What to Eat when you’re Expecting

The Essentials
Healthy Oils/Fats

Aim for Balanced Meals

• Include whole grains (whole wheat bread or tortillas, brown rice), a variety of
colorful fruits and vegetables, protein (lean meats, beans, eggs, nuts, seafood),
and healthy oils/fats (olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, foods high in healthy fats: fish,
nuts, avocados). Use this plate as a guide for portion sizes for each food group!

Get a Sweat On

• Physical Activity is safe and encouraged for most pregnancies. Aim for around 2.5 hours or more per week of
exercises like quick walking. If you aren’t used to this, start slow and build up.

How to eat for Two

• You do not need to eat more than usual during your 1st trimester1
• Your energy needs do go up in your 2nd trimester (340 calories) and 3rd trimester (450 calories)
• You do not need to increase your food by much. For example, add 8oz fat-free milk & ½ sandwich for these
trimesters

Help Affording Balanced Meals

• MyPlate has recipes for eating healthy on a budget: https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/healthy-eating-budget

• Government programs like Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide money for healthy foods.

What to Watch Out for when Pregnant

Avoid2:

• Alcohol
• Fish that are high in mercury (King mackerel, shark, swordfish)
• Unpasteurized or Raw milk, cheeses, and juices
• Raw sprouts
• Undercooked meat and poultry
• Deli meats or cold cuts unless reheated to 165°F

Limit:

• Coffee: Talk to your doctor about safe amounts

• Saturated fat (butter, fat from beef or chicken, hidden sources: cookies, cakes)
• Added Sugars (baked goods, sugary drinks, candies, hidden sources that may seem healthy: flavored yogurts,
certain breads, salad dressings, sauces, ingredients that end in “ose” like maltose, syrups, juices)
o Check the food label for added sugars!

Final Note: Make sure to cook your foods all the way and to clean your hands and surfaces before and after cooking!
What to Get Enough of
Below are some vitamins and minerals that you need especially during pregnancy3. Eating a balanced
meal is the best way to get these nutrients. Ask your doctor or registered dietitian (RD) before taking any
supplements.

Iodine Iron Calcium Folate/Folic Acid

Iodized table salt, eggs, Animal products like chicken Milk, cheese, yogurt, dark Beans, lentils, dark green
seafood, dairy products: milk and lean meats, & plants like green leafy vegetables, leafy vegetables, and
(includes lactose free), yogurt, beans, lentils calcium-fortified foods certain breads, pastas,
kefir, cheeses like cottage dark green leafy vegetables:
spinach, romaine lettuce, bok
(tofu, soy/almond milk, rice, & corn masa flours.
cheese, Mexican cheeses,
cheddar (Don’t increase how choy, chard, cilantro, kale orange juice)
much salt you eat)

Vitamin D Vitamin C Choline Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Egg yolk, fortified milk (dairy Citrus fruits, tomatoes, Eggs, dairy and soy Fish, shellfish, eggs,
and non-dairy), oily fish, broccoli, strawberries products, peanuts, and flaxseed, broccoli,
mushrooms, fortified orange walnuts, spinach
juice
beef liver

Pregnancy Complications
Pregnancy Complications

Tips for Morning Sickness4

• Drink water and fluids to rehydrate

• If water makes you sick, try water-rich foods (grapes, cucumbers, melons, popsicles) or flavor your
water with orange or lemon slices
• Limit or avoid foods that make you feel sick
• Eat as soon as you feel hungry. Do not delay it! Snacking and smaller meals are often easier to handle.
• Try carbonated drinks like seltzer or ginger ale, ginger chews, candies, and tea for an upset stomach
• See if you can tolerate bland foods like crackers or oatmeal
• Brush your teeth after you eat
• If you are throwing up every day, losing weight, or your urine is darker and less often, call your doctor.

Gestational Diabetes or GDM

What is it? High blood sugar that happens during pregnancy 5

Why is it Bad? Higher birth weight and early delivery for baby. Risk of getting Type 2 diabetes in the future for both mom
and baby.

Risks Factors for GDM

• People who are overweight or obese
• Have family history of Type 2 diabetes
• Older than 25 years old
• People who are Hispanic/Latino, Asian, African American, Pacific Islander, or Native American
• Have history of high blood sugar

How to Lower Risks

• Aim to be at a healthy weight before getting pregnant.
• Exercise during pregnancy as recommended by doctor
• Have your doctor test you for GDM between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy
o If you are at higher risk, get screened by your doctor at the beginning of your pregnancy
• If you already have GDM, work with an RD to build a healthy meal plan and manage your blood
sugar.

1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, May 26). Weight Gain During Pregnancy. Reproductive Health. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-weight-gain.htm
2
FoodSafety.gov. (2020, September 25). People at Risk: Pregnant Women. https://www.foodsafety.gov/
3
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020, December). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. DietaryGuidelines.gov
4
Medline Plus. (2021, October 8). Hyperemesis gravidarum. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001499.htm
5
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, August 10). Gestational Diabetes. Diabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/gestational.html