ust as structural foundations are stronger if they are made with durable materials, pregnancies are healthier if they are built upon diets filled with quality ingredients. Our bodies were designed to reproduce healthy offspring, and so the job of nutrition is to give your body – and your growing baby –  what it needs to function optimally.

Quality: Food vs. Food Products
This should be your mantra during pregnancy. By choosing foods that are closest to the form found in nature, you provide the right balance of nutrients for your body. When we consume food products (the processed, eternally shelf-stable options which bear little substantive resemblance to their whole food namesakes), our bodies’ cells are challenged to identify and use what they are receiving.

This doesn’t mean that you have to cook everything from scratch, but these guidelines can be helpful when trying to make quality food choices.
Look for items that:

Quality: Examples of Quality Food Choices

• A bowl of high-fiber cereal and mixed seeds, nuts, berries, and whole (or low fat) milk, instead of a protein bar with minimal fiber
   
• Low-sodium vegetable soup with half a grilled turkey and cheese sandwich (save the other half for a snack later), instead of full-sodium minestrone with a roll or baked potato

• Air-popped popcorn with oil, butter, or Parmesan cheese, instead of fat-free potato chips with hydrogenated oil and flavoring

Quality: Helpful Hints for Choosing Foods

        GRAINS:

• Choose whole-grain flour options second

• Choose refined flour or products made from refined flours last

       
        FRUITS & VEGETABLES:

• Drink their juices less often

• Cooked fruits and vegetables are easier to digest for most and don’t cause as much gas and bloating as the raw option

Caution: Food safety is always important, but even more so now. Wash fruits and vegetables well and drink only pasteurized juices unless you can ensure the cleanliness of the fruit and the machinery.

        ANIMAL & ANIMAL PRODUCTS:
          

• Choose hormone-free, grass-fed, and organic whenever possible

        MACRONUTRIENTS: Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fats

Try to consume something from each of the macronutrient groups each time you eat. Feel free to eat an unlimited amount of non-starchy vegetables.

• Protein: Animals (and animal products), legumes (beans) and their products
  (tofu, hummus, etc.), and nuts and seeds

• Fats: Avocado, olives, oils (olive, canola, flaxseed*, etc.), nuts, seeds, and butters from nuts and seeds

        *Do not use flaxseed oil for cooking.

Quality: Read the Ingredient Label, Not the Advertising Message

Some food items might boast “No Trans Fats,” but still contain some hydrogenated oil, while others may claim, “Contains Whole Grains,” but the ingredient label could reveal refined flour as the primary ingredient. (Note that labels list ingredients in the order of most amount to least amount.)

Quality: Variety
“Mono-eating” (eating the same foods every day – or eating just one "color" or "consistency") can over-deliver certain nutrients and under-deliver others. Challenging yourself to try to accumulate different colors, textures, and flavors will help make you and your growing baby healthier and happier during pregnancy. It also helps to reduce the risk of developing intolerances (either emotional or physical) toward certain foods.

See also: Prenatal Nutrition Basics: Quantity