Pregnancy and Nutrition

Even before pregnancy begins, nutrition is a primary factor in the health of mother and baby. If you are eating a well-balanced diet before you become pregnant, you will only need to make a few changes to meet the nutritional needs of pregnancy.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women should increase their usual servings of a variety of foods from the four basic food groups to include the following:

• Four or more servings of fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals

• Four or more servings of whole-grain or enriched bread and cereal for energy

• Four or more servings of milk and milk products for calcium

• Three or more servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, dried beans and peas for protein

Eating a well-balanced diet while you are pregnant will help to keep you and your baby healthy. Most physicians agree that the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs), except those for iron, can be obtained through a proper diet.

The following is a chart that outlines the RDAs for by age group as well as the RDAs for pregnant women.