It may seem overwhelming that you just found out you’re pregnant. Along with the fact, that the doctors tell you it is time to start eating a healthier more nutritious diet. The thought of having to invent some kind of pregnancy menu or pregnancy diet may seem too hard a challenge to take on. But you’re pregnant now, and your baby’s health comes first. Coming up with a good pregnancy menu is easier than you think.
The first hurdle to overcome isn’t about exactly what to eat but more how you look at food. First consider everything you eat as a “pregnancy food” or not. Most sodas full of caffeine or candy bars loaded with sugar are going to fall on the side of NOT “pregnancy food”. Getting in the habit of looking at all food that way will go a long way in understanding how you can best help the nutritional development of your baby.
Thinking that you only eat breakfast at breakfast time for dinner at dinnertime limits your choices. Making something for dinner last night that was healthy, nutritious and “pregnant-wise” would be just as nutritionally sound to eat for breakfast this morning as it was to eat at dinner last night. And likewise, having an egg omelet with a whole-wheat English muffin for dinner is just as “pregnant-wise”.
But were already getting ahead of ourselves, because when you are developing a healthy pregnancy menu plan you should consider eating five or six smaller meals then three average size meals each day. This will eliminate the peaks and valleys of your blood sugar levels and can help stabilize your emotions. Additionally, it’s good for the baby that you are always replenishing your own nutrients while you are both using them up throughout the day.
When thinking of pregnancy foods, or foods you can eat that are good for the healthy growth of your baby, don’t just think of meals. There are many pregnancy snacks available in the marketplace, or those you can make on your own with pregnancy recipes or those found online. Just as important as how many times during the day you eat is what you eat.
Make sure when developing your pregnancy menu that you select a balanced amount of each food group based on the food pyramid.
Your pregnancy menu should be based on calorie count. It is important to maintain a calorie count of the intake of food you eat each day to be between 2000 – 2400 calories, four any woman about 5’4″ tall and weighs between 125 pounds to 155 pounds and averages about 30 min. of exercise per day, just in the first trimester of her pregnancy.
Be aware that you are eating for two, and as your pregnancy moves along from the first trimester to the last trimester your body will be demanding additional food. Instead of giving in to your cravings learn to understand them and attempt to figure out what it is your body is asking for. By staying on a well-balanced “pregnancy-wise” nutritional diet you will keep these cravings to a minimum, simply because you are giving your body what it requires to replenish the nutrients you and your baby are using.
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