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Pregnancy Diet: Nutrients You Need
When you're pregnant, a balanced diet featuring the healthiest sources of protein, carbohydrate, fat, and fluid will supply most of the nutrients your growing baby -- and you -- need.
If you want to know which nutrients are high priorities in your pregnancy diet, this chart explains it all.
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Calcium
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|---|---|
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Benefits
|
Builds strong, dense bones in mother and child; may help prevent high blood pressure in pregnant women. |
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Pregnancy RDA
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1,000 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (415 milligrams); 1 cup low-fat fruit flavored yogurt (345 milligrams): 1 cup plain or flavored milk (about 300 milligrams); 1 cup calcium-added orange juice (300 milligrams); 1 ounce cheddar cheese (204 milligrams); 1/4 block firm tofu prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (163 milligrams); 1 cup 2% milk fat cottage cheese (156 milligrams) |
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Note
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Prescription prenatal supplements do not typically meet pregnancy calcium quotes; you may need a calcium supplement if you don't consume three servings of dairy per day or the equivalent in fortified foods. |
| Choline | |
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Benefits
|
Helps prevent neural tube defects and enhances brain development. |
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Pregnancy RDA
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450 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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1 cooked egg (272 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked pork tenderloin (103 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked ground beef (83 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked Atlantic cod (84 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked salmon (65 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked chicken (65 milligrams): 1 1/4 cups cooked broccoli or cauliflower (40 milligrams). |
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Note
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Prenatal supplements often fall short on choline, so be sure to get what you need from food. |
| Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) | |
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Benefits
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Boosts baby's brain development and vision and may reduce the likelihood of future heart disease in mom. |
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Pregnancy RDA
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300 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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3 ounces cooked Coho salmon, farmed (740 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked blue crab (196 milligrams); 3 ounces canned light tuna, drained (190 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked catfish (116 milligrams); fortified eggs (85 milligrams to 200 milligrams) |
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Note
|
Algae-based DHA supplements are also available and safe for moms who cannot get enough DHA from food alone. |
| Folic Acid | |
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Benefits
|
Helps protect against neural tube defects during the first 30 days of pregnancy, and possibly cleft palate; fights off anemia in mom and helps prevent early miscarriage and premature delivery. |
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Pregnancy RDA
|
600 micrograms |
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Best Food Sources
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1 cup cooked lentils (358 micrograms); 1 cup cooked spinach (263 micrograms); 1 cup cooked, white enriched rice (195 micrograms); 1 cup cooked, enriched spaghetti (172 micrograms); 1 cup cooked broccoli (168 micrograms); 1 cup orange juice (110 micrograms); 2 slices enriched bread (34 micrograms) |
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Note
|
Folic acid, the synthetic form of folate found in enriched grains and dietary supplements, is absorbed by the body with twice the efficiency of food folate, which explains the lower levels of folic acid in enriched grains. |
| Iron | |
|
Benefits
|
As part of red blood cells, iron ferries oxygen; wards off anemia in mom; and helps prevent premature delivery. |
|
Pregnancy RDA
|
27 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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3/4 cup Whole Grain Total Cereal (22 milligrams); 3 ounces raw clams* (12 milligrams); 1 cup Cheerios (10 milligrams); 1 cup cooked, enriched rice (8 milligrams); 1 cup canned white beans (8 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked beef (3 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked lamb (2 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked, white meat chicken (1 milligrams) |
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Note
