You may have heard the term “eating for two,” in reference to pregnancy eating habits. While your calorie needs DO increase during pregnancy, they do not double. In general, you will need an extra 200-300 calories a day during the first and second trimesters, and this may increase to 400-500 calories a day by your third trimester. Pregnancy is not a time to diet or restrict calories, but it is a time to listen to your body. A healthy appetite and steady weight gain (especially after any nausea and morning sickness have passed) are signs that things are on the right track.
More important than the total number of calories you intake is the quality of the food that you are eating. Your body may crave an instant fix to a rumbling tummy, but gorging on soft drinks, sweets, crisps, and other packaged foods will only satisfy you for a short time and leave you sluggish and depleted of energy. These foods have very little nutrition and contain many preservatives and chemicals that aren’t good for you or your baby. These types of foods can also contribute to nausea, heartburn, constipation, increased blood pressure, and oedema (swelling) due to high levels of salt. A healthy balanced diet can actually help alleviate many of the common pregnancy complaints!
Your body needs nutrient-dense foods to satisfy and fuel your pregnancy. Your diet should be rich in the following food groups: