5 Principals of Healthy Eating in Pregnancy

From conflicting advice online, to unclear medical guidelines, to judgmental looks from strangers in restaurants, feeding yourself in pregnancy can be stressful & overwhelming. Take some of the pressure off with these 5 basic principals.

The following principals are meant to provide you with a more functional and down-to-earth approach to eating in your pregnancy. Rather than trying to calculate and adhere to specific amounts of micro-nutrients, or follow a restrictive and unrealistic diet plan that doesn't fit the reality of your life, these guidelines are meant to be flexible, so that you can make them your own and use them to work for you, rather than against you. It is my hope that these principals empower and inspire you to improve your health, and take some of the guilt out of the process of feeding yourself throughout pregnancy. Remember, you don't need to have a "perfect" diet to be able to nourish yourself or your baby. Just making a few small changes can have a big impact!

Principal #1: Eat lots of fruits and veggies

So what quantifies "lots" exactly? Ideally, it means having a fruit or veggie with each meal or snack you eat, or around 3-6 servings per day. A serving size of veggies is approximately 1 cup (or a generous handful). This goes for both cooked and raw veggies. However, a serving of leafy greens (like lettuce or spinach or kale) is more like 2 cups (or two big handfuls). A serving size of fruit is medium piece of fruit (like an apple, pear or banana), or about a cup (or handful) or berries or chopped fruit. Its also about 1/4-1/2 cup (1/2 handful) of dried fruits.

Now, if eating this amount seems like a stretch to you, don't sweat it! Just do the best you can. Simply increasing your intake of fruits and veggies by any amount will provide a boost to your nutrition. Looking for some tips on how to get more fruits & veggies in your diet? Post on this topic coming soon!

Principal #2: Balance your eating schedule

In pregnancy it is important to be mindful not only of the foods you eat, but also to your eating pattern throughout the day.

You might be familiar with this advice. Since our metabolism changes dramatically in pregnancy, eating smaller portions more frequently can have a huge impact on your nutritional status as well on the way you feel. This can however be a big lifestyle change. Here are a few tips & tricks on how integrate this concept in real life:

• Don't skip breakfast: maybe it's not the most important meal of the day, but eating something in the morning is a crucial habit during pregnancy. Skipping the day's first meal may not only leave you vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, but it may also have a dysregulating effect on your hormones and blood sugar. If you're not super hungry in the morning, or find yourself needing to rush out the door, you can keep it simple, just try to get something in.

• Have healthy snacks on hand: make it easy for yourself by buying a few nourishing snacks to that you grab and eat without putting in a lot of effort. For example:

- Stock nuts, nut butters, cheese sticks, Greek yogurt, fruit & popcorn at home

- Bring snacks with you when you go out, like trail mix or cheese crisps

- Leave snacks at work or in your car for yourself

• Split your meals into more than 1 serving: as mentioned before, you can simply eat half or two-thirds of your meal and come back to the rest in a few hours. This can help to reduce bloating & nausea and also improve your assimilation of nutrients. It also cuts back on meal planning and prep! For example- say you have a bagel for breakfast. Try having half the bagel at first (maybe topped with some cucumber slices and sesame seeds for added protein and fiber), and then eat the other half a little bit later when your feeling hungry again.

• Its OK to have a snack in the middle of the night: although it sounds cliché, keeping a stash of quality crackers (like Mary's Gone Crackers brand) or nuts by your bed and have a few bites at night can help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Just make sure you chew really well to avoid heartburn!

Principal #3: Focus on Protein

The amount of protein that pregnancy people need increases rather dramatically after the first trimester and peaks in the third trimester. Protein provides the building blocks for new cell growth for both you and baby. It is essential for the healthy development of nearly all structures in the body.

Although advise varies, most experts agree that 75-100 grams of protein daily is ideal in pregnancy. If you're someone who likes having specific number to work with, you can determine your approximate protein needs with this calculation: 1.1 grams protein x your weight in kilograms per day.

I personally think it's easier to think in terms of real food rather than in numbers and calories. As a general rule of thumb you, try to get in a protein source every time you have a meal or snack. If you're looking for some more info on this topic, check out my post on meeting your protein needs in pregnancy (coming soon!).

Principal #4: Opt for high-fiber carbs

Although they get a bad wrap sometimes, carbs are an important part of your diet in pregnancy. However, heavily processed starches often fill you up without offering you much nutritional value. They also tend to have less fiber, which means they often lead spikes in your blood sugar, as well as constipation.

