Pregnancy Eats Plan

The reason I started this blog over 2 years ago was to become a healthier me. I haven’t really touched on that subject since my “announcement” of baby on the way! When I first found out I was pregnant I was very strict with my eats. I basically ate like I was on WW, just a little extra.

Then came the cruise…of course on vacation I enjoyed all the different eats the ship had to offer, but it didn’t stop there.

The next weekend we made a 10+ hour trip for a family wedding. I ate all the “no no” quick snacks from gas stations on the way there & back (think donuts, ice cream, etc). Wedding cake, anyone?

Then it was Christmas. We all know there is always a surplus of food at Christmas.

 

And lastly New Years!

 

Now I wasn’t eating horrible the entire month, but not what I needed nutritionally. One of the first things I did when I found out I was pregnant was researching what the eating guidelines were. I vowed to have a healthy pregnancy, not only for me, but baby too. Somehow in the month of December, I lost sight of that.

Aware of what I let get slightly out of hand, I’m making a change! I’m going to continue to use this blog as a tool to track   my eats, just a little differently! In the past I’ve always counted points. I think the majority of us know when WW finds out you’re pregnant, you are kicked out! In my research I’ve found while pregnant it’s important to focus on nutrition rather than counting calories, fat, points, etc. So that’s just what I’m going to do. Here is a summary of the recommended serving/day of each item:

• Whole Grains and Legumes (6 + servings)
  Example: 1/2c brown rice, whole-grain bread/cereal, 1 oz whole-wheat pasta, pita, tortilla, beans, peanuts, peas, 1 c oatmeal
• Calcium (4 servings, 1200 mg total)
  Example: 1c milk, 1/2c hard cheese, 1c yogurt, edamame, sesame seeds, calcium-fortified juice
• Yellow, Green and Leafy Veggies and Fruits (3-4 servings)
  Example: winter squash, 1/2c broccoli, 1/2 carrot, 1/2 sm. sweet potato, apricot, mango, 1/2c cantaloupe, 1 lg peach, 1 clementine
• Other Veggies and Fruits (1-2 servings)
  Example: green bean, zucchini, corn, potato, apple, pear, banana, cherry
• Vitamin C (3 servings)
  Example: 1/2 med orange, kiwi, strawberry, peach, 1/2c cantaloupe/honeydew, 1/2c broccoli, cauliflower, 1/2c pineapple
• Protein (3 servings, 75g total)
  Example: poultry, beef, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, beans, 1c. cottage cheese, edamame, 3-8oz glasses milk
• Iron (3 servings)
  Example: beef, duck, spinach, dried fruit, beans, soy products, pumpkin seeds, barley, oat bran, baked potato w/skin
• Fats (roughly 4 servings)
  Example: peanut butter, sour cream, cream cheese, salad dressing, olive oil, butter, mayonnaise
• Daily Prenatal Vitamin
• Fluids (at least 64 ounces)
  Example: water, juice, milk
• Note: the examples are things that I eat/like. I don’t consider myself picky, but I’m not a fan of lettuce and a few other things I took off the list. If you’re looking for more examples I recommend checking the book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”. They had great examples.

I think a lot of these foods look quite familiar, WW good health guidelines anyone?!?! So instead of totaling my “points” each day I’m going to calculate my daily nutritionally servings. Now, yes I know there are a lot, but I’m going to try to keep it somewhat simple. For example, use this as a guide when I make my grocery list.

This is Christmas day, I was 15 weeks.

Hope you’re on board to follow me while I strive to have a healthy pregnancy, ending with a healthy baby!