NUTRITION RECOMMENDATIONS

DURING PREGNANCY
LILLIE LUU NGUYEN, MS

WEIGHT GAIN

Pregnancy weight status Recommended Weight Gain

Underweight, 28-40lbs (12.7-18.2kg)

<18.5kg/m^2
Normal weight, 25-35lbs (11.4-15.9kg)
18-24.9kg/m^2
Overweight, 15-25lbs (6.8-11.4kg)
25-29.9 kg/m^2
Obese, 11-20lbs (5.0-9.1kg)
30 kg/m^2 or higher
Twin pregnancy 25-54 (11.4-24.5kg)

MACRONUTRIENTS
CARBOHYDRATES (45-65% of total calories,
FATS (~33% of total calories from fat)
minimum 175g)
• Intakes of 500 mg/day are considered safe for
• glucose is the fetus' preferred fuel source
pregnant women (do not exceed 3 grams per day)
• Fruits and Vegetables
• AI for DHA and EPA = 300 mg/day
• see IFM's Eat a Rainbow of Phytonutrients

• Linoleic Acid: Sunflower seeds and oil Pecans,

PROTEIN (25+ g/day or ~71 g; 1.1 g per kg of
Brazil nuts, Sesame oil, Safflower oil,
pre- pregnancy body weight)
• Linolenic Acid: Flaxseeds and flax oil, Chia seeds
• organic lean beef (20-30g/serving)
Walnuts, Leafy green vegetables
• organic skinless chicken breast (20-
• EPA - Fish, fish oils (avoid cod liver oil - vitamin A
25g/serving)
toxicity), seafood (choose low in mercury = shrimp,
• fresh salmon (25-30g)
light tuna, wild salmon, pollock, catfish)
• amaranth (13-15g/serving)
•DHA – egg yolks, DHA-fortified foods Certain
• quinoa (10-15g/serving)
types of algae
• buckwheat (10-15g/serving)
• organic eggs (10-14g/serving)
• Follow safe-fish guidelines from
• lentils (10-13g/serving)
https://seaturtles.org/portfolio/mercury-calculator/
• chickpeas (10-13g/serving)
• kidney beans (10-13g/serving)

VITAMINS & MINERALS

FOLATE (preferred over folic acid)

• 600 ug/day
• Neural tube development, organ & tissue
growth
• Dark green vegetables, beans, lentils, avocados
CHOLINE
• 450 mg during pregnancy
• Component of phospholipids in cell
membranes, fetal brain growth and intellectual
development
• Beef liver, egg, Atlantic cod, beef, brussel
sprouts, broccoli, shrimp, salmon, peanut butter
VITAMIN A
• Do not ingest more than 5,000 IU in retinol
form
• helps with cell differentiation
• Sweet potato, spinach, carrots, kale, collards,
herring, mango, apricots, broccoli, salmon
VITAMIN E
•Important during last 8-10 weeks
•Protects fetal fat stores from oxidation
•Pregnant : 15mg (22.4 IU)
VITAMIN D
• Supports fetal growth, the addition of calcium
to bone, and tooth and enamel formation,
supports immune system, can inhibit
inflammation
• 600 IU daily minimum
• 4000 IU is upper tolerable limit
• Fatty fish (mackerel, salmon), fortified foods
(dairy, OJ, soy milk, cereal), beef liver, cheese,
egg yolks
CALCIUM
• 1000 mg
• Fetal skeletal mineralization and maintain maternal bones
• Demand peaks in 3rd trimester
• Sesame seeds, chia seeds, almonds, tofu, milk, bok choy,
dried figs, herring, broccoli, OJ
IRON
• 27mg/day, with upper tolerable limit being 45mg
• If iron deficiency anemia is present, then 60-180mg
(divided doses)
• Grass-fed beef, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, beans,
black strap molasses
IODINE
• 220 ug/day
• Prenatal supplements contain 150 mcg
• Recommended form in supplements is potassium iodide
• Intake should not exceed 1100 mcg during pregnancy
• Thyroid function for mom and baby, energy production,
fetal brain development
• Fish, shellfish, iodized salt. Kelp and seaweed vary in
iodine content
MAGNESIUM
• 350-400 mg/day
• Green vegetables, unrefined grains (oats/barley), nuts and
beans (navy, pinto, kidney, and garbanzo beans), seafood,
70% + dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, avocado
ZINC
• 12 mg
• Grass-fed steak, red meats, garbanzo beans, pumpkin
seeds, lentils, cashews, green peas, spinach, asparagus

SODIUM

AVOID
• 2400 mg/day
• Maintains body’s water balance

Deep sea fish species: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tile fish, albacore, tuna, walleye, pickerel, bass
• High levels of mercury in long-lived predatory fish that is poisonous for the fetus

Raw/undercooked foods: deli meats, smoked ham, carpaccio, chicken, eggs, fish, cake batter, BBQ, sushi, mayo and
desserts with raw eggs
• Could contain salmonella that may be harmful

Shellfish: oysters, clams, and mussels

• Risk presence of Vibrio (harmful bacteria)

Unpasteurized milk/cheese: brie, camembert, gorgonzola, roquefort

• Could contain Listeria (harmful bacteria)

Excessive Coffee and Caffeine loaded drinks

• High intakes can impair growth and development, increase risk of miscarriage

Alcohol and liquor: beer, wine, distilled beverages, spirits

• Developmental issues
• Passes easily from maternal to fetal blood and lingers in fetus longer than in maternal blood

• Herbs: aloe vera, anise, balck cohosh, balck haw, blue cohash, borage, buckthorn, comfrey, cotton root, dandelion
leaf, ephedra, ma huang, ergot, feverfew, gingko, ginseng, juniper, kava, licorice, pennyroyal, raspberry leaf, saw
palmetto, senna

• Food additives: saccharin, cyclamate, and aspartame

• Heavy metals: mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, industrial and agricultural chemicals

REFERENCES:
BROWN, J. E. (2016). NUTRITION THROUGH THE LIFE CYCLE. BOSTON, MA: CENGAGE LEARNING.

INSTITUTE FOR FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE. (2015) PHYTONUTRIENT SPECTRUM. RETRIEVED FROM

HTTP://CENTERFORFUNCTIONALMEDICINE.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2016/10/PHYTONUTRIENT-
SPECTRUM-FOODS-KIDS_BRFINAL_V3.PDF

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
All content on this handout, including medical opinion and any other health-related information, is for informational purposes only and
should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this handout and the
information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in
connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.