Written by UConn Dietetics Masters student Melissa Ascher

Proper nutrition is essential for both mom and baby-to-be. Prenatal supplements and a healthy, balanced diet can help a pregnant woman and her developing baby meet all nutritional needs.  Here are some important nutrients, and the foods that can supply them!

Folic acid is a water-soluble, B vitamin that is essential for development of the baby’s spinal cord. For pregnant women, the recommended amount is at least 600 micrograms (mcg) per day.¹ This can be met by eating plant sources like dark leafy green vegetables along with fortified cereals, beans/legumes and avocado. Animal sources like eggs also provide folic acid.

Iron is a mineral that helps support the body’s oxygen transport and muscle function. It is incredibly important for the human body but serves as an especially important purpose during pregnancy. The iron recommendation jumps from 18 mg per day (the recommendation for menstruating women) to 27 mg per day so that the body can produce enough blood to supply the baby and growing placenta.² Iron is in a lot of delicious foods: meat, poultry, seafood³ (check reference for seafood-pregnancy precautions) spinach, and fortified breakfast cereals.

Omega-3s are fatty acids found in fatty fish, chia seeds, flax seeds, and many nuts. This type of fat is beneficial to both the mom-to-be and the developing baby. Omega-3 consumption is associated with improved neurodevelopment of the baby, such as IQ, memory, and verbal intelligence.⁴Research has also shown that new moms who are getting enough omega-3s have more success with breastfeeding.⁴ An amount of 300 mg of omega-3 fatty acid per day is the daily recommendation during pregnancy.⁵ This amount can be safely obtained through occasional fish sources and plant-based sources like the ones listed above.

Calcium is a mineral that is critical to the bone health of both the mother and the baby, while also being protective against the mom-to-be developing hypertension or eclampsia during pregnancy. When you do not consume enough calcium during pregnancy, the baby will adapt and may draw it from your body, which may affect the health of your bones later in life.⁶ Pregnant women should have 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Daily servings of low-fat dairy products fortified cereal products, salmon, and spinach are all good sources of calcium. Many orange juice products are now fortified with calcium.

References:

1. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/folic-acid-for-a-healthy-baby
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235217/
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-and-fish/art-20044185
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10498982/
5. https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/omega-3-fatty-acids-faqs/
6. https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/diet-and-fitness/calcium-in-your-pregnancy-diet_665