If you’re pregnant, whether you know it or not you need a pregnancy diet plan. Many moms-to-be think, “Oh, good, I’m pregnant;that means I can eat anything I want”. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. A pregnancy diet plan is about ensuring you eat the right things for you and your baby to have a healthy pregnancy, it doesn’t mean “losing weight”.

While you do need SOME extra calories during pregnancy, you only need about 300 extra per day which really isn’t that much, it’s the equivalent of a small sandwich. You can have a treat every so often but, do not consume alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs during pregnancy, these can be harmful to your baby’s development.

Pregnancy and Weight…

It goes without saying that when you’re pregnant, you will gain some weight, for most women, that’s about 30 pounds (13-14kg) as long as you are of normal weight to start with, you should gain a little more if you were under weight when you became pregnant and a little less if you were overweight when you became pregnant. That weight gain, by the way, should come from healthy baby growth and good nutrition on your part, not because you ordered out from Domino’s Pizza every night.

Pregnancy Diet Plan

Your pregnancy diet plan should focus on good nutrition. When you’re pregnant, you need to make sure everything you eat gives you a good nutritional “bang for your buck,” so to speak. Food to include in your diet includes:

Lean meats, chicken and fish (avoid fish high in mercury

Dried beans and Lentils

Nuts and Seeds

Green Leafy Vegetables

Lots of: Fruit, Vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals

Medium amounts of: Low fat dairy foods and lean meats

Small Amounts of: Foods high in fat, sugar and salt

Eating small meals more often is best.

Especially in your first trimester, you may have difficulty eating because of nausea and morning sickness. Therefore, your pregnancy diet plan should include small meals eaten frequently instead of large meals eaten infrequently. In addition, you may have some digestive problems such as heartburn because of your pregnancy, and eating small meals will also help keep this at bay.

If you do suffer from morning sickness, make sure you eat something light and carbohydrate rich, like crackers or rice cakes, before you get out of bed. This should help negate the effects of morning sickness and perhaps even keep them under better control.

A pregnancy diet plan is one part of managing your pregnancy and weight. Proper nutritional diet needs to be combined with a well-structured exercise routine to help you keep your weight gain to a healthy level. Of course before you begin or continue any exercise during pregnancy you must get your doctor’s or your family’s health care provider’s approval.

Exercising when pregnant will also keep you healthier during your pregnancy,help make your labor easier and get you back in shape quicker after your pregnancy.

Finally if you keep to your pregnancy diet plan, avoid certain foods which could be potentially harmful to your baby and take exercise approved by your doctor you can look forward to a healthier pregnancy and weight under control.

Be healthy, look good, feel great and enjoy this wonderful time.