Don't Eat for Two while Pregnant

When many women first find out they are pregnant, they think that they now have to eat for two. This is not true!!! During the first trimester of pregnancy, your body only requires an extra 100 calories/per day. That means you can choose between one extra apple or one cup of nonfat plain yogurt or ½ of a small whole grain bagel per day---- that’s it. If you are eating more than an extra 100 calories a day during the first three months of your pregnancy, the extra calories will be stored as fat. This extra fat just means more time between you and your skinny hot mama jeans once your baby is born. During your second and third trimesters, you need about 300 extra calories a day. An extra 300 calories translates into three extra pieces of large fruit a day or a cup of whole grain cereal, a few berries, and ½ a cup of milk. You should gain about one pound a month during your first trimester and then one pound a week during your second and third trimesters. (This does not apply if you are pregnant with twins, however.) Pregnancy is a time to nourish your body with healthy nutrient foods, not an excuse to go hog wild!