If you are on the pregnancy roller coaster ride, your relationship with food has become interesting at best. One minute you’re starving; the next, you’re nauseated. Your cravings turn you into a ferocious monster. Keep yourself and your baby healthy with a solid meal plan to overcome the battle.
Function
According to an Indiana University Center for Sports Medicine document, “Exercise in Pregnancy,” you need an average of 300 more calories per day throughout your pregnancy. Not only is your new little life growing and burning his own calories inside you, but also your body is going through its own changes. As your breasts produce milk and your body gains weight, you need those extra calories. During this time, you get to consider consciously how you are going to get those calories.
Types
Those 300 extra calories should come from nutritious sources, to fill your body and your baby’s body with vitamins and minerals. Your baby is already demanding, even if he is just a few inches long. He is already developing teeth and bones and is moving around. If you don’t eat the proper nutrients, the baby will absorb them from your body, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Sources
For that extra snack or small meal per day, eat items that are full of calcium, folic acid, protein and iron, essential nutrients in a pregnant woman’s diet. Look to low-fat dairy items, green vegetables and soy items for these nutrients. Maybe that pickle can come with soy milk or tofu ice cream. During your 11th week, you may still suffer morning sickness. Try to eat bread or whole grain crackers to settle your stomach.
Considerations
Many pregnant women wish to continue exercising during pregnancy. Although you may not be able to perform at your maximum pace, you will still be burning calories, ones that you and your baby need to grow. Take into consideration how many calories you expel during your workout and make sure you are eating the amount you need normally, plus 300 more. This isn’t the time to diet. It’s the time to gain weight. If your morning sickness has caused vomiting, keep yourself hydrated. Drink milk or low-sugar juices to get some nutrients.
Warning
Each pregnant woman’s case is different. Depending on how much you weighed before pregnancy, how much you work out and whether you have any complications, the number of calories you need each day may differ. Talk with your doctor about what and how much you should be eating.
Photo Credit
- pregnant #3 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
