Posts Tagged ‘good protein choices for pregnancy’

Part of optimizing pregnancy nutrition is eating adequate amounts of protein.  Why is protein so essential during pregnancy?

• For growth and repair of every cell in your body and your baby’s body
• For building strong bones and muscles
• For making antibodies that play a role in immunity keeping you well
• To feel satiated and full after a meal – why go hungry?

Insufficient protein not only restricts the growth of your baby but can compromise how well nourished your baby is at birth.

Examples of high-protein foods are:

• Meat, poultry, fish
• Hard cheeses, cottage or ricotta cheese
• Plain yogurt including the Greek-style and milk
• Eggs
• Nuts/seeds and natural nut butters
• Beans and legumes

A minimum of 70 grams of protein per day is needed during pregnancy, which can easily be achieved with an average sized chicken breast, a cup of plain Greek-style yogurt, 2 eggs and ½ cup of beans.

Protein can help with energy during pregnancy, improved mood and great sleep all adding up to improved health and well-being – and what can be better than that?