Daily Food Guide During Pregnancy
The average weight gain during pregnancy is 25 – 45 pounds. You should not diet during pregnancy. It is best to follow the guidelines below. Because you need extra calories and nutrients to help your baby’s growth and development, you should have at least the number of servings shown.
FOOD GROUP | EXAMPLES | SERVINGS | 1 SERVING EQUALS | COMMENTS |
Grains | Whole wheat bread, cereal, brown rice, & pasta | 6-11 | One slice of bread, one cup cooked rice, & one cup cooked pasta | |
Fruit | Apples, oranges, pears, nectarines, bananas, etc. | 2 | One whole raw fruit or ½ cup cooked or chopped fruit | Include a juice or fruit rich in vitamin C (ex. Orange) |
Vegetables | Lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, & avocados | 3 | One cup of raw, leafy vegetables | Choose a variety, such as dark-green leafy, yellow, starchy and legumes (beans) |
Protein | Meat, fish and dried beans | 3-4 | 2-3 ounces of lean meat, poultry, fish or one egg | If you are a vegetarian, eat eggs, tofu, soy products and dry beans & nuts |
Milk | Low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese | 3-4 | One cup of milk or yogurt or two 1-inch cubes of cheese | Choose low fat, skim items if possible. You need 1,200 mg of Calcium daily from diet or calcium supplements |
- Drink 8 – 10 cups of fluids daily (mainly water, but some juice is OK).
- No need to avoid but limit:
- The amount of fat to <30% of your daily calories
- High-fat foods (butter, sour cream, salad dressing)
- Sweets & caffeine-containing beverages like coffee, tea and cola
- AVOID:
- Raw or undercooked meat, poultry and seafood
- Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish and fresh tuna (due to high mercury content)
- Canned albacore (“white”) tuna
- Unpasteurized milk products and unpasteurized juices
- Soft cheese (feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, brie, camembert) unless it is labeled as “MADE WITH PASTEURIZED MILK.”
- Refrigerated pate, meat spreads from a meat counter or smoked seafood found in the refrigerated section of the store.
- Salads made in the store (i.e. chicken salad, egg salad or seafood salad)
- Herbal supplements