Nutrition

Organic vegetables have lower levels of pesticides than conventionally grown food. Pesticides can be associated with infertility, miscarriage, autoimmune disorders and other health problems. Organic locally grown vegetables are available at farmers markets during the spring/summer/fall seasons and at most grocery stores. 

Organic veggies can be more expensive, so note that it's always better to eat non-organic fruits and veggies than to not eat them at all! If you are on a budget, and plan to choose some organic foods, there are some fruits and vegetables that are more important to eat organic. The following fruits and veggies are higher in pesticides: 

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Nectarines

4. Apples

5. Peaches

6. Pears

7. Cherries

8. Grapes

9. Celery

10. Tomatoes

11. Sweet bell peppers

12. Potatoes

Keep in mind that fruits and veggies with thicker skins or things that you peel are less important to eat organic. 

If organic veggies aren’t an option due to cost, wash carefully before eating.  

If you find a sale on organic produce, many things can be frozen and used at a later time. 

Meat, fish, eggs and dairy contain essential nutrients like vitamin B12, zinc and iron. They are important parts of a balanced diet of whole foods. There are many options for selecting meats/eggs/dairy, and these items can vary widely in cost. Purchasing organic meat/eggs/dairy  or “grass fed” is often more expensive, but since it is so widely available, it’s possible to find good sales to help with cost. 

Where can I find organic food and pasture raised meat/dairy:

Grass fed meat, dairy and organic foods can be found at Target, Aldi, Giant Eagle, The East End Food Co-op, Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Wal-Mart, Costco and Sams Club. Pretty much everywhere! There are also online services that deliver to your house and some good deals can be found! 

Organic veggies are found pretty much everywhere as well. Farmers markets are found all over the city. All farmers’ markets accept food stamps (SNAP), credit and debit cards as part of Just Harvest’s Fresh Access program.  For every $5 spent in food stamps, receive an extra $2 to spend on produce. For more information, see https://www.justharvest.org/fresh-access/

Local CSAs are options for local farm fresh foods to be delivered to your home or a delivery spot near your house. Usually these are seasonal subscriptions, although some go all year. 

Learn more about Eating Fish safely in pregnancy.

Carbohydrates resemble long chains of different types of sugar all linked together. These links are then broken down into glucose that provides energy to the cells. There are two main types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into sugar, and that is how they increase blood sugar. 

Some carbohydrates will affect your blood sugar more than others.  “Low glycemic” foods do not have as much of an effect on your blood sugar. “High glycemic” foods will increase your blood sugar more. Blood sugar balance during pregnancy will help you to feel more even energy and avoid the crashes of low blood sugar. Balance will also help you to grow a healthy sized baby and reduce your risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, gallbladder disease in pregnancy and excessive weight gain. 

It is important that you build your diet around healthy proteins, vegetables, fats, and then add in low-glycemic carbohydrates. When you build your plate, about ¼ of it should be healthy carbohydrates, think low glycemic index foods. It is not necessary to count your carbohydrates each day, but if you were, a goal would be to consume around 175g of carbohydrates or less. 

Examples of low glycemic index foods (low impact on blood sugar):

• Oatmeal

• Fiber one

• Apples

• Blueberries

• Grapefruit

• Blackberries

• Strawberries

• Black eyed peas

• Chick peas

• Kidney, pinto, lima beans

• Asparagus

• Avocado

• Cucumber

• Spinach

• Lettuce 

• Tomatoes

• Zucchini

• Onions

• Barley

• Wild rice

• Wheat pasta or tortilla

• Nuts, olives and oils

• Dairy, fish, meat, soy and eggs

Examples of high glycemic index foods (higher impact on blood sugar)

• Cheerios

• Raisin bran

• Sugary cereals

• Watermelon

• Bananas

• Soda

• Juice

• Potatoes

• Corn

• Most breads

• Candy 

• Crackers

• Chips

• Cookies

• Pretzels

• Pop tarts

• Cakes

• Teriyaki meats and veggies

• Rice

• Sugar

Protein is the building block of life! Amino acids found in protein are necessary for building new cells. There are about 20 different amino acids.  Some foods, called complete proteins have all twenty of these amino acids. 

