
Department of Health and Human Services and the
U .S . Department of Agriculture jointly released the
2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans . These new
guidelines outline recommendations
to promote health and reduce the
risk of chronic disease through
nutritious eating and physical
activity . The recommendations
include some of the nutritional
needs of pregnancy

How many calories should I eat?
Eating a variety of foods that provide enough calories
helps you and your baby gain the proper amount of
weight . During the first 3 months of your pregnancy,
you do not need to change the number of calories you
get from the foods you eat .
Normal-weight women need an extra 300 calories
each day during the last 6 months of pregnancy .
This totals about 1,900 to 2,500 calories a day . If you
were underweight, overweight, or obese before you
became pregnant, or if you are pregnant with more
than one baby, you may need a different number of
calories . Talk to your health care provider about how
much weight you should gain and how many calories
you need

Page 1
TIPS FOR PREGNANCY
Healthy Eating & Physical
Activity Across Your Lifespan
Fit for Two
WIN
Weight-control Information Network
Page 2
Page 3
Index
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Healthy Eating
What is a healthy eating plan for pregnancy? . . . . . . . . 2
How many calories should I eat? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Why is gaining a healthy amount of
weight important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
How much weight should I gain during
my pregnancy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Do I have any special nutrition needs
now that I am pregnant? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Can I continue to follow my vegetarian diet
during pregnancy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tips for Healthy Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
What foods should I avoid during pregnancy? . . . . . . . 10
Physical Activity
Should I be physically active during
my pregnancy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
What physical activities should I avoid
during pregnancy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Tips for Getting Physically Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What habits should I keep up after
my baby is born? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Why should I try to return to a healthy
weight after delivery? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Be Good to Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Fit for Two
Page 4
Page 5
Introduction
Eating well can help you have a healthy pregnancy
and a healthy newborn . Being physically active may
help you have a more comfortable 9 months and
an easier delivery . Use the ideas and tips in this
booklet to improve your eating plan and become
more physically active before, during, and after your
pregnancy . Make changes now, and be
a healthy example for your family for a lifetime .
Fit for Two
1
Page 6
Healthy Eating
What is a healthy eating plan for
pregnancy?
A healthy eating plan for pregnancy includes a vari-
ety of nutrient-rich foods . In January 2005, the U .S .
Department of Health and Human Services and the
U .S . Department of Agriculture jointly released the
2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans . These new
guidelines outline recommendations
to promote health and reduce the
risk of chronic disease through
nutritious eating and physical
activity . The recommendations
include some of the nutritional
needs of pregnancy . For more
information about food groups and
nutrition values, visit:
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
How many calories should I eat?
Eating a variety of foods that provide enough calories
helps you and your baby gain the proper amount of
weight . During the first 3 months of your pregnancy,
you do not need to change the number of calories you
get from the foods you eat .
Normal-weight women need an extra 300 calories
each day during the last 6 months of pregnancy .
This totals about 1,900 to 2,500 calories a day . If you
were underweight, overweight, or obese before you
2
Fit for Two
Page 7
Healthy Eating
became pregnant, or if you are pregnant with more
than one baby, you may need a different number of
calories . Talk to your health care provider about how
much weight you should gain and how many calories
you need .
Fit for Two
3
Each of these healthy choices has about 300
calories:
•
1 cup of fat-free fruit yogurt and a
medium apple
•
1 piece of whole-wheat toast spread with
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
•
1 cup of beef and bean chili sprinkled
with 1/2 ounce of cheddar cheese (You
can also substitute various vegetables for
the beef .)
•
1 cup of raisin bran cereal with 1/2 cup of
fat-free milk and a small banana
•
3 ounces of roasted lean ham or chicken
breast and 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes
•
1 flour tortilla (7-inch), 1/2 cup of refried
beans, 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli, and
1/2 cup of cooked red peppeR