How to Stay on Track with a Healthy Pregnancy Diet

It is important to track your eating habits during pregnancy to make sure you are getting enough of all the vital nutrients for your baby. Protein, calcium, folic acid and iron are just a few of the important components of a healthy pregnancy diet.

This checklist is a sample of what you can use during pregnancy to put up on the refrigerator to track eating habits over the course of a week. It will soon become clear to you any areas you may be lacking in for a healthy pregnancy. Having the pregnancy diet checklist will let you quickly see halfway through the day what to have for dinner to fill in all the boxes.

The pregnancy diet checklist is based on the Brewer's Pregnancy Diet, and Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy by Elizabeth Somer. This checklist is easily altered if you are vegan or in the case of multiples. Get with your midwife or doctor to find out how your requirements change in the case of special needs diet or high risk pregnancy.

Daily During Pregnancy:

Eggs ___ ___

Milk Product ___ ___ ___ ___

Green vegetable ___ ___

Other vegetable ___

Grains ___ ___ ___ ___

Vitamin C source ___

Healthy fats ___ ___ ___

Fruits ___ ___

Protein sources ___ ___

Drink as desired, eight glasses minimum

Salt to taste

Weekly During Pregnancy:

Yellow or Orange colored fruits and vegetables ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Whole Baked Potato ___ ___ ___

Eggs During Pregnancy- Eggs are a near complete source of vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. Eggs are high in protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B, and vitamin A. The only vitamin eggs don't provide is Vitamin C. If you are vegan and do not eat eggs at all you'll need to take special care that you are getting a complete diet through alternate foods.

Milk Products During Pregnancy - See Calcium and Magnesium While Pregnant article for non-dairy sources of calcium. Remember this "milk products" category includes soy milk or rice milk products also.

Green Vegetables During Pregnancy - The darker green your vegetables the better; asparagus, green beans, collard greens, kale, spinach, broccoli and others should be your first choices. Avoid iceburg lettuce - it doesn't count so if you can eat it don't check off a blank!

Other Vegetables During Pregnancy - Squash, corn, bell peppers, etc all go in this category.

Grains During Pregnancy - Whole wheat, rice, flaxseed, bran, oats, etc. Most Americans eat too much processed bread, especially during pregnancy when cravings can kick in. Instead of a donut, choose a whole wheat bagel. See the Healthy Pregnancy Breakfasts article for more ideas.

Vitamin C Sources While Pregnant - During pregnancy it is important to eat a vitamin C rich food at least once a day. It helps avoid anemia through aiding in the absorption of iron, especially vital during pregnancy. Strawberries, kiwi and citrus fruits are all high in Vitamin C.

Healthy Fats During Pregnancy - A pat of butter, avocado, olives, and olive oil are all sources of healthy fats that help during pregnancy. Many women find pregnancy cravings tempt them to eat high fat foods like candy bars or brownies, but by consuming a healthy fat like an avocado sandwich instead, the pregnancy cravings subside. The proper types and amounts of fats during pregnancy can improve skin tone and help reduce stretch marks.

Fruits During Pregnancy - Remember, the less processed the fruit is the more nutritious it will be. In other words, you will get more benefit from eating a raw apple slices than from drinking a glass of apple juice or canned fruit. When in doubt, go with raw fruit!

Protein Sources During Pregnancy - See the article Complete Protein While Pregnant for details on healthy proteins during pregnancy. Remember you want about 80 grams of quality proteins each day during pregnancy.

Water During Pregnancy - See the article The Importance of Hydration While Pregnant for details.

Yellow or Orange Colored Fruits and Vegetables - These fruits and vegetables are especially high in Vitamin A and are an important part of a healthy pregnancy diet. They include carrots, squash, oranges, lemon, tomato, etc.

Whole Baked Potato During Pregnancy - Obviously we should avoid fried foods, and not just during pregnancy. But baked potatoes are very high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B, potassium, and Vitamin A (sweet potato) and are also high in iron, and fiber. Just be sure to add toppings wisely; instead of margarine (nearly plastic!) use a little bit of real butter, and instead of high-fat bacon and sour cream try salsa or mashed avocado, turkey bacon, fresh parsley or cilantro, cheese, tomatoes, or chives.

See additional pregnancy nutrition articles I've written for specific breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas to use while pregnant for optimum health.