Of all the recommendations on this list, I think might be the hardest one for most folks. Quick, convent carbs are just a part of culture and lifestyle. ***

Principal #5: Add in healthy fats

Healthy fats are an important part of a healthy diet in pregnancy. Not only are fats critical for the absorption of certain vitamins, they are also needed for the production of hormones and for the development of the fetal brain. While the science behind what constitutes a "healthy" fat is actually somewhat controversial (especially when it comes to pregnancy), we do know for certain that Omega-3 type fats are really important in pregnancy.

What are some good sources of omega -3 fats?

• Fish, like salmon, halibut, light tuna, sardines, pollock and anchovies

• Shellfish, like shrimp, oysters, clams and mussels

• Anchovies (great on salads, in dressing or on pizza and pasta dishes)

• Eggs

• Seeds, like flax, chia, hemp and sesame

• Nuts- walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans

• Fatty fruits and veggies like avocado and olives

• Seed and veggie oils- like olive oil, sesame oil and avocado oil

• Seaweed & spiriulina

• Edamame or kidney beans

What about safety in regards to eating fish in pregnancy?

It is recommended that pregnant people avoid certain types of seafoods due to the potential risk for heavy metal contamination; all the other forms of fish and shellfish are not only considered fine, but are in fact an excellent source of nutrition for you and your growing baby. According to the American College or Nurse Midwives (2010) you should avoid eating the following seafood on a regular basis during pregnancy:

• Swordfish

• Tilefish (aka golden bass or golden snapper)

• King and Spanish Mackerel

• Shark

• Tuna steaks

• Marlin

• Orange roughy

Tips & Tricks to add Omega-3 fats to your diet

• Eat seafood a few times per week: although it sometimes gets a bad wrap, most seafood is actually completely safe, and even a great choice in pregnancy. In fact, if your looking to increase your healthy fats, fish is probably the most effective way to do so. So if your a fan of salmon, shrimp or light tuna- enjoy!

• Have nuts and seeds on a regular basis: adding nut butter to your toast, smoothies or oats, sprinkling seeds on your salads or just eating a handful of nuts are a few easy and budget friendly ways to increase your healthy fat intake.

• Enjoy eggs: Eggs are a naturally rich in healthy fats, as well as protein and many vitamins, making them a near perfect food for pregnancy. Don't be shy about eating eggs on a daily basis while you're pregnant.

• Add in avocados: although they can sometime be pricey, avocados are a wonderful food for pregnancy. Not only do they provide a great source of healthy fats, but they are also packed with vitamins and fiber. Here are a few great avo hacks from BuzzFeed about how to preserve, ripen and use avocados: https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/genius-avocado-hacks

• Use sesame oil: cooking with oils that contain omega-3s when possible can provide you with a good boost of healthy fats. If you're looking for some more info on how to integrate sesame oil into your life, here is a great article from Mater Class: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-how-to-cook-with-sesame-oil-11-sesame-oil-recipe-ideas#11-sesame-oil-recipe-ideas.

• Make your own dressing with olive oil: another way to use more healthy oils is by making your own dressing rather than buying it at the store. When I first started doing this I was shocked at home easy it was, and how superior the taste was. Here is nice recipe for making your olive oil-based vinaigrette from Cookie and Kate: https://cookieandkate.com/how-to-make-vinaigrette-plus-variations/

Putting it all together

I hope you find these 5 basic principals of healthy eating in pregnancy to be useful and practical. I'll be working on more posts to support you in incorporating these ideas into real life, such as meal planner templates, and more tips, tricks and posts on managing gestational diabetes, nausea and anemia. As I wrote at the beginning of this post, these 5 principals are meant to give you support and inspiration through your pregnancy journey. As you move forward, here are a few last thoughts to help you put it all together into practice:

• Small changes can have a big impact- Pick one or two new things to try that sound like they would be healthy and realistic for you. Small modifications are all most of us need to have a big effect on our nutritional status.

• Do the best you can with what you got- Many of our dietary practices are direct results of the world in which we live. Our society and culture create barriers to healthy eating that may simply be beyond our control. There's no need to feel guilty or put yourself down; stay positive and know that you are doing the best you can for your body and your baby.

• Use your intuition- both pregnancy and eating are normal, natural processes. No one can tell you exactly how to do them. Listen to your body and choose options that feel right to you. When in doubt, try to keep your diet as close to nature as possible.

• Look at the big picture- no need to sweat the details. There's a lot of pressure put on pregnant people to be perfect, but in all honestly you don't need to have a ¨perfect¨ diet to have a healthy baby.