Healthy pregnant diet tips from an experienced OB/GYN

Felica A. Wagman, MD, is a board-certified OB/GYN and member of Manatee Physician Alliance. To help her patients have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, she strongly encourages them to make smart food choices.

Below are some suggestions Dr. Wagman makes to help her patients eat healthy during pregnancy.

Follow a healthy diet.

Eating healthy means following a diet that includes a variety of nutritious foods and drinks. Pregnant women should eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products and protein foods.

Choose foods and drinks with less added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Limit refined grains and starches, which are in foods like cookies, white bread and some snack foods.

Know how many calories you need.

Being pregnant doesn't mean you need to eat twice as much food. During the first trimester, most women don’t need extra calories. By second trimester they may need an extra 340 calories a day and an extra 450 a day during the last trimester.

Choose healthy snack options.

Healthy snacks include low-fat or fat-free yogurt with fruit, whole-grain crackers with fat-free or low-fat cheese and carrots with hummus.

Take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid, iron and iodine every day.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, folic acid helps prevent some birth defects of the brain and spine while iron and iodine help keep you and your baby healthy. Consult your doctor or nurse about a prenatal vitamin right for you.

Eat 8 to 12 ounces of seafood each week.

Fish and shellfish have healthy fats that are good for you and your baby. Some fish is high in mercury, so it’s best to pick seafood that is high in healthy fats but lower in mercury.

Avoid certain foods.

Some foods may contain bacteria that can hurt your baby. These include soft cheeses (unless they’re pasteurized); raw or rare meats, poultry, seafood or eggs; unpasteurized juices or milk; lunch or deli meats, smoked seafood and hot dogs; prepared salads like chicken salad or seafood salad and raw sprouts, such as alfalfa, clover and radish.

Limit drinks with caffeine and added sugars.

If you drink coffee or tea, choose decaf. Pick unsweetened options and don’t add sugar. Drink water or seltzer instead of sugary drinks like soda, fruit drinks, and energy or sports drinks.

Dr. Wagman accepts appointments by phone at 866-515-9777 and online at lpaprimarycare.com.

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