NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY AND LACTATION

  1. Milk group - important for calcium, protein of high biological value, and other vitamins and minerals.
    1. Pregnancy - three to four servings (four to five for adolescents).
    2. Lactation - four to five servings.
    3. Count as one serving - 1 cup milk; ½ cup undiluted evaporated milk; ¼ cup dry milk; ¼ cups cottage cheese; 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese; ½ oz cheddar or Swiss cheese; or ¼ cups ice cream.

  2. Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, nuts, and eggs group-important for protein, iron, and many B vitamins.
    1. Pregnancy - three servings.
    2. Lactation - three servings.
    3. Count as one serving - ½ cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, or 1½ tbsp peanut butter is equivalent to 1 oz meat; use peanut butter or nuts rarely to avoid excessive fat intake; limit eggs to reduce cholesterol intake; trim fat from meat, and remove skin from poultry.

  3. Vegetable and fruit group-vitamins and minerals (especially vitamins A and C) and roughage.
    1. Vegetables:
      1. Pregnancy - three to four servings.
      2. Lactation - three to five servings.
      3. Count as one serving - 1 cup raw leafy greens, ½ cup of others.
    2. Fruits:
      1. Pregnancy - two to four servings.
      2. Lactation-two to four servings.
      3. Count as one serving ½ medium grapefruit; 1 medium apple, banana, or orange; ¼ cup fruit juice.
    3. Good sources (vitamin C) - citrus, cantaloupe, mango, papaya, strawberries, broccoli, and green and red bell peppers.
    4. Fair sources (vitamin C) - tomatoes, honeydew melon, asparagus tips, raw cabbage, collards, kale, mustard greens, potatoes (white and sweet), spinach, and turnip greens.
    5. Good sources (vitamin A) - dark-green or deepyellow vegetables and a few fruits (apricots, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, cantaloupe, carrots, and winter squash).
    6. Good sources of folic acid - dark-green foliagetype vegetables.

  4. Bread and cereal group - good for thiamine, iron, niacin, and other vitamins and minerals.
    1. Pregnancy - 6 to 11 servings.
    2. Lactation - 6 to 11 servings.
    3. Count as one serving - 1 slice bread, 1 oz readyto-eat cereal, ½-¼ cup cooked cereal, cornmeal, grits, macaroni, noodles, rice, or spaghetti.

  5. Note: use dark-green leafy and deep-yellow vegetables often; eat dry beans and peas often; count ½ cup cooked dry beans or peas as a serving of vegetables or 1 oz from meat group.