Eating for two: Nutritional tips for moms-to-be

Eating for two means making nutritionally sound choices, like expectant mother Jennifer Barbarino.

3:11 p.m., May 3, 2005--Ice cream sundaes and pickles. Pop-Tarts and Hash Browns. Pork rinds and Snickers bars. Food cravings and pregnancy seem to go hand in hand. But, the foods that expectant mothers desire aren’t necessarily the best nutritional choices, Sue Snider, Cooperative Extension specialist for food and nutrition, says.

Cravings are hard to ignore, but Snider says that expectant mothers should strive to eat a nutritionally balanced diet, complete with protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

“Good nutrition is very important during pregnancy,” Snider says. “It is one of the factors that increases the likelihood of having a healthy baby.”

Expectant mothers also need to remember that eating for two doesn’t mean doubling one’s calorie intake. A pregnancy takes about 300 extra calories a day to maintain. According to Snider, daily food portions should be increased to include

6 to 8 glasses of water,
6 to 11 servings of breads and other whole grains,
3 to 5 servings of vegetables,
2 to 4 servings of fruit,
4 to 6 servings of dairy or other calcium-rich foods and
3 to 4 servings of meat or other protein sources.

Some nutrients, such as the B vitamins, are especially important for the health of the baby. Folate, known in its synthetic form as folic acid, is a B vitamin that can reduce the risk of birth defects of the neural tube.

The most common of these defects is spina bifida, which results in varying degrees of paralysis, incontinence and, sometimes, mental retardation.

Because neural tube defects develop in the first 28 days after conception, it’s too late to prevent them by the time a woman learns she is pregnant. Thus, Snider recommends that all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms of folic acid each day. The Food and Drug Administration now requires that all flour-based products be fortified with extra folic acid. Green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans and citrus fruits are natural sources of folic acid. And, many fortified breakfast cereals and some vitamin supplements also contain folic acid.

Pregnant women should follow Popeye’s example and eat lots of spinach, which is rich in iron. Other good sources of iron include beef, poultry, fish, seafood and cooked dried beans. Snider says that iron is important for both the expectant mother and the developing fetus because it helps both of their bodies carry oxygen.

If an expectant mother doesn’t get enough calcium, she will suffer more than her baby does, Snider says. Adequate calcium intake will prevent the mother from losing her bone density, as the developing fetus uses the mineral for bone growth.

Calcium can be found in dairy products; dark green, leafy vegetables; and calcium-fortified orange juice. Expectant mothers who aren’t lactose intolerant should plan to enjoy milk in all its forms - poured on cereal, by the glass and as an ingredient in low-fat varieties of ice cream, yogurt and smoothies.

Snider also notes that expectant mothers should follow their doctor’s advice about nutritional supplements. “A daily vitamin supplement, while not an adequate substitute for a healthy diet, compensates for those times when the expectant mother’s diet isn’t perfect or when it is difficult to fulfill nutrient requirements through diet alone,” Snider says.

Article by Margo McDonough
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

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