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Breakfast for Two

How Important Is That First Meal of the Day When You're Expecting?

By Melinda Copp

(McGraw-Hill, 2005). "People who don't eat breakfast never make up the nutritional deficit." And pregnant women cannot afford this shortage.

Breakfast brings everyone, pregnant or not, one step closer to meeting their nutritional needs for the day. But when you skip breakfast while you're expecting, Baby misses a meal, too, which can negatively affect the health of your pregnancy.

"Nutrition affects how the pregnancy goes, the mother's health and the child's health later in life," says Somer. Plus, you have to consider that your baby is growing all the time, and six to eight hours a night is a long time to go without eating. If you skip breakfast, that only lengthens the amount of time between meals.

Finally, and perhaps most important, you're going to be a parent soon. You need to set a healthy example for your kids. "Children's eating habits are strongly influenced by their parents," says Johnson. "And habits take time to develop, so why not start now?"

Paula Duncan, an expectant mom in Bluffton, S.C., has always been a breakfast eater. "I've always eaten breakfast, but since I found out I was pregnant I try to choose more healthy foods," she says. "Lately my usual breakfast has been either a bowl of Cheerios and a banana or a banana and peanut butter sandwich."

When you're making the decision of what to eat for breakfast, keep in mind that variety makes the meal healthier. "I always recommend eating three food groups in each meal and three or more grams of fiber," says Johnson. "And you can get that in a variety of ways." You can try a slice of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and a glass of nonfat milk, yogurt mixed with fruit and granola or oatmeal cooked in nonfat milk and a slice of cantaloupe.

Want to see more?

• Two of Everything, Please: Debunking the Myth
  of Eating for Two
• Pregnancy Nutrition From A to Z: A Comprehensive List of Nutrition Issues for Moms-to-be
• The Grain Connection: Folic Acid's Role in Preventing Neural Tube Defects
• Talk about it!

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