Every woman knows that she should be eating well during pregnancy, because she wants to maintain her health as well as the health of her baby. The problem is that most women don’t really understand the vitamins and minerals that are needed during pregnancy, which means that they are likely missing important foods in their diet. These nutritional requirements are important if you are already pregnant, or if you are currently trying to conceive. Certain nutrients to focus on during this time include healthy fats, phosphorus, calcium, and Vitamins A, D, and E.

Even though some of these nutrients can be found in supplements and multi-vitamins, it’s better to get the nutrition from whole food sources of organic food. These healthy foods include balanced nutrients which are easily processed in the body. Many of the supplements include synthetic vitamin sources that are difficult to absorb into the body, but the natural nutrient sources from real food are quickly and easily assimilated.20 week belly shot

The above list contains some of the most important minerals and vitamins that are necessary to keep your baby healthy and allow you to have good health through the entire pregnancy, but there are other nutrients which are needed, such as iron and protein. . Some women assume that their baby is fine because it will get what it needs no matter what the mother is eating, but the truth is that if the right nutrients aren’t available then they actually will be stripped from the mother’s body. As an example, if the pregnancy diet does have enough calcium available for the baby, then calcium will be pulled from the mother’s bones to provide for the baby!

Learning the Basic Principles of a Healthy Pregnancy Diet

The book Healing Our Children, diet is highlighted during pregnancy as a great way to support your baby in having better health when they are born and in the future. Some of the specific nutritional requirements for pregnant woman listed in this book include: lots of Vitamin E each day, Vitamin D ranging between 800 – 2,000, Vitamin A ranging from 5,000 – 20,000, 3.40 IU of phosphorus and 2.20 IU of calcium. Additionally, pregnant women should focus on getting between 40-60% of their calories each day from animal fat sources or quality vegetable fats, because these are healthy and important for growth and development. Remember that it is best to get these nutritional requirements from the foods that you are eating, a supplement or multivitamin cannot make up for poor eating habits!

It may sound hard to get these nutritional requirements, but Healing Our Children actually outlines the process to make it easy for you. For a healthy pregnancy diet, you should include at least three meals a day – preferably five or six small meals – and always have animal protein, vegetables, as well as a healthy source of fat such as certain vegetable fats and animal fat. When you are following this type of diet, you will have the reassurance that your baby will be as healthy as possible because you will be getting the necessary nutrition that is needed for health.

You can find more specific information about a pregnancy or breastfeeding diet in this book, Healing Our Children, which is packed with great tips and information designed for moms who are looking to have the best pregnancy experience possible.

Photo Credit: Mrs. Flinger from Flickr