Eating Healthy for Pregnancy

Eating healthy foods can help you have a healthy baby. You only need about 300 extra calories per day for your growing baby. So, eat smart and make healthy food choices.

Examples of healthy foods

• Whole grain bread
• High fiber cereal
• Whole grain pasta
• Raw or cooked vegetables
• Vegetable juice
• Fresh or frozen fruit
• Low fat or skim milk
• Plain yogurt
• Cheese
• Peanut butter
• Nuts and seeds
• Lean meat, poultry, or fish
• Eggs

Here are some tips to make healthy eating easier:

• Make more than you need and freeze the extra for future meals. Also freeze unused vegetables and spices like onion, garlic, peppers, parsley, and greens.
• Keep staple foods on hand at home. These are foods that you can use for almost any meal such as: beans, rice, pasta, frozen vegetables, pasta sauce, and peanut butter.
• Eat 4-6 smaller meals a day instead of 3 big ones. For snacks, you can eat cheese, vegetables, fruit, and peanut butter.
• Drink at least six 8-ounce glasses of water every day.

Eating healthy foods should give you all the nutrients you need during pregnancy. Taking prenatal vitamins along with eating healthy foods can help you get the nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy.