Just found out that you are pregnant? Or maybe you are well into your pregnancy and are just looking for some information. First off, congratulations to you! There are many resources out there and conflicting ideas and thoughts on what to eat and what not to eat. One of the best ways to make sure that you are getting enough nutrients is to keep track of what you are eating. There are many pregnancy diet apps available such as CareClinic which will help make sure that you and your baby are eating healthy!
Many expecting mothers worry if what they are eating is healthy for them and their babies. What will make your tummy and your baby happy? Simply put, there is no formula on what to eat or what kind of diet to follow when pregnant. Your goal should be to eat as many nutritious foods as possible. Get plenty of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, lean protein and whole grains in your diet as you can.
Table of Contents
- What does a pregnancy diet plan look like?
- What about pregnancy weight?
- Essential pregnancy diet nutrients
- Tracking nutrients on pregnancy diet apps
- Foods to add to your pregnancy diet plan
- Foods to limit during your pregnancy
- Foods to avoid in your pregnancy diet plan
- How can I track my diet with a pregnancy diet app?
- Tracking your pregnancy symptoms
- Your all-in-one pregnancy diet app
What does a pregnancy diet plan look like?
Your diet needs to provide enough nutrients and energy for your baby to grow and develop properly. Additionally, your diet needs to be healthy so that your body is ready to take on all the changes that are taking place throughout your pregnancy.
You should try to eat foods that pack a variety of nutrients in just a few bites, that way you are not wasting your meals on empty calories. This is especially important in the first few months while you face nausea and vomiting. So, make sure to choose nutrient-dense foods to be especially efficient!
With pregnancy diet apps like CareClinic, you can keep track of all your meals and nutrition in one place. Enter exactly what you eat for every meal throughout the day and the app will keep track of your total nutrients. This way you never have to worry about whether you didn’t get enough of a certain nutrient for you and your baby. You can make sure to increase the intake in your next meal.
What about pregnancy weight?
Am I eating enough for my baby? Too much? I’ve gained so much weight? Have my cravings gotten out of hand? You may be wondering about what weight gain should look like during your pregnancy. During a woman’s pregnancy, her calorie intake will grow. After all, you are growing life inside your womb! However, this does not mean that you are eating for two. That is a common misconception. Your calorie consumption only increases by a few hundred calories per day, on average.
Consult with your health care provider to see how much weight gain is healthy and recommended for you. Your pre-pregnancy weight and other factors will impact how much weight you are recommended to gain during your pregnancy.
With the CareClinic app, you will also be able to keep track of your weight along with other measurements so that you always know where you are in your progress. If you see that you are gaining weight too quickly, or not gaining enough weight, then you can work with your health care practitioner to adjust your timeline accordingly. This will help make sure that both you and your baby stay healthy.
Essential pregnancy diet nutrients
There are a few nutrients that are essential for pregnant women to include in their pregnancy diet plans. These will help make sure that both you and your baby are healthy.
Folic acid and folate
Folate is a B vitamin found in foods that helps prevent birth defects in the baby’s brain and spinal cord (R). Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate and can be found in supplements. Proper folic acid intake during pregnancy has been shown to lower the risk of premature birth.
Great sources of folate include fortified cereals, bread and pasta, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, and dried beans and pes. It can be difficult to get the recommended amount of folate through your diet alone. It is recommended that pregnant mothers take a daily prenatal vitamin containing folic acid to get them enough of the nutrient.
Protein
Expectant mothers need more protein during their pregnancy. Protein is crucial for your baby’s growth during pregnancy, helping develop and build the baby’s organs. The good thing is that many women don’t have a hard time increasing their protein intake throughout their pregnancy.
Protein can be found in lean meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. You can also find it in peas, beans, nuts, and soy products.
Iron
Pregnant women need double the amount of iron compared to non-pregnant women. Iron helps carry oxygen to your organs and tissues through your blood. When you are pregnant, your body needs iron to make more blood to supply your baby with oxygen. Not getting enough iron during your pregnancy can put you at risk of iron deficiency anemia. This can lead to fatigue and higher chances of infection.
Good sources of iron are lean red meat, poultry, fish, iron-fortified cereals, vegetables and beans. Iron in meat can be easily absorbed, however, iron absorption from plants or supplements can be more challenging. To increase iron absorption, it’s recommended to pair your plant sources or supplements with food or drink that contains high amounts of vitamin C, such as orange juice.
Calcium
Your baby needs calcium to help build strong bones and teeth. If an expectant mother does not get enough calcium, then the mineral will be taken from the calcium stores in her bones and given to the baby to help the baby’s development. Calcium is important for both you and your baby and helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems run normally through your pregnancy.
Dairy products are the best sources of calcium. These include milk, cheese and yogurt. Calcium can also be found in some leafy greens such as kale, broccoli and bok choy. You can also find calcium-fortified juices and foods such as breakfast cereals.
Vitamin D
Along with calcium, vitamin D also helps in building your baby’s bones and teeth. It’s necessary for the absorption of calcium. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel. Vitamin D-fortified milk, orange juice and cereal are also great sources to boost your intake.
Tracking nutrients on pregnancy diet apps
Tracking your nutrients on pregnancy diet apps like CareClinic is super simple. Work with your health care provider to see what amounts are recommended for you during your pregnancy. You can then track your intake of each nutrient throughout your day as you consume your meals and drinks. The app will provide you with daily, weekly and monthly totals of your intake.
Along with tracking your meals, the CareClinic app has a medicine and supplements tracker where you can easily keep track of any supplements you may be taking. This way you will always be able to readily access what your calcium intake has been for the day, meals and supplements included. You can set reminders for yourself when it’s time to take your supplement, so you never have to worry about forgetting.