Examples of complete proteins are meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.  Foods that encompass some of these amino acids are called incomplete proteins. Examples of incomplete proteins include beans/legumes, nuts, and seeds. 

Your body’s demands for protein increase as your pregnancy progresses. A helpful goal is 80g/day in the first half of your pregnancy and 100g/day in the second half of your pregnancy.

When you build your plate, ¼ of your plate should be protein. 

Your body’s needs for fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients increase through your pregnancy. For instance, Vitamin A and choline are essential to your developing baby’s brain, lungs, heart, and spinal cord. When cooking vegetables, add butter or coconut/olive oil to your food for better absorption. 

As you may have noticed above, several great sources of protein also include fat in them (as long as they weren’t processed to remove the fat).  This is by no accident. 

The quality of fat in your diet is important. Choose fats coming from animals, dairy (if you tolerate it), and plant fats such as avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, nuts, and seeds.  

Try to limit or avoid fats that are highly processed such as vegetable oils (i.e. corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, canola oil).  There doesn’t need to be a specific goal for fat intake. If you are meeting your minimum protein requirements and not over-consuming carbohydrates, you are likely meeting your fat intake needs. 

Fish and shellfish are excellent sources of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and many micronutrients. However, pregnant people should not eat certain kinds of fish because they contain high levels of a form of mercury that can be harmful to the developing fetus. You should avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish during pregnancy. Common types of fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna (not albacore, which has a higher mercury content), salmon, pollock, and catfish.  It may be reassuring to hear that many fish are also high in selenium, which is a mineral that binds with mercury, preventing it from having toxic effects. 

A study of more than 12,000 pregnant people found that maternal fish consumption during pregnancy was strongly linked to a higher childhood IQ and communication skills. 

Folate (L-methylfolate) is an essential B vitamin (Vitamin B9) to those of child-bearing age.  Folic acid is the synthetic form often found in prenatal vitamins. Folate is the active form which is better absorbed and utilized by the body. In pregnancy you need 400-600mcgs/day. Most prenatal vitamins contain this amount. 

People who have had a child with a neural tube defect or who are taking certain drugs need much higher doses of folic acid - 4 milligrams daily. People who need 4 milligrams should take folic acid as a separate supplement, not as part of a multivitamin. 

Sources of Folate:

• Green leafy vegetables

• Legumes

• Liver

• Avocados

• Eggs

• Nuts

• Seeds

This is one type of omega-3 fat and it plays an important role in your baby’s brain and vision development.  It also protects the growing baby’s brain from inflammation. It is important to continue to ensure adequate DHA through breastfeeding as the fat plays a crucial role those first two years of life.  

Sources of DHA:

• Herring

• Salmon (wild Alaskan salmon will have lower levels of mercury and contaminants) 

• Sardines

• Eggs

• Flax seeds

• Chia seeds

• Walnuts

Please note that plant-based sources of Omega-3’s are not easily converted into the brain-boosting DHA.  If you consume a low-seafood, vegetarian, or vegan diet, you should add a DHA supplement. An algae-based DHA supplement is best for those to who do not consume animal products. 

Vitamin B12 has a very important role in fetal development. It helps with cell and organ development. This B vitamin can only be found in animal products. A deficiency can be problematic both during and after pregnancy.  Low levels of Vitamin B12 in breastmilk will result in low Vitamin B12 levels in your baby.  It is important that all vegetarian, vegan, and low meat-eaters take an additional Vitamin B12 supplement throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding.  

Sources of B12:

• Liver

• Red meat 

• Poultry 

• Seafood

• Bone broth

Zinc plays a significant role in cell division, protein creation, and growth.  You can see why this is a very important mineral while growing a baby!

