5. Powerful Protein
Protein is a powerful macronutrient.
During pregnancy, protein provides the material needed for the physical
growth and cellular development of the growing baby. Protein is also
needed to build the mother’s placenta, amniotic tissue, and other
maternal tissues. A woman’s blood volume increases by almost 50 percent
during pregnancy, and additional protein is needed to produce those new
blood cells.
A low protein intake during
pregnancy can increase the risk of having a low birth-weight baby. These
babies are more prone to health problems and learning disabilities
later in life.
During your pregnancy, you need
slightly more protein than you did before, and during breastfeeding your
needs will continue to increase.
The body does not store protein, so
you must consume a continuous supply. You need about 10 extra grams of
protein from your extra daily calories, or 60 grams of protein daily,
compared with the 50 grams a non-pregnant woman requires. Women
expecting multiple babies may need more. Here are some examples of where
you might find an extra 10 grams of protein:
• In a 1.5-ounce serving of lean meat
• In about 10 ounces of fat-free milk
• In 1.5 ounces of canned tuna in water
Most women do
not have a problem meeting their protein requirements. Eating plenty of
lean meat, fish, eggs, legumes, and dried beans as well as increasing
your dairy servings will ensure you meet your protein needs. If you are a
vegetarian and consume plenty of legumes, grain products, vegetables,
fruits, and soy foods, you should not have a problem consuming the
recommended amount of protein.
6. Face the Fat
Fat is an important nutrient that
sometimes gets a bad rap. Its major functions in the body include
providing an energy source, aiding in the absorption and transport of
the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, cushioning organs, and
regulating body temperature. All women, pregnant or not, should get 20
to 35 percent of their calories from fat. Fat can be dangerous to health
if consumed in excess or if the wrong kinds of fat are eaten. It is
important to include fat in your daily diet but in moderation. Fat is a
very concentrated source of calories. A gram of fat has 9 calories,
twice as many as a gram of carbohydrates or protein (both of which
contain 4 calories per gram). A small amount of fat can go a long way!
How Many Fats Are There?
There are different types of
triglycerides, or dietary fats. Some of these fats are more harmful than
others. The major kinds of fats in the foods we eat are saturated,
polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans-fatty acids or hydrogenated
fats. The unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) are
referred to as the “healthy” fats. These fats can help to lower
cholesterol levels, and they also have heart-protective factors. Most of
the fat in your diet should be unsaturated.
Sources of monounsaturated fats
include certain plant-based oils, such as olive, canola, and peanut.
Avocados are also good sources of monounsaturated fats. Sources of
polyunsaturated fats include certain other plant-based oils such as
corn, cottonseed, safflower, sunflower, sesame, and soybean. Nuts and
seeds are also good sources. This group also includes the omega-3 fatty
acids found in some fish. There are two polyunsaturated essential fatty
acids that your body does not make and you must get from the food you
consume. These two fatty acids are linoleic acid (or omega-6) and
linolenic acid (or omega-3).
Eating a totally fat-free diet is
not part of a healthy eating style. Fat is an essential nutrient, and
some fats—such as omega-3 fatty acids—are necessary for certain parts of
a baby’s development. A totally fat-free diet may also fail to provide
sufficient calories.
Saturated fats and trans-fatty acids
tend to increase blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to health
problems such as heart disease and stroke. The major sources of
saturated fat are animal foods such as meat, poultry, and whole-milk
dairy products. However, some plant sources also provide saturated fat,
including palm, palm kernel, and coconut oils. Food that contains
trans-fats includes some margarines, cookies, crackers, and other
commercial baked goods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils,
as well as French fries, donuts, and other commercial fried foods.
Slash the Fat
Fat is definitely a needed nutrient
in a healthy diet. The problem is that most Americans consume too much
and the wrong kinds. Don’t cut fat completely out of your diet, but it
is important to cut back and to choose the right types. This means
lowering your intake of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. You
should also lower your blood cholesterol or maintain it at safe levels
as a way of decreasing your risk for heart disease. You can cut the fat
and cholesterol from your meals without losing any flavor. For example,
try using egg whites or egg substitute in place of whole eggs. Choose
leaner meats, cook with skinless poultry and fish, or occasionally opt
for a vegetarian meal with beans or soy products as your main protein
source. Read the nutrition facts panel to keep an eye on your daily
intake of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
Cholesterol
is not the same as fat. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance, but it has a
different structure and different functions in the body than fat does.
Because cholesterol provides no energy to the body, it has no calories.
7. Apply the Brakes on Sugar
How bad is sugar? In moderation, it
can be part of a healthy diet. Sugar belongs to the carbohydrate group,
which also includes starches and fibers. Natural sugars are found in
fruit (in the form of fructose) and milk (as lactose). Sugar becomes a
dietary culprit when it is added to other foods (usually processed
items). Major sources of added sugar are those found in soft drinks,
candy, pastries, cookies, ice cream, and other sweets. Although the body
does not know the difference between sugar and complex carbohydrates,
most sugars are referred to as “empty calories” because they provide
calories but very little or no nutritional value. Satisfy your sweet
tooth, but do it in moderation.
How Much Is Too Much?
The typical American diet is packed
with too much sugar, and nutrition experts agree that Americans need to
cut back. The idea behind a healthy pregnancy diet is to eat foods that
really count toward your nutritional intake. Eating too many sugary
foods means lots of extra calories and very little nutrition. Eating too
many of these foods also tends to bump out the more nutritious foods
that you should be choosing. Foods with lots of added sugar should only
be occasional treats, not regular snacks.
Though there is no established
recommended daily allowance (RDA) for sugar, you should concentrate of
getting the bulk of your carbohydrates from complex sources—such as
breads, rice, and pasta—and most of your simple carbohydrates from
fruits and dairy products, which also contain vitamins, minerals, and
fiber.
Sweet, Sweet Food Labels
The FDA requires sugar content to be
included on all nutrition facts panels. The panel lists total
carbohydrates and sugar in terms of grams per serving. Sugar is part of
the total carbohydrate amount that is listed. If you purchase a food
with added sugar, make sure it also provides plenty of nutrients such as
vitamins and minerals, and fiber.
When checking the ingredient labels
on packaged food, you will find all types of sweeteners listed. The
suffix “-ose” (fructose, sucrose, lactose) indicates that an ingredient
is a form of sugar. Look for these other ingredients that indicate added
sugar: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, fruit juice
concentrate, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose,
molasses, and raw sugar.
If you see a nutritional claim with
the word “sugar” on the front of a packaged label, it is important to
understand what that claim means.
| What It Says
| What It Means |
| Calorie-free
| Less than 5 calories
|
| Sugar-free
| Less than 0.5 grams sugar per serving
|
| Reduced sugar or less sugar
| At least 25% less* sugar or sugars per serving |
| No added sugars, without added sugars, no sugar
| No sugars added during processing or packing, including ingredients that contain sugar such as juice or dry fruit
|
*As compared with a standard serving size of the traditional food.
Use these
guidelines to help you choose foods wisely to ensure you’re getting the
nutrition you need to help grow a healthy baby.
