Breakfast During Pregnancy
1. You need 300 extra calories a day while you are pregnant. These extra calories support a healthy pregnancy and provide your unborn baby with the nutrients she needs to grow.
2. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates, which your body digests slower than foods made with refined sugar, such as white bread.
3. Calcium is an essential nutrient during pregnancy because it helps your baby's bones and teeth form, and also supports healthy muscles and nerves. Dairy foods are among your top choices for calcium.
4. Protein is essential for the proper development of your unborn baby. This nutrient is particularly important during the second and third trimesters when your baby is growing so rapidly. A hard-boiled or scrambled egg is a healthy way to add protein to your breakfast.
5. One of the major benefits of eating fresh fruit for breakfast is the amount of fiber you get. Fiber helps keep you full so you have more energy throughout the morning. It also helps prevent constipation, which is a common complaint among most pregnant women.
6. Your body absorbs roughly twice as much calcium from foods while you'ren pregnant, so your daily needs remain the same. But since most of us get too little calcium to begin with, drinking more nonfat milk is a smart move.
7. Bananas are rich in potassium and offer quick energy to fight off pregnancy fatigue.
8. Soft cheeses are off-limits, but varieties such as cheddar and mozzarella can be a big help in meeting your calcium requirements -- each ounce contains between 150 and 200 milligrams. Cheese is also high in protein.
9. Cooked spinach has high levels of folate and iron, and kale and turnip greens are both good calcium sources. Increase the nutrient value of your salads by passing up traditional iceberg in favor of darker-colored lettuces.
10. They're packed with vitamin C, folate, and fiber, and since they're nearly 90 percent water, they'll also help you meet your daily fluid needs. | 