Sources of Zinc:

• Oysters

• Beef 

• Chicken 

• Hemp seeds

• Nuts

• Lentils

• Yogurt 

• Mushrooms

The iron in red blood cells helps carry oxygen to your organs, tissues, and baby. Pregnant persons need about 1.5x more iron in their diets during pregnancy to support the growth of the baby and to produce extra blood. Iron is also absorbed more readily from foods during pregnancy. Heme iron is found in animal products and its absorption rate is 25-40%.  None-heme iron is found in plant foods and the absorption rate ranges from 2-13%.

Sources of Iron:

• Red meat 

• Liver

• Pork and poultry 

• Seafood (oysters, sardines, clams, mollusks, muscles)

• Legumes

• Pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds

• Cooked leafy green vegetables (spinach, swiss chard)

• Spirulina algae

• Squash

• Blackstrap molasses 

• Iron fortified cereals, breads, and pastas (iron absorption from fortified grains is extremely low at 0.3-1.8% and should not be your primary sources of iron intake)

Some people may need extra iron in the form of an iron supplement. Taking an iron supplement on an empty stomach or with a source of vitamin C helps the body to better absorb it.  Avoid eating iron or taking your iron supplement with calcium or antacids as it may interfere with absorption. Also consider cooking with cast iron pans which may fortify your food with iron. Be sure to tell your provider if you are taking any other medications because some drugs should not be taken with iron.

Vitamin D plays an important role in strong bones and teeth through its crucial role in calcium and phosphorus absorption. It is also essential to the maternal immune system.

Sources of Vitamin D:

• Sun exposure

• Wild caught salmon

• Sardines

• Eggs 

Calcium helps to form your baby’s skeletal system and teeth.  It is also important to the pregnant person as it helps to send messages from your brain to the rest of body and assist in blood clotting.  Most pregnant people will receive enough calcium through their diet.

Sources of calcium:

• Dairy products

• Broccoli

• Bok Choy

• Collard greens

• Kale

• Okra

• Almonds

• Oranges

• Sardines (with bones)

• Canned salmon (with bones)

• Chia seeds

Probiotics are the “good bacteria” that live in our body.  These bacteria comprise our individual “microbiome”. A healthy microbiome can decrease your risk of prenatal complications and positively influence your immune system.  

Fermented foods are an excellent source of probiotics and should be regularly consumed throughout pregnancy.  These may include kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, lacto-fermented foods (like pickles), raw apple cider vinegar, kombucha, water kefir, and miso. You may also supplement a probiotic in pregnancy.  A good quality probiotic will list the individual strains on the label.  

Lactobacillus and Bifidus strains are great for gut health while lactobacillus rhamnosus and lactobacillus reuteri are excellent sources for vaginal health. 

• Alcohol

• Caffeine- Limit to no more than 200mg/day.  For reference, eight ounces of medium-brew coffee totals 100mg of caffeine. 

• Refined carbohydrates such as white or “enriched” flour products (bread, bagels, pizza, pasta, noodles, chips), breakfast cereals, “instant” products, white rice.

• Limit sugar intake

• Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose (Splenda), saccharin, acesulfame potassium, neotame.  

• Raw and unpasteurized milk and soft cheese

• Undercooked poultry and seafood (raw seafood such as sushi)

• Vegetable oils

• Trans fats found in processed foods (i.e hydrogenated oils)

• Soy (fermented soy such as miso, natto, soy sauce, and tempeh is okay)

Breakfast: 

2-3 eggs scrambled with spinach. 

Top with cheddar cheese and diced tomatoes

1 orange

Lunch:

3-4 oz of grilled salmon 

Asparagus, sautéed in butter

Riced cauliflower topped with chives and butter

1 cup of strawberries

Dinner:

3-4 oz burger wrapped in romaine lettuce

Top with pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, avocado, ketchup, mustard

½ cup roasted sweet potato fries

Snacks:

1 nectarine + small handful of hazelnuts

Carrot & cucumber slices + plantain chips + guacamole

Celery + almond butter

Dessert (optional):

1 oz of dark chocolate + handful of almonds

*If you are interested in a more detailed, individual care plan for your nutritional health, please ask your provider for a nutritionist referral!