Making Healthy Food Choices

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Choose fresh, 

frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice. Include dark-green, 

red, and orange vegetables; beans and peas; and starchy 

vegetables.

• Make at least half your grains whole grains. Try oatmeal, 

popcorn, whole-grain bread, and brown rice.

• Move to low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, or cheese. 

Fortified soy beverages also count. 

• Vary your protein routine. Choose seafood, lean meats 

and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and 

unsalted nuts and seeds.

• Use the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list to limit 

items higher in sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. 

Drink water instead of sugary drinks. Choose vegetable 

oils instead of butter.

• Enriched grains, beans, peas, oranges, spinach, or other 

dark-green leafy vegetables can help you get the folaterich food you need. 

Tips for 

Pregnant Moms

Making healthy food choices along with regular 

physical activity will help fuel your baby’s growth 

and keep you healthy during pregnancy.

Find Your Healthy Eating Style

Choose a variety of foods and beverages to build your own healthy 

eating style. Include foods from all food groups: fruits, vegetables, 

grains, dairy, and protein foods. 

The amount and types of food you eat is an important part of a 

healthy eating style. Before you eat, think about what and how much 

food goes on your plate or in your cup, bowl, or glass. 

 Visit Your Doctor Regularly

Doctors Recommend: 

• Pregnant women and women who may be pregnant 

need to avoid alcohol and smoking. Ask for advice about 

caffeine, dietary supplements, and drug use.

• In addition to eating a healthy diet, take a prenatal 

vitamin and mineral supplement containing folic acid.  

• Feed your baby only human milk (also known as breast 

milk) for the first 6 months.

How Much Weight Should I Gain? 

• The right weight gain depends on your weight when you 

became pregnant. If your weight was in the healthy range, 

you should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. If you were 

overweight or underweight before becoming pregnant, 

the advice is different. 

• Gain weight gradually. For most women, this means 

gaining a total of 1 to 4 pounds during the first 3 months. 

Gain 2 to 4 pounds each month from the 4th to 9th month.

United States Department of Agriculture
Daily Food Checklist

The Checklist shows slightly more amounts of food during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters because you have changing nutritional needs. This is a 

general checklist. You may need more or less amounts of food.*

Food Group

*If you are not gaining weight or gaining too slowly, you may need to eat a little more from each food group. 

If you are gaining weight too fast, you may need to cut back by decreasing the amount or change the types of food you are eating.

1st Trimester 2nd and 3rd Trimesters What counts as 

1 cup or 1 ounce?

Eat this amount from each group daily.*

2 cups 2 cups 1 cup fruit or 100% juice

1⁄2 cup dried fruit

21⁄2 cups 3 cups 1 cup raw or cooked vegetables or 100% juice

2 cups raw leafy vegetables

6 ounces 8 ounces

1 slice bread

1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal

1⁄2 cup cooked pasta, rice, or cereal

51⁄2 ounces 61⁄2 ounces

1 ounce lean meat, poultry, or seafood

1⁄4 cup cooked beans

1⁄2 ounce nuts or 1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 egg

3 cups 3 cups

1 cup milk

8 ounces yogurt

11⁄2 ounces natural cheese

2 ounces processed cheese

Get a Daily Food Checklist for Moms designed just for you. 

Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov/Checklist.

Seafood

Seafood is part of a healthy diet. Omega-3 fats in seafood 

can have important health benefits for you and your 

developing baby. Salmon, sardines, and trout are some 

choices higher in omega-3 fats and lower in contaminants 

such as mercury.

• Eat at least 8 and up to 12 ounces of a variety of 

seafood each week from choices that are lower 

in mercury. 

• Eat all types of tuna, but limit white (albacore) tuna 

to 6 ounces each week.

• Do not eat tilefish, shark, swordfish, and king 

mackerel since they are highest in mercury. 

Being Physically Active

Unless your doctor advises you not to be physically 

active, include 21⁄2 hours each week of physical activity 

such as brisk walking, dancing, gardening, or swimming. 

The activity can be done for at least 10 minutes at a 

time, and preferably spread throughout the week. Avoid 

activities with a high risk of falling or injury.

Food and Nutrition Service

FNS-457

Revised December 2016

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Learn about other nutrition assistance programs: 

http://www.benefits.gov/

Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/guidance