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Health
Nutrition Needed During Pregnancy
What you do to your body has an effect on your baby. Here is the list contains the most common nutrients you need and which foods contain them.
| Nutrient | Needed for | Best sources |
| Protein | cell growth and blood production | lean meat, fish, poultry, egg whites, beans, peanut butter, tofu |
| Carbohydrate | daily energy production | breads, cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruits, vegetables |
| Calcium | strong bones and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve function | milk, cheese, yogurt, sardines or salmon with bones, spinach |
| Iron | red blood cell production (to prevent anemia) | lean red meat, spinach, iron-fortified whole-grain breads and cereals |
| Vitamin A | healthy skin, good eyesight, growing bones | carrots, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes |
| Vitamin C | healthy gums, teeth, and bones; assistance with iron absorption | citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, fortified fruit juices |
| Vitamin B6 | red blood cell formation; effective use of protein, fat, and carbohydrates | pork, ham, whole-grain cereals, bananas |
| Vitamin B12 | formation of red blood cells, maintaining nervous system health | meat, fish, poultry, milk (Note: vegetarians who don’t eat dairy products need supplemental B12.) |
| Vitamin D | healthy bones and teeth; aids absorption of calcium | fortified milk, dairy products, cereals, and breads |
| Folic acid | blood and protein production, effective enzyme function | green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits and vegetables, beans, peas, nuts |
| Fat | body energy stores | meat, whole-milk dairy products, nuts, peanut butter, margarine, vegetable oils (Note: limit fat intake to 30% or less of your total daily calorie intake.) |
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