- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- iparenting canada articles
- iparenting canada q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Pregnancy Diet Don'ts
Foods to Avoid While You're Expecting
By Dr. Aneema Van Groenou
Avoid Fats
Believe it or not, the average American diet is 37 percent fat. A healthy diet should be around 20 percent fat, even during pregnancy. To tell you the truth, you only need 5 percent fat in your diet to stay healthy. Believe me, you don't have to worry about not getting enough fat either. Practically all foods have some fat. Fruits have 3 to 14 percent fat, grains have 3 to 10 percent fat, and even veggies have 1 to 10 percent fat. So you can't avoid it. The good news is that your body does need some fat, and even a little cholesterol is important for your baby's development. Food Additives
Many foods we enjoy are full of preservatives, flavor enhancers, colorings and even hormones and antibiotics. Surprised? Food additives help foods look and taste better – sometimes – and last longer on the shelf. Organic foods and produce have the fewest chemical residues and additives and often taste much better, too. Most additives are safe during pregnancy. After all, the majority of women don't change their diets much during pregnancy and still have perfectly healthy babies. However, there are a few additives that you should watch out for. Read labels more carefully during pregnancy.
Additives to avoid include the following:
- MSG – Monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer in bouillon and Asian foods that can cause headaches and stomach upset.
- Artificial food colorings – Colorings are in many processed foods, and most are considered safe during pregnancy. The ones to avoid are: blue 1, blue 2, green 3, red 3 and yellow 6.
- Olestra (Olean) – It just hasn't been tested thoroughly enough to be recommended during pregnancy.
- Saccharin – It has not been shown to be safe in pregnancy.
- Cut the fat off red meat – Chemicals in animal diets often concentrate in the fat.
Want to see more?
Comments
Found 2 comments
Displaying all 2 comments below
Pregnancy Diet Don'ts by Anonymous on 10/11/2009 10:43PM
I'm a coffee drinker,when i got pregnant,i used to get a cup in the morning to keep me up,or else i'll be drowsy all day and end up w/a headache.I take the decaffeinated one..will it still harm my baby?I'm 21 weeks pregrant now and kinda' have guilty feelings all the time.
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
Pregnancy Diet Don'ts by stressed on 11/17/2009 06:04AM
I love seafood like calamari and prawns. Is it save to eat it once during my pregnancy?