13 Foods to Eat When You’re Pregnant

13 Foods to Eat When You’re Pregnant

By Adda Bjarnadottir, MS
397,680 views
Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy is very important.

During this time, your body needs additional nutrients, vitamins and minerals (1, 2).

In fact, you need 350–500 extra calories each day during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters (3).

A diet that lacks key nutrients may negatively affect the baby’s development (4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Poor eating habits and excess weight gain may also increase the risk of gestational diabetes and pregnancy or birth complications (9, 10).

Put simply, choosing healthy, nutritious foods will help ensure the health of you and your baby.

It will also make it a lot easier to lose the pregnancy weight after you’ve given birth.

Here are 13 highly nutritious foods to eat when you’re pregnant.

1. Dairy Products

During pregnancy, you need to consume extra protein and calcium to meet the needs of the growing fetus (11, 12).

Dairy products contain two types of high quality protein: casein and whey. Dairy is the best dietary source of calcium, and provides high amounts of phosphorus, various B-vitamins, magnesium and zinc.

Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is particularly beneficial for pregnant women (13).

It contains more calcium than any other dairy product. Some varieties also contain probiotic bacteria, which support digestive health (14, 15, 16).

People who are lactose intolerant may also be able to tolerate yogurt, especially probiotic yogurt (17).

Taking probiotics during pregnancy may reduce the risk of complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, vaginal infections and allergies (18).

Bottom Line: Dairy products, especially yogurt, are a great choice for pregnant women. Dairy products help meet increased protein and calcium needs. Probiotics may also help reduce the risk of complications.
2. Legumes



This group of food includes lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans and peanuts.

Legumes are excellent plant-based sources of fiber, protein, iron, folate (B9) and calcium, all of which the body needs more of during pregnancy.

Folate is one of the B-vitamins (B9). It is very important for the health of the mother and fetus, especially during the first trimester.

However, most pregnant women are not consuming nearly enough folate (19, 20).

This has been linked with an increased risk of neural tube defects and low birth weight. Insufficient folate intake may also cause the child to be more prone to infections and disease later in life (21, 22).

Legumes contain high amounts of folate. One cup of lentils, chickpeas or black beans may provide from 65–90% of the RDA (23).

Furthermore, legumes are generally very high in fiber. Some varieties are also high in iron, magnesium and potassium.

Bottom Line: Legumes are great sources of folate, fiber and many other nutrients. Folate is a very important nutrient during pregnancy, and may reduce the risk of some birth defects and diseases.
3. Sweet Potatoes



Sweet potatoes are very rich in beta-carotene, a plant compound that is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Vitamin A is essential for growth, as well as for the differentiation of most cells and tissues. It is very important for healthy fetal development (24).

Pregnant women are generally advised to increase their vitamin A intake by 10–40% (25, 26, 27).

However, they are also advised to avoid very high amounts of animal-based sources of vitamin A, which may cause toxicity when eaten in excess (28).

Therefore, beta-carotene is a very important source of vitamin A for pregnant women.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene. About 100–150 grams (3.5–5.3 oz) of cooked sweet potatoes fulfills the entire RDI (29).

Furthermore, sweet potatoes contain fiber, which may increase fullness, reduce blood sugar spikes and improve digestive health and mobility (30, 31, 32).

Bottom Line: Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which the body transforms into vitamin A. Vitamin