Let's Talk About Keeping a Meal Diary

by Sara Denomme | More from this Blogger

It is likely that your doctor or midwife will ask that you begin to keep a diary of the meals you eat, at least for three days in a row. This is because they want to get a general idea of the type of nutrition you and your baby are getting. Unborn babies need specific nutrients from their mother to grow and thrive in the womb, especially in early pregnancy. If they determine that you aren't eating properly, they can help you to achieve better eating habits. Here is a one-day entry from my pregnancy meal diary:

Breakfast Whole wheat mini-bagel with peanut butter, Half a red grapefruit, Cup of decaf Teeccino coffee with amaretto creamer, prenatal vitamin

Lunch Cheesy tomato pasta, 3 oz. salmon (grilled), 12 oz. water, 1 double chocolate cookie

Snack Water, small bag potato chips

Dinner 1 small slice cheese pizza, Small green side salad with greek dressing

Snack 1 pint fat free milk, Cheese and raspberry Danish

You can tell I had a bit of a sweet-tooth. There were several things that I probably could have done without eating that day, however I did get plenty of important nutrients: fiber, folic acid, calcium and protein. These are the building blocks of your unborn baby.

Keeping a meal diary can be helpful not only to your midwife or doctor, but to yourself as well. When you can visualize when you tend to reach for an unhealthy snack, you can determine what it is that makes you crave it and put a stop to it. Oftentimes, when our bodies are craving sweets it's really an indication of a need for protein. This is never more true than in pregnancy. So, if you find yourself craving something sweet, try eating a protein first. At least then if you still crave the sweet thing, you can feel a little better about eating it.

Learn more about Sara Denomme

Sara will be blogging on topics related to pregnancy, childbirth, and perhaps even beyond. She is a young mother to two daughters - RayeAnne who is five, and Arwen who is brand new.

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