Healthy Eating For New Moms

By Melissa Moog, founder of Itsabelly Baby Concierge
www.itsa-belly.com; 503.799.5719.

During the critical time of pregnancy it's important to make sure mom is receiving the best nutrients for her growing baby and body. Research shows that mom-to-be should eat one extra snack totaling 300 calories a day. So, how does mom-to-be figure out what types of snacks are best? Some important tips to consider when looking for the most nutritional snacks are the following:

Look for foods with DHA which is an Omega 3 Fat that is critical for babies brain development and vision

DHA is particularly important because the fetus and/or premature infants cannot produce DHA efficiently

Eat foods that are rich in calcium to help with regulating blood pressure and building strong bones and teeth

Choose foods that contain protein to fill you up and that's easy to take with you on the go like raw almonds

Eating fruits like Kiwi or Strawberries which are packed with vitamin C are great for resisting infection and preventing the common cold

Choose a cereal like Grape Nuts which has protein, fiber and calcium all in one

Look for lower sugar foods such as yogurt

Eat foods with antioxidants such as flax seed, tomatoes or broccoli which are great for preventing heart disease, cancer and diabetes

When choosing whole grains look for items like brown rice or oatmeal which help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer

Snacks Suggestions:

Nutrabella Bellybars

Nutrabella Shakes

Preggie Pops and Organic Preggie Pop Drops

Yo Mommy Yogurt

Glow Beverage (refreshing drink)

Grape Nuts Cereal

Nuts - Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts

Fruits - Bananas, Oranges, Apples

String Cheese (low skim)

Peanut Butter