How Many More Calories Should You Eat Wshile Pregnant
For the first six months of your pregnancy (first and second trimesters), you won't need to have more calories than you did before you became pregnant. That's about 2,000 calories a day, on average.
However, during the last three months of your pregnancy (third trimester), you will need an extra 200 calories a day, making a total of about 2,200 calories a day.
Bear in mind that we're all different shapes and sizes, and some of us are more active than others. So any recommendation about the amount of calories you need when you're pregnant is based on averages.
The number of calories you need while you are pregnant depends on:
- your height
- your current weight
- how active you are
- your body composition and genetics
However, you may need to adjust your calorie intake if you are expecting twins or more, or if before you were pregnant:
- your BMI was 19 or under (underweight)
- your BMI was 25 or over (overweight)
- your BMI was 30 or over (obese)
Talk to your midwife if you fall into any of these categories. She will record your weight at your first antenatal appointment. She can also tell you what a healthy weight gain in pregnancy would mean for you.
There are lots of delicious, healthy snacks you can have for an extra 200 calories in your third trimester. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- A small, toasted wholegrain pitta, filled with a tablespoon of hummus with grated carrot and three chopped dried apricots.
- A small bowl of muesli with milk, and an apple.
- A slice of wholegrain toast, with mashed avocado or peanut butter.
- A yoghurt with a sprinkle of almonds.
- A slice of malt loaf, with cheese.
Being pregnant may sometimes make you crave fatty and sugary food. You shouldn't go hungry, but try to get the balance right. Treating yourself to the odd packet of crisps is fine. The rest of the time, try to have healthy snacks between meals.
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These tips will help you to feel full, while keeping your calorie count under control:
- Eat breakfast every day. If you feel sick in the morning, try nibbling dry toast or crackers when you wake up. Ask your partner to bring you something before you get out of bed, and then eat the rest of your breakfast later in the morning.
- Help to control your appetite by eating high-fibre foods, drinking plenty of water, and taking regular exercise. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Keep healthy foods to hand. A fruit bowl filled with apples, bananas, peaches, oranges and grapes makes it easy to grab a healthy snack. Also try a handful of mixed nuts, plain yogurt with a handful of berries, oat crackers with avocado dip or mashed sardines.
- Have a small amount of protein, such as lean chicken, with each meal. Balanced meals help you to feel fuller for longer.
Rather than counting calories, it's better to eat when you are hungry, and stick to healthy foods whenever you can.
If you develop gestational diabetes and your body mass index (BMI) was 27 or over before you became pregnant, your midwife or doctor may give you different advice. She may recommend that you lose some weight by restricting the amount of calories you eat and doing more exercise. This will help to manage the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood.
Your midwife, diabetes nurse or doctor will be able to give you more detailed advice, or you may be referred to a dietitian.
Discover more about how to have a healthy pregnancy
- Watch our video on activities to avoid when you're pregnant.
- Check out our pregnancy weight gain estimator to see how much weight you might expect to put on during your pregnancy.
- Our trimester-by-trimester meal planners can help you make sure you're eating the right nutrients as well as the right number of calories.
How Many More Calories Should You Eat Wshile Pregnant
Source: https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x568598/how-many-calories-a-day-do-i-need-while-im-pregnant