Pregnancy Diet

During pregnancy it is important to eat a healthy diet for your and your baby's health. Taking prenatal vitamins, along with eating foods that are rich in folic acid, iron, and calcium, assures that you and your baby are getting the essential nutrients for a healthy pregnancy.

For the proper development of your baby's brain and spinal cord, folic acid is necessary, especially during the first three months of pregnancy. Foods that contain folic acid incude: dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, citrus fruits, and many fortified foods.
 
To help maintain your bone density during pregnancy, calcium is important, especially since your baby is using calcium for his or her own bone growth. Foods that are a good source of calcium include: cheese, yogurt, dark green leafy vegetables, and many fortified cereals and orange juice.
 
For your blood to carry oxygen, iron is needed. Since pregnancy increases your blood volume, it is important that adequate levels of iron are available. Foods rich in iron are red meat, egg yolks, dark leafy vegetables, dried fruit (prunes & raisins), iron-enriched cereals and grains, turkey, beans, and artichokes. Eating iron-rich foods with those that are rich in vitamin C will help your body better absorb iron.

Since dark green leafy vegetables contain folic acid, calcium, and iron, consider adding spinach to scrambled eggs, a banana-pineapple smoothie, and your favorite salad mix. Please note that spinach has been known to cause illness in the past from bacteria so please consult with your pregnancy doctor for advice. Most food packaging companies recommend rinsing spinach with water to wash off pesticides and any potential bacteria.

Written by Shelley Scheibel, RN, BSN

Resources:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/10-calcium-rich-foods
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/prenatal-vitamins 
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-10-iron-rich-foods