NUTRITION DURING
PREGNANCY

Nutrient needs during pregnancy
are increased in order to support thegrowth of the fetus while maintaining
the health of the mother.

How can you meet your increased
nutritional needs during pregnancy?
1empty calories. Eat nutrient-dense foods, such as fruit,vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
H E A LT H Y E AT I N GHEALTHY
OILS

WATER

WHOLE
GRAINSVEGETABLESHEALTHYPROTEINFRUIT

LOW FATMILK

Consider taking a dietary supplement under the supervisionof a qualified healthcare provider.

2

FOLIC ACID• Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate
found in supplements and fortified food.
• All women capable of becoming
pregnant should supplementwith 400 µg/day of folic acid
Folic acidand increase to 600 µg/day
600 µg/day
throughout pregnancy.

Iodine220 µg/day

IODINE• Consider a prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplement containing
220 µg/day.

3IRON• Most pregnant women will require
an iron supplement.
• Take iron supplements between
meals or at bedtime on an
empty stomach.
Iron27 mg/day

Vitamin D

2,000 IU/day

VITAMIN D• 90% of pregnant women donot consume the recommended
amount of vitamin D.
•day of supplemental vitamin D.

Prenatal
Vitamins

Include foods that are good sources of the important
micronutrients mentioned below.

MICRONUTRIENTSVITAMINS ; ESSENTIAL MINERALS ; CHOLINEWHEN PREGNANTRDA

FOLATEIRON

IODINE

ZINC

From 400 to 600 µg DFE/day

From 18 to 27 mg/day

From 150 to 220 µg/day

From 8 to 11 mg/dayGoodsources

ExamplesIODIZEDLOW FAT

MILK

legumes (beans, peas,lentils), green leafy
vegetables, fortified grains

meat, fish, poultry,
legumes, nutslentils½ cup cooked = 179 µg DFE
garbanzo beans½ cup cooked = 141 µg DFE
spinach½ cup cooked = 131 µg DFE

lentils½ cup cooked = 3.3 mg
beef
3 oz cooked = 1.6 mg
canned light tuna
3 oz = 1.3 mg

dairy products, iodized salt,
seafood

meat, shellfish, poultry,nuts, legumes

cow’s milk
8 oz = 99 µg
iodized salt

beef
3 oz cooked = 9 mg
crab
3 oz cooked = 4.7 mg
cashews
1 oz (18 medium) = 1.6 mg

cod
3 oz cooked = 99 µgµg = micrograms | mg = milligrams | g = grams | tsp = teaspoon | DFE = Dietary Folate Equivalentsoz = ounce | A 3-ounce serving of meat or fish is about the size of a deck of cards.

RDA SLIGHTLY INCREASED, BUT UNDERCONSUMED BY PREGNANT WOMENRDA

VITAMIN A

VITAMIN C

CHOLINE*

From 700 to 770 µg RAE/day

From 75 to 85 mg/day

From 425 to 450 mg/day*

eggs, yellow & orange vegetables

fruit & vegetables

eggs, seafood, meat, poultry, nutsGood
sources

Examplesegg
1 large = 270 µg RAE
sweet potato
1 medium = 1,096 µg RAE
carrot1 medium = 509 µg RAE

sweet red pepper
1 medium = 152 mg
kiwifruit
1 medium = 91 mgstrawberries
1 cup whole = 85 mg

egg
1 large = 147 mg
beef
3 oz cooked = 97 mg
salmon3 oz canned = 75 mgµg = micrograms | mg = milligrams | RAE = retinol activity equivalents | *AI = Adequate Intakeoz = ounce | A 3-ounce serving of meat or fish is about the size of a deck of cards.

