Eating healthy is always a key element in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but during pregnancy, adhering to sound nutrition principles is even more important. A woman’s diet during pregnancy sets the stage for not only her pregnancy but following the birth of her child as well. Nutrition is such a primary factor in a healthy pregnancy, that diet counseling is a standard component of any prenatal care.

While many women use pregnancy as a license to “eat for two,” in truth, the increase in calories that are warranted during pregnancy are just a few extra hundred per day. Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to work with a prenatal dietician or their ob/gyn to create a healthy eating plan that allows for fun indulgences while also adhering to a balanced diet – one that combines the right amount of healthy carbohydrates with lean proteins and good-for-you fats. This is especially true from women who are at risk for pre-gestational diabetes. In these cases, nutrition is paramount in keeping the diabetes under control so that it does not harm the developing baby.

Eating is one life’s greatest enjoyments and pregnancy is truly one of the most magical times in a woman’s life. Taken together, eating during the nine months of pregnancy can be a memorable as well as very healthy opportunity.