Seasonal Temptations

Sensible Holiday Eating During Pregnancy

By Teri Brown

Everyone knows you're supposed to eat healthy while pregnant. Everyone knows that a diet rich in vitamins and protein will help aid in the healthy development of our unborn babies. But what about the holidays? What are you supposed to do when faced with an assortment of rich fudge, pies slathered in whipped cream, crisp latkes and applesauce, mounds of baked potatoes dented with pools of butter and those miniature butter cookies filled with jam? What are you supposed to do when Aunt Marge presses one more helping on you because as you know, "You're eating for two"?

Tori Billings from The Woodlands, Texas, has been pregnant through the holidays with all three of her children. "I didn't even try to control my eating with my first pregnancy," says Billings. "Which may have been why I gained 45 pounds!"

Morning sickness with her second child kept her from indulging in holiday foods too much, and with her third pregnancy, she tried to keep things under control. "I ate vegetables first, scaled down my baking, tried to keep in mind how much easier weight goes on than comes off," says Billings. "Since I'm the cook in the family, I had a lot of control over what food was around, so I didn't create more temptation than I was comfortable denying."

It took an uncomfortable first pregnancy before Billings learned to control her holiday eating, and many women are the same way. Lisa Cicciarello Andrews, registered dietitian and adjunct instructor for the College of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Cincinnati, believes that while there are ways for a pregnant woman to remain in control during the holidays, it isn't always easy!

Want to see more?

• Pregnancy During the Holidays: Avoiding the Extra Sweets and Treats of the Season
• Pregnancy Diet Donts: Foods to Avoid While You're Expecting
• Pregnant Through the Holidays: Getting Ready for Your Holiday Baby
• Holiday Headquarters
• Talk about it!