RDA UNCHANGED, BUT UNDERCONSUMED BY PREGNANT WOMENRDA

VITAMIN DVITAMIN ECALCIUM

600 IU/day

15 mg/day

1,000 mg/dayGoodsources

YOGURT
Low Fat

LOW FAT

MILK

MILK

fatty fish,
fortified foods

ExamplesLOW FATvegetable oils,
nuts & seeds, avocado

salmon3 oz canned = 370 IU
canned light tuna
3 oz = 40 IU
fortified milk
8 oz = 98 IU

dairy products, sardines

almonds
1 oz (23 kernels) = 7 mg
sunflower oil
1 tbsp = 6 mg
avocado
1 whole = 2.7 mg

plain low-fat yogurt
8 oz = 415 mg
cow’s milk
8 oz = 300 mg
sardines
8 oz (1 can) = 325 mg

mg = milligrams | IU = International Units | tbsp = tablespoonoz = ounce | A 3-ounce serving of meat or fish is about the size of a deck of cards.

MACRONUTRIENTSPROTEIN ; CARBOHYDRATE ; FATPROTEIN

CARBOHYDRATESFAT• Protein needs increase byapproximately 25 additionalgrams/day during pregnancy.
• Many women alreadyconsume this amount ofprotein.

• Carbohydrate needs increase
from 130 to 175 grams/day.
• Many women alreadyconsume this amount ofcarbohydrate.

• Consuming the right kind of fatis important.
• Include sources of theessential fatty acids, linoleic
acid and α -linolenic acid.
• Include sources of EPA andDHA.

Good
sources

YOGURT
Low Fatseafood, lean meat & poultry,
eggs, low-fat dairy, nuts,legumes (beans, peas, lentils)

Exampleswhole grains, fruit,vegetables, legumes

salmon3 oz (cooked) = 17.4 gegg
1 large = 6.3 g
lentils½ cup (cooked) = 8.9 gvegetable oils, fish, olives,
avocado, nuts, seeds

whole-grain bread
1 slice = 15 g
strawberries
1 cup whole = 11 glentils½ cup (cooked) = 20 g

safflower oil
1 tbsp = 10.1 g linoleic acidwalnuts
1 oz (14 halves) = 2.6 g α-linolenic acidsalmon3 oz (cooked) = 1.5 g EPA + DHA

g = grams | tbsp = tablespoonoz = ounce | A 3-ounce serving of meat or fish is about the size of a deck of cards.

ADDITIONAL NUTRITION NOTESCAFFEINE

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Consume no more than
300 mg/day (approximately
2-3 cups of coffee/day).

or time to consume alcoholic
beverages during pregnancy.

MERCURY CONCERNS• Eat 2-3 servings (8-12 oz total)of low-mercury fish/week.
• Good choices: salmon,sardines, canned light tuna,troutWATER• During pregnancy, extra fluid is needed to maintain the amniotic fluid and support an increase inmaternal blood volume.
• Adequate fluid intake also helps combat fluid retention, constipation, and dehydration.

THE RECOMMENDED INTAKE IS ABOUT 10 CUPS/DAY
FROM WATER AND OTHER BEVERAGESENERGY : Calories
Eating for two ≠ Doubling your calories• No additional calories are needed in the first trimester.
• About 300 additional calories/day are needed in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.

YOGURT
Low Fat• Yogurt (8 oz)• Strawberries (1 cup)
• Almonds (23)

LOW FATMILK• Bread (2 slices)• Cheese (1 oz)• Carrots (2 medium)• Oats (½ cup cooked)• Low-fat milk (8 oz)• Banana (1 medium)

SOURCES••••

Micronutrient Information Center, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/life-stages/pregnancy-lactation
Present Knowledge in Nutrition, 10th edition. Chapter 39: Maternal Nutrient Metabolism and Requirements in Pregnancy and Lactation, by Lindsay H. Allen
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 11th edition. Chapter 52: Nutrition in Pregnancy, by R. Elaine TurnerInstitute of Medicine (US) and National Research Council (US) Committee to Reexamine IOM Pregnancy Weight Guidelines; Rasmussen KM, Yaktine AL, editors. Weight Gain
During Pregnancy: Reexamining the Guidelines. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2009. Summary. Available from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK32799/• Dietary Guidelines for Americans, https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines• USDA’s FoodData Central Database, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/• US Food and Drug Administration, Advice about Eating Fish, https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish© Linus Pauling Institute