How to Stay on Track with a Healthy Pregnancy Diet

Use This Pregnancy Diet Checklist

It is important to track your eating habits during pregnancy to make sure you are getting enough of all the vital nutrients for your baby. Protein, calcium, folic acid and iron are just a few of the important components of a healthy pregnancy diet.

This checklist is a sample of what you can use during pregnancy to put up on the refrigerator to track eating habits over the course of a week. It will soon become clear to you any areas you may be lacking in for a healthy pregnancy. Having the pregnancy diet checklist will let you quickly see halfway through the day what to have for dinner to fill in all the boxes.

The pregnancy diet checklist is based on the Brewer's Pregnancy Diet, and Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy by Elizabeth Somer. This checklist is easily altered if you are vegan or in the case of multiples. Get with your midwife or doctor to find out how your requirements change in the case of special needs diet or high risk pregnancy.

Daily During Pregnancy:

Eggs ___ ___

Milk Product ___ ___ ___ ___

Green vegetable ___ ___

Other vegetable ___

Grains ___ ___ ___ ___

Vitamin C source ___

Healthy fats ___ ___ ___

Fruits ___ ___

Protein sources ___ ___

Drink as desired, eight glasses minimum

Salt to taste

Weekly During Pregnancy:

Yellow or Orange colored fruits and vegetables ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Whole Baked Potato ___ ___ ___

Eggs During Pregnancy- Eggs are a near complete source of vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. Eggs are high in protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B, and vitamin A. The only vitamin eggs don't provide is Vitamin C. If you are vegan and do not eat eggs at all you'll need to take special care that you are getting a complete diet through alternate foods.

Milk Products During Pregnancy - See Calcium and Magnesium While Pregnant article for non-dairy sources of calcium. Remember this "milk products" category includes soy milk or rice milk products also.

Green Vegetables During Pregnancy - The darker green your vegetables the better; asparagus, green beans, collard greens, kale, spinach, broccoli and others should be your first choices. Avoid iceburg lettuce - it doesn't count so if you can eat it don't check off a blank!