The Daily Dozen
By far, the biggest thing weighing on my mind lately has been what I should — and should not — be eating.
I’m about 1/4 of the way through What To Expect When You’re Expecting, and it keeps stressing the importance of what you eat during first few months of pregnancy. I’m (almost) glad I’m not already pregnant — I’d feel like I was studying after the exam had started!
Since Darling Husband and I are planning to start “trying” this summer, I’m in countdown mode. I want to try and get my body in the best possible condition before I get pregnant, but besides taking my daily Materna, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do.
So I’ve decided to loosely start following the Pregnancy Daily Dozen — 12 rules that are designed to fill you up with healthy, nourishing foods (and less junk).
Here’s how it breaks down (using just a few examples):
1. Protein (3 servings)
- 2 cups yogurt
- 4 large whole eggs
- 7 large egg whites
- 3 glasses of milk
- 3/4 cup grated cheese
- 4 ounces fresh fish
- 4 ounces skinless chicken
- 4 ounces lean beef
2. Calcium (4 servings)
- 1 glass of milk
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups frozen yogurt
- 1 glass of calcium-fortified OJ
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
3. Vitamin C (3 servings)
- 1/2 cup OJ (or half an orange)
- 1/3 cup strawberries
- 2/3 cup raspberries
- 1/2 a green pepper
- 1/4 a red, yellow or orange pepper
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 cup cauliflower
- 1/2 cup broccoli
- 1 baked potato in skin
4. Green leafies & yellows (3-4 servings)
- 1/2 carrot
- 1 cup romaine lettuce
- 1 cup raw spinach (or 1/2 cup of cooked)
- 2 tomatoes
- 1/2 cup broccoli
5. Other fruits & veggies (1-2 servings)
- 1 apple
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup applejuice (or applesauce)
- 2 plums
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup green beans
6. Whole grains & legumes (6+ servings)
- 1 slice whole-grain bread
- 1/2 whole-wheat pita or wrap
- 1 cup oatmeal, cooked cereal, or cold whole-grain ceral
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/4 cup whole wheat pasta
7. Fats (4 servings)
- 1 tbsp vegetable, olive, or canola oil
- 1 tbsp butter or margarine
- 1 tbsp mayonaise
- 2 tbsp salad dressing
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
8. Iron-rich foods (“some”)
- Beef
- Turkey
- Baked potato in skin
- Spinach
- Oat bran
- Beans
- Peas
9. Salt (in moderation, about 2,400 mg)
10. Healthy fats (like Omega-3) (in moderation)
11. Fluids (at least 8 glasses)
12. Prenatal vitamin
…
As you can see, some of the foods do double-duty — like how broccoli appears in the Vitamin C category and the Green Leafies category. That’s a good thing, because it means you can eat one cup of yogurt and hit two “targets.”
I’m a little bewildered by the counting — it seems like a lot to keep track of! Maybe I will do a trial run today to see how it goes.
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