I’m pregnant, should I eat for 2??
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An old myth that people often still refer to is the idea that women need to be eating for two during pregnancy. We now know that during pregnancy a woman’s body becomes much more efficient at absorbing nutrients and in using the bodies’ readily available stores of nutrients too. For this reason, calorie intake doesn’t increase much during pregnancy. .
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Expectant mothers only need around 200-300 extra calories daily during pregnancy. What does 200-300 extra calories look like?
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Any ONE of the following items:
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-Bowl of porridge.
-2 pieces of fruit.
-1 chocolate bar.
-1 slice of bread with butter and jam.
-handful of nuts.
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It is true that your nutrient needs increase, so that’s why its very important to keep food quality high.
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Before becoming pregnant, I always wondered how my eating habits would change and would I just crave chocolate all day everyday. But to be honest, my diet hasn’t changed a whole lot. My approach to nutrition is 80/20, and has remained pretty much the same throughout my pregnancy so far. I have increased my calories by having the extra bit of chocolate and/or extra spuds with my dinner?.
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80% of my foods come form nutrient dense sources, such as meat, eggs, yogurts, rice, potatoes, fruit and vegetables. The remaining 20% comes from less nutrient dense sources, but highly palatable foods like, chocolate, biscuits, ice cream and Nutella.
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Another thing I am keeping a really close eye on is my protein intake each day. It directly affects me and my little baby. Pre pregnancy I consumed 120g on a daily basis, now I’m aiming for 130-140g daily.
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Adequate dietary protein is crucial to ensure you have a healthy baby. The amino acids in protein help build everything from the baby’s muscles to its brain.
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From my point of view, I want to hold onto any muscle tissue I have to keep me strong and fit throughout my journey. If I was to eat a low protein diet, I wouldn’t be long losing the muscle I have worked very hard for.
