What to Eat When Pregnant – Beef is What’s For Dinner
Want to know what to eat when pregnant? You are not alone. There is much confusion about what should be eaten from day to day. Adding pregnancy to the equation makes the question of a healthy diet for pregnancy even muddier.
One food group where experts agree is that of protein consumption. When being counseled what to eat when pregnant, mothers-to-be often find their eyes popping at the recommended amount of protein.
Protein plays a vital role during pregnancy. Inadequate amounts have unwanted, and possibly tragic consequences, for both mother and baby.
Do I Really Need this Much Protein when I’m Pregnant?
Protein contains the basic building blocks of life. The increased need for these materials should be reflected in a healthy diet for pregnancy. If you were to build a home, you would need certain supplies: wood, nails etc. The same is true of building a new human life. But how are the raw materials for building a new person derived? The simplest answer is amino acids, which are found in protein.
The needs of a growing baby for protein is not the only reason a woman’s body demands more protein when pregnant. The mother herself has additional demands of her own. A mother’s body uses more protein to manufacture additional blood volume, maintain balanced hormone production and prepare for lactation.
Additional Functions of Protein
Protein does more than deliver essential amino acids. It also helps rid the body of toxins. A pregnant woman’s waste elimination systems work on overload for those critical 9 months to help remove wastes created by both mother and baby. This makes protein an even more important part of what to eat when pregnant.
Much emphasis is placed on protein, and while it is important, other vital nutrients are just as crucial. Keeping a record of what you eat can help you create a balanced diet chart. A balanced diet chart insures proteins, vegetables, grains and other foods are eaten in proper relation to each other.
Protein and the Vegetarian
A common misconception is that vegetarians don’t eat protein; if this were true, vegetarians would be very few and far between. The body needs protein to thrive. Vegetarians get their protein from non-animal food sources. How does the increased need for protein affect a vegetarian diet for pregnancy?
It is possible to follow a vegetarian diet for pregnancy and still get the additional nutrition needed. It will mean a few tweaks to the meal plan, but any pregnant woman finds that to keep her balanced diet chart happy modifications are necessary.
Experts dicker about the exact amount of protein needed to maintain a healthy pregnancy; recommendations usually fall between 60 and 70 grams each day.