Using a pregnancy diet app can be very helpful since being pregnant itself can be very overwhelming. You have millions of other things to worry about! The CareClinic app will let you know when it’s time to eat, drink water, take your supplements and what your intake levels are.
Foods to add to your pregnancy diet plan
While you are pregnant, you want to make sure that you are eating nutritious foods. Throughout the day you want to fill your meals with the five food groups, fruits, vegetables, dairy, lean protein and whole grains. This will help you get the nutrients you need to keep you healthy and help your baby grow and develop.
Fruits and vegetables – aim to get fruits and vegetables in all your meals each day. They are low in calories and full of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Whole grains – are full of carbohydrates that fuel you with energy. Half of your carbohydrate intake each day should come from whole grains, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta or oatmeal.
Lean protein – pregnant women should aim to include good protein sources in every meal to help the baby’s development. Protein sources include lean meat, fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, beans, cheese, nuts, seeds and milk.
Dairy – you want to make sure that you are getting dairy throughout the day. Foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are important sources of vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium and vitamin D, all vital for you and your baby’s health.
Foods to limit during your pregnancy
Caffeine
Consuming too much caffeine during your pregnancy can increase the risk of low birth weight and miscarriage. Caffeine is found in many foods and drinks, not just coffee. You can find caffeine in tea, sodas, chocolate and energy drinks. Experts around the world say that you should consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine in a day.
Foods to avoid in your pregnancy diet plan
While there are many foods, as you read above, to include in your pregnancy diet plan, there are many foods to avoid as well. Some foods may be harmful to both you and your growing baby. They may contain bacteria or chemicals that can be passed onto your baby or make you sick. These foods should be avoided until after you give birth.
Raw meat and seafood – raw, rare or undercooked meats, poultry, fish or eggs can carry bacteria such as E. coli or salmonella. Make sure your meat, fish and eggs are cooked thoroughly to avoid any risk of bacteria making you sick or passing onto your baby.
Fish with high levels of mercury – some seafood such as shark, swordfish and marlin should be avoided because they contain high levels of mercury. Mercury is a toxic chemical that can pass through the blood to the unborn baby and can be harmful to the developing brain, nervous system and kidneys.
Unpasteurized foods – can lead to food poisoning and infection which can result in miscarriage, premature labor, or infection in newborns. Avoid unpasteurized milk and its byproducts such as soft cheeses, Brie, feta, blue-veined cheese, etc. Deli meats and cold cuts should be avoided, unless you warm them up to kill any bacteria. Any meat spreads or pates should also be avoided until after giving birth.
Alcohol – its recommended to avoid alcohol completely during your pregnancy. Alcohol can easily pass through the mother’s blood to the baby through the umbilical cord. A fetus’ liver cannot process alcohol the same say that an adult’s liver can. Heavy alcohol use during pregnancy can harm both the mother and baby and has been linked to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. It’s recommended to remove alcohol entirely to avoid any risk and harm to the baby.
How can I track my diet with a pregnancy diet app?
Pregnancy diet apps such as CareClinic can help you track your meals and keep in line with your diet goals. This is especially true during your pregnancy. As outlined above, there are so many things to worry about. What can you eat? What do you need to avoid? How many vitamins should you be getting? How much water to drink?
With the CareClinic app, you can outline your diet and then just follow along. The app will send you reminders of when it’s time to eat or when it’s time to take a supplement or other medication. The nutrition tracker will be your go-to feature in the app. Here you will be able to enter all your meals and track what you eat and how much and the nutrient levels. That way you know exactly what you are putting in your body and how it may impact you and your baby.
Tracking your pregnancy symptoms
Your body goes through tremendous changes during your pregnancy, and you will experience many symptoms as a result of it. Mild symptoms will begin to appear after 7 days after conception and be really noticeable around the 12-13 day mark. See our articles on 12 DPO and 13 DPO to see what you will experience early on.
CareClinic has a symptom tracker where you can log any symptoms you experience. Keep track of the time, and the severity and even make a quick note of exactly what went on. You can then share this information with your health care provider, midwife, partner, or family. Track your morning sickness and over time you will be able to distinguish what helps you feel better so that you focus on that the next time you experience it.
You can even make note of your cravings. Food cravings are totally common, and many pregnant women develop strong urges or dislikes towards certain foods. Common cravings can be sweets, salty foods or red meat. Cravings can be your body’s way of letting you know that it needs a certain nutrient or liquids to help quench a thirst or you are running low. Keep track of your cravings so you know what you may be lacking in your diet and you can adjust accordingly.
Your all-in-one pregnancy diet app
Along with helping you stay on top of your diet and supplements during your pregnancy, the CareClinic app will also help you stay on top of your appointments. Never miss an appointment with your health care provider, or a dietician, or even your Lamaze class. You can enter all your appointments and set reminders in the app so that you are notified when you have an upcoming appointment. You can also make any additional notes of what went on during that appointment so that you don’t forget what you discussed or learned once you get home.
The CareClinic app also has a useful diary feature where you can note anything that runs through your mind. Use it as you would a physical diary. Jot down anything that you may be thinking or something that you experience. Take note of the time and place when your baby kicked! Maybe next time you can recreate that environment and hope to feel another kick.
Your pregnancy is a joyous time. You are bringing life into this world! Pregnancy diet apps such as CareClinic can help unburden some of the day-to-day things in your crazy and hectic life. Let the app focus on some things so that you can focus on yourself and your baby and experience a stress-free pregnancy!
