Dieting during Pregnancy

It can be difficult during pregnancy to get away from the food, exercise, and lifestyle habits we enjoyed before. My clients often ask about how to safely transition some of their diet habits into a healthy pregnancy. Here are answers to a few commonly asked questions.

Should I be counting calories?

Counting calories could be less helpful that focusing on balance. The goals should be to focus on fiber from whole grains, beans vegetables, or fruits, use a low-fat protein at most meals or snacks, and include healthy fats like avocado or avocado oil, nuts or seeds, olive oil, and coconut.

Limit processed foods with a ton of unknown ingredients. That’s where the empty calories are— foods that are stripped of nutrients maybe provide comfort but not much else.

If you need help fitting it all together, a nutritionist can help make sense of the science and put it in practical terms you can work with.

How long is safe to go without eating while pregnant?

During pregnancy, it can be hard to get into a food routine, or get away from a habit of fasting or skipping meals. Combine that with morning sickness or heartburn, being turned off by favorite foods, worrying about weight gain, or just feeling anxious, and many pregnant women find it can be hard to eat enough. 

What exactly is too long between meals? Rather than try to stretch it, aim to eat a small meal or snack every three to four hours. Eating throughout the day will help keep energy up, improve mood, and make it easier to meet nutrient needs. By the time the morning rolls around it’s likely been eight to 12 hours since the last meal, so it’s also important to get into a breakfast habit during pregnancy.

When it comes to safety, we also know that eating regularly lowers risk for premature labor. Research shows that not eating for 13 or more hours per day through pregnancy raises stress hormones and can cause preterm delivery.

Is intermittent fasting while pregnant safe?

Intermittent fasting during pregnancy is not a great idea. Between bedtime and breakfast, the body naturally experiences a fasting period. Although a woman might be used to going longer than overnight without eating, there are a few good reasons to ditch a fast while pregnant. 

For one, being famished can come with nausea and lightheadedness. Why ruin an otherwise nice morning? Two, some folks will try to meet calorie and nutrient needs by fitting larger meals into a shorter eating window – this could worsen the reflux or heartburn common later in pregnancy as the stomach gets squeezed by a growing baby. Lastly and most importantly, studies show that prolonged fasting leads to higher concentrations of corticotropin-releasing hormone, a natural brain chemical triggered by stressful experiences, and increases the risk of premature birth. 

Whether you are pregnant or thinking about it, a prenatal nutritionist can help you move away from intermittent fasting to a safer meal plan that meets your health goals.

What are some easy ways to use more protein during pregnancy?

Traditional nutrition recommendations during pregnancy put a lot of emphasis on carbohydrates, which give the body energy, but the specifics on protein needs are limited and actually based on non-pregnant women! Many weight loss diets encourage protein intake over carbs, which can make women who are pregnant feel nervous about gaining too much weight.

It’s important to get enough protein throughout pregnancy, to help with morning sickness, balance the diet to prevent gestational diabetes, and provide enough of the building blocks for baby’s growth along with mother’s stamina and strength.

Protein foods include animal foods like meat, seafood, poultry, egg, and milk, along with plant foods like beans, nuts, seeds, soy products, and whole grains.

Using protein at meals and snacks is a great way to make sure you’re getting enough in your day. You can easily boost protein by:

• Keep snacks on hand, like low-sugar protein bars, string cheese, mixed nuts, or jerky 
• Add peanut butter, yogurt, or protein powder to a smoothie
• Enjoy a cup of milk or soy milk in the evening
• Add a handful of cooked beans to a soup or salad
• Make hard-boiled eggs a few times per week for a quick bite
• Cozy up with a small plate of sliced fruit with your favorite nut butter 
• Turn Greek yogurt into a dip for sliced veggies or chips
• Never forget the simplicity of a supermarket rotisserie chicken!

Interest in learning more about vegetarian diets during pregnancy? Stay tuned for my next post!