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The Pregnancy Food Guide

10 Tips to Help Moms-to-be Eat Healthier and Manage Their Weight

By Laura Cone

McManus says she hopes women who learn to eat healthy during the nine months of their pregnancy will continue after their babies are born. Women can also begin to cook more healthful foods for their families. But, as Vitulli found out with her finicky husband, it's not always easy to cook healthful meals for the family.

"The last thing a woman needs is to be preparing two or three different meals for her family," McManus says. "We hope this will be a great foundation for overall health so the rest of the family will also enjoy it."

McManus says the Pregnancy Food Guide encourages breastfeeding. Women who breastfeed should take a multivitamin-mineral supplement for non-pregnant women, as prenatal vitamins contain more iron than a breastfeeding mother needs.

"We try to remind women that breastmilk is the perfect food for babies," McManus says. "Most women will produce sufficient milk even if their diets are not perfect. We encourage women that the same nutrition recommendations apply during pregnancy and for nursing mothers. Eat well and stay hydrated."

Tammy Veatch, a mother of two and La Leche League leader from Lutz, Fla., says she is pleased the Pregnancy Food Guide addresses breastfeeding because some women are worried their breastmilk won't be good enough for their babies. "Her breastmilk is going to be a perfect food no matter what she is eating," Veatch says. "Many women throughout the world have less than optimal diets and still nurse their babies." She also recommends women eat a variety of whole foods, drink to quench thirst and eat until they are full without overeating.

Want to see more?

• Pregnancy Nutrition from A to Z: A Comprehensive List of Nutrition Issues for Moms-to-be
• An Even Dozen: Tips from the Surgeon General for a Safer, Healthier Mom and Baby
• Two of Everything, Please: Debunking the Myth
  of Eating for Two
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!

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