There are many things a woman can do to grow a healthy, full-term baby. Eating a healthful, well-balanced diet is the most important of them all. Proper nutrition helps you avoid a premature birth, preeclampsia, eclampsia, or gestational diabetes. Diligence in this will pay off with an easier pregnancy, an easier delivery, and a healthy, happy baby. If you can't afford to follow a good diet, apply for the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program, which is available nation-wide. These coupons can be used at all grocery stores and many farmers markets.
What should you eat? It's really pretty simple. Imagine your dinner plate. Divide it in half. One half should be filled with vegetables of assorted colors: green, yellow, red, white. Things like peas, broccoli, green beans, dark, leafy greens, and asparagus are green. Corn, sweet potatoes, and yams are yellow. Bell peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant are red. Cauliflower, mushrooms, and potatoes are white. Technically, some of these things are not vegetables, but for our purposes, this is the category they go in.
The other half of your plate is divided in half again. In one section, you put your protein. This can be chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and other meats, seafood, or vegetarian options such as tofu, cheese, or beans. For the most part, be careful to choose lean cuts of meat, or low-fat versions of cheese.
The final quarter of your plate will be filled with a starch. This can include items from the vegetable category, such as the potatoes and yams, or beans, which are also a protein. Other items are rice, bread, pasta, and other grains. The most important thing - and this is really important - is that you choose whole grains. Your breads should be made with whole grain flour (it will say so on the label), your rice should be brown. Other excellent grains are quinoa (also high in protein), kasha, wheat berries, and whole grain cornmeal. Steel cut oatmeal is practically the best thing you can eat for breakfast.
Every day, be sure to drink a quart of milk or eat milk products, such as cheese or yogurt. Have two eggs every day. Include a serving or two of fruit. Eat small amounts - three meals, and a snack between each meal and before you go to bed. Salt your food to taste, and drink eight glasses of water or other liquid each day. It also helps to know what should not be included in the pregnant woman's diet. This includes the obvious, such as alcohol, to the not-so-obvious, such as caffeine, sugar, and junk food, to the disputed, such as processed food. Do your best to avoid refined foods of any kind.
What should you eat? It's really pretty simple. Imagine your dinner plate. Divide it in half. One half should be filled with vegetables of assorted colors: green, yellow, red, white. Things like peas, broccoli, green beans, dark, leafy greens, and asparagus are green. Corn, sweet potatoes, and yams are yellow. Bell peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant are red. Cauliflower, mushrooms, and potatoes are white. Technically, some of these things are not vegetables, but for our purposes, this is the category they go in.
The other half of your plate is divided in half again. In one section, you put your protein. This can be chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and other meats, seafood, or vegetarian options such as tofu, cheese, or beans. For the most part, be careful to choose lean cuts of meat, or low-fat versions of cheese.
The final quarter of your plate will be filled with a starch. This can include items from the vegetable category, such as the potatoes and yams, or beans, which are also a protein. Other items are rice, bread, pasta, and other grains. The most important thing - and this is really important - is that you choose whole grains. Your breads should be made with whole grain flour (it will say so on the label), your rice should be brown. Other excellent grains are quinoa (also high in protein), kasha, wheat berries, and whole grain cornmeal. Steel cut oatmeal is practically the best thing you can eat for breakfast.
Every day, be sure to drink a quart of milk or eat milk products, such as cheese or yogurt. Have two eggs every day. Include a serving or two of fruit. Eat small amounts - three meals, and a snack between each meal and before you go to bed. Salt your food to taste, and drink eight glasses of water or other liquid each day. It also helps to know what should not be included in the pregnant woman's diet. This includes the obvious, such as alcohol, to the not-so-obvious, such as caffeine, sugar, and junk food, to the disputed, such as processed food. Do your best to avoid refined foods of any kind.
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