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Naturally occurring iron is better absorbed than iron from plant foods and fortified plant foods, such as cereal, which explains the higher levels of iron used to fortify grains. |
| Potassium | |
|
Benefits
|
Helps maintain proper fluid balance in mom; keeps blood pressure in check; necessary for normal heart beat and energy production. |
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Pregnancy RDA
|
4,700 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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1 cup canned white beans (1189 milligrams); 1 cup winter squash (896 milligrams); 1 cup cooked spinach (839 milligrams); 1 cup cooked lentils (731 milligrams); medium, cooked sweet potato (694 milligrams); 1 cup fat-free yogurt (579 milligrams); 1 cup orange juice (496 milligrams); 1 cup cooked broccoli (457 milligrams); 1 cup cantaloupe (431 milligrams); cup raisins (250 milligrams) |
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Note
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You won't find potassium in prenatal supplements, so you must meet your quota with food. |
| Riboflavin | |
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Benefits
|
Necessary for energy production; helps the body use the protein from food. |
|
Pregnancy RDA
|
1.4 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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1 cup raisin bran cereal (1.7 milligrams); 1 cup plain yogurt (0.5 milligrams); 1 cup cooked mushrooms (0.5 milligrams); 1 cup 1% milk (0.5 milligrams), 1 cup Frosted Mini Wheats cereal (0.5 milligrams); 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (0.4 milligrams |
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Note
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There is no known toxicity level for riboflavin in pregnant women. |
| Vitamin B6 | |
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Benefits
|
Assists in the production of protein for new cells; bolsters the immune system; and participates in red blood cell formation. |
|
Pregnancy RDA
|
1.9 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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1 cup Product 19 cereal (2 milligrams); 1 cup canned garbanzo beans (1.1 milligrams); medium, baked potato, flesh and skin (0.6 milligrams); 3 ounces beef, top sirloin, cooked; 3 ounces cooked chicken breast (0.5 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked pork tenderloin (0.4 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked halibut (0.3 milligrams) |
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Note
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While a vitamin B6 deficiency is unlikely during pregnancy, it can cause a type of anemia. |
| Vitamin B12 | |
|
Benefits
|
Assists in red blood cell production and helps the body use fat and carbohydrates for energy. |
|
Pregnancy RDA
|
2.6 micrograms |
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Best Food Sources
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3 ounces raw clams* (42 micrograms); 3 ounces cooked salmon (5 micrograms); 3 ounces cooked rainbow trout (4 micrograms); 3 ounces light, canned tuna, drained (3 micrograms); 3 ounces cooked beef (2 micrograms); 1 cup Wheat Chex cereal (1 micrograms) |
|
Note
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There is no suggested daily limit for vitamin B12 intake. |
| Vitamin C | |
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Benefits
|
Increases iron absorption from plant foods; builds strong bones and teeth; bolsters immunity; keeps blood vessels strong and red blood cells healthy. |
|
Pregnancy RDA
|
85 milligrams |
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Best Food Sources
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1 cup sweet, raw red pepper (283 milligrams); 1 cup orange juice (124 milligrams); 1 cup strawberries (106 milligrams); 1 cup grapefruit juice (94 milligrams); 1 cup cooked broccoli (74 milligrams); medium orange (70 milligrams); medium tomato (32 milligrams) |
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Note
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Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from plant foods and iron-fortified grains. |
| Vitamin D | |
|
Benefits
|
Promotes calcium absorption from food and its deposition into mom's and baby's bones and teeth. |
|
Pregnancy RDA
|
200 International Units (IU) |
|
Best Food Sources
|
1 cup milk, plain or flavored (100 IU); 1 cup fortified breakfast cereals (40-50 IU); 1 large, raw egg yolk* (18 IU) |
|
Note
|
Very few foods are good vitamin D sources. Vitamin D is made by the body in response to strong summer sunlight and is stored in tissues and used as needed. |
| Zinc | |
|
Benefits
|
Critical for cell growth and repair; energy production; and brain development. |
|
Pregnancy RDA
|
11 milligrams |
|
Best Food Sources
|
3 ounces cooked oysters (76 milligrams); 3/4 cup Whole Grain Total Cereal (17 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked beef (9 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked crab (5 milligrams); 3 ounces cooked pork (4 milligrams); 1 cup canned white beans (3 milligrams); 1 cup plain, fat-free yogurt (2 milligrams) |
|
Note
|
The zinc found in animal foods is better absorbed than the zinc found in fortified foods. |
* Always fully cook seafood, meat, poultry, and eggs before eating.
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