5 Reasons Pregnant Women SHOULDN’T Eat for Two
You’re pregnant, so you should be eating for two, right? WRONG. The thing is, the idea of ‘eating for two’ is a myth – but one that has led to at least 50% of pregnant women gaining more weight than necessary during pregnancy and exposing themselves and their child to risks including:
- The threat of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure
- Higher risk of blood clots and miscarriages
- Excessive weight gain that stays on after delivery
- Risk of obesity for children later in life
In actual fact, women only need an additional 300+ more calories a day during pregnancy (more if you’re carrying twins); more specifically you’ll need around 280 (RNI 2017) extra calories a day in the second trimester, and approximately 470 (RNI 2017) more in the third trimester.
These are merely estimated numbers; please do consult your physician to determine the appropriate caloric intake and weight gain based on your pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).
If, however, one were to look for some truth behind the ‘eating for two’ myth, it would be to consume enough of the right nutrients for two – this includes protein, folate, calcium, iron, zinc and good fatty acids including DHA.
So the best advice for pregnant mothers is to eat well, but sensibly, taking good quality foods up until they feel satisfied (but not overly full) – for a guide on what foods to consume, please refer to this handy checklist.
For a start, consuming two glasses of Nestlé MOM & ME a day provides you and your little one with 2 types of probiotics, 16 vitamins and minerals including folic acid, iron, calcium, protein and DHA for healthy development. Now that’s ‘eating for two’ in just the right way!