Diets for Pregnant Moms

Pregnant women are not encouraged to diet. In fact, most women are advised to eat healthy, well-balanced diets. Fruits and vegetables and lots of water consumption is a good start. Chicken, some fish and other lean meats are also good choices for a woman with a growing baby to worry about.

Baby's Energy Source

• It's important to remember that all of the food that goes into your body is also benefiting (or not benefiting) the baby. Pregnant women are responsible for what they give their baby and how healthy the baby is in the long run. It's true that there are some things we can't control when it comes to the baby's health, but we can control what goes into our mouths. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is definitely the way to go for most pregnant women. Getting enough folic acid during pregnant is also important. Folic acid can help prevent birth defects in babies.

  According to Canadian researcher Louise Pilote of McGill University in Montreal, fortifying flour products with folic acid may help reduce the number of babies who are born with congenital heart disease, which is the most common of all birth defects.

Additional Protein and Calcium During Pregnancy

• It's important for women to get enough calcium and protein during pregnancy. These vitamins are essential to the baby's development and growth. Look for foods that naturally have protein and calcium, such as eggs, milk, spinach, soybean, meat, fish, whole grains, rice, beans, legumes, corn, oats, peas and peanut butter.

Avoid Eating for Two

• Many pregnant women think that they must eat as if they are eating for two grown adults, but this just isn't a wise idea. During pregnancy, women only need to eat an additional 200 to 300 calories a day for the growing baby, not an additional 2,000. An extra 200 to 300 calories is equivalent to drinking a cup of reduced-fat milk or eating a cup of low-fat yogurt. For many women, this information puts a whole new spin on things.

  According to researcher Alison Stuebe at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, pregnant women should avoid eating for two because additional weight gain has been linked to birth defects. In fact, pregnant women who consumed a diet full of fried foods and whole dairy products, are more likely to gain as much as 35 additional pounds during pregnancy.

  Women who are under the impression that they must gain 30 to 40 pounds during pregnancy are under the wrong impression -- according to the Institute of Medicine, only underweight women should gain this amount of weight. The Institute of Medicine recommends a weight gain of only 25 to 35 pounds.

Foods to Avoid

• Sticking to a pregnancy-safe diet during pregnancy is important. We read a lot about the good things we're supposed to eat while we're pregnant, but not nearly enough information is available about what we shouldn't eat. Avoid eating raw meat, such as sushi, seafood or rare, uncooked beef, poultry or pork. Raw eggs are also a no-no, as well as foods that contain raw eggs, such as mayonnaise and Caesar dressing. Soft cheese, like blue cheese and feta cheese should also be avoided.

  Pregnant women should also avoid eating fish that contain high contents of mercury, such as mackerel and swordfish. Some fish also carry high levels of an industrial pollutant, referred to as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Such fish include farmed salmon and trout. These fish should also be avoided in large amounts, during pregnancy. Pregnant women should opt for wild salmon instead.