Daily Food Guide for Pregnant Women

Food Groups

One Serving Equals

Number of Servings

Protein Foods

Provide protein, iron, zinc, and B-vitamins for growth of muscles, bone, blood, and nerves. Vegetable protein provides fiber to help prevent constipation.

  • Choose poultry and fish often. Remove skin before eating.
  • Avoid breaded and fried varieties.
  • Choose only the leanest cuts of meat and trim away any visible fat before eating.
  • Bake, broil, poach or simmer instead of frying.
  • Avoid high-fat processed meats (hot dogs, sausages, bacon, scrapple)

Animal Protein

  • 1 oz cooked chicken or turkey
  • 1 oz cooked lean beef, lamb, liver* or pork
  • 1 oz or 1/4 cup fish, crab, lobster or other seafood
  • 1 egg 

Vegetable Protein

  • 1/2 cup cooked dry beans, lentils or split peas
  • 3 oz tofu
  • 1 oz or 1/4 cup peanuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
  • 1 1/2 oz or 1/3 cup other nuts
  • 2 T. peanut butter

7

One serving of vegetable protein daily

Milk Products

Provide protein and calcium to build strong bones, teeth, healthy nerves and muscles, and to promote normal blood clotting.

  • Use nonfat or lowfat milk
  • Use part-skim milk cheeses (mozzarella, ricotta) as much as possible
  • Limited sweetened milk products.
  • 8 oz milk
  • 8 oz yogurt
  • 1 cup milk shake
  • 1 1/2 cups cream soups (made with milk)
  • 1 1/2 oz or 1/3 cup grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey, mozzarella or swiss)
  • 1 1/2 - 2 slices American cheese
  • 4 T. parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • 1 cup pudding
  • 1 cup custard or flan
  • 1 1/2 cups ice milk, ice cream or frozen yogurt
3

Breads, Grains, & Cereals

Provide carbohydrates and B-vitamins for energy and healthy nerves. Also provide iron for healthy blood. whole grains provide fiber to help prevent constipation.

  • Emphasize whole-grain breads, cereals, and grains
  • Limit sweetened breads and cereals
  • Limit those products made with added fat
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread
  • 1 dinner roll
  • 1/2 bun or bagel
  • 1/2 whole wheat English muffin or pita
  • 1 small tortilla
  • 3/4 cup dry cereal
  • 1/2 cup cooked cereal
  • 1/2 cup rice, noodles or spaghetti
  • 3 cups popcorn
  • 1 4-inch pancake or waffle
  • 1 small muffin
  • 8 medium crackers
  • 3 graham cracker squares
  • 1/4 cup Wheat germ

7

Vitamin C-rich fruits & vegetables

Provide vitamin C to prevent infection and to promote healing and iron absorption. Also provide fiber to help prevent constipation.

  • 6 oz orange, grapefruit or fruit juice enriched with vitamin C
  • 6 oz tomato juice
  • 1 orange, kiwi, mango
  • 1/2 grapefruit cantaloupe
  • 1/2 cup papaya
  • 2 tangerines
  • 1/2 cup strawberries
  • 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw cabbage
  • 1/2 cup broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup snow peas, sweet peppers or tomato puree
  • 2 tomatoes
1

Vitamin A-rich fruits & vegetables

Provide beta-carotene and vitamin A to help prevent infections and to promote wound healing and night vision. Also provide fiber to help prevent constipation.

  • 6 oz apricot nectar or vegetable juice
  • 3 raw or 1/4 cup dried apricots
  • 1/4 cantaloupe or mango
  • 1 small or 1/2 cup sliced carrots
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw spinach
  • 1/2 cup cooked greens (beets, chard, collards, dandelion, kale, mustard, turnip)
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash or yams
1

Other fruits & vegetables

Provide carbohydrates for energy. Also provide fiber to help prevent constipation.

  • Choose fruits rather than juices for more fiber.
  • Limit sweetened fruits and juices
  • Limit those with added sauces, butter or margarines
  • Avoid fried vegetables such as french fries, hashed browns
  • 6 oz 100% fruit juice
  • 1 medium or 1/2 cup sliced fruit
  • 1/2 cup berries
  • 1/2 cup cheeries or grapes
  • 1/2 cup pineapple
  • 1/2 cup watermelon
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit
  • 1/2 cup sliced vegetables (asparagus, beets, green beans, celery, corn, eggplant, mushrooms, onion, peas, potato, summer squash, zucchini)
  • 1/2 artichoke
  • 1 cup lettuce
3

Unsaturated fats
Provide vitamin E to protect tissue.
  • Limit visible fats (butter, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressings)
  • Limit fried snack and fast foods (chips, burgers)
  • Limit sweets (candy, cake, cookies, pies)
  • Limit soda and other sweetened beverages
  • 1/8 medium avocado
  • 1 tsp margarine
  • 1 tsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp salad dressing (mayonnaise-based)
  • 1 T salad dressing (oil-based)
3

Note: The Daily Food Guide for Women may not provide all the calories you require. The best way to increase your intake is to include more than the minimun servings recommended.

These foods are important foods during your pregnancy. They are rich in folic acid, a B-vitamin especially important during pregnancy, because of its role in growth and repair. Pregnant women should have several servings daily of these foods. Those foods with an asterick * should only be eaten once a month.

Nondairy Calcium-rich Foods

Each of the following is approximately equivalent in calcium to one serving from the milk products group (250-300 milligrams of calcium).

Almonds 4 oz
Beans: baked, pork 'n' beans 2 cups
Broccoli: fresh, cooked 1 1/2 cups
Greens: turnip, cooked 1 1/2 cups
Greens: bok choy, collard, dandelion, cooked 2 cups
Greens: kale, mustard, cooked 3 cups
Molasses, blackstrap 2 Tbsp.
Orange juice: fortified with calcium 6 oz
Oranges 5 medium
Salmon: canned with bones 1/2 cup
Sardines 5 medium
Soy milk (must be processed with calcium salt) 8 oz
Tofu (must be processed with calcium salt) 9 oz
Tortillas, corn 7 medium

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