What To Do When Eating For Two

If the stork is getting ready to make a delivery, it's time to prepare for arrival and change those eating habits.

Expecting a baby means making important decisions in your diet. During pregnancy make sure you know what foods are harmful and which ones are beneficial to your baby.

Expectant parents, Amy and Ray Seva, have a whole new perspective toward food. They are improving their diet for the sake of their baby girl.

"For the first time in my life, it's like man somebody's really depending on us for what we eat and for her nutrition," Ray says.

Exercising and getting at least 300 extra calories a day give mom and baby the energy and nutrients they need. According to registered dietician Nancy Clark, "Have a milk or yogurt at least three times a day, some with each meal. I'd want them to have lots of dark-green leafy vegetables for folic acid. I'd want them to have adequate protein rich foods in their diet, some at lunch, some at dinner."

Here's what to do if you're eating for two:

Increase your orange juice intake and eat dark-green, leafy vegetables, dry beans, peanuts and enriched breakfast cereals. The folic acids in these foods prevents spinal cord defects.
Be careful of mercury and pesticides found in some fish. Limit tuna to half a pound per week and choose low-fat fish. Avoid swordfish, shark and marlin. Contaminants and pesticides are often found in freshwater carp, catfish, lake trout, whitefish, bluefish, mackerel and striped bass.
Avoid raw foods due to parasites. So, cut out sushi, Caesar dressing and eggnog.
Pregnancy is not the time to diet and deplete your body of nutrients. If you are exercising, make sure that you are eating the number of calories needed to support your pregnancy and physical activity.
You will need more of most vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, but especially calcium, iron, and zinc. An extra 10g of protein every day is also suggested. Having a cup of skim or low-fat milk and one slice of whole grain bread will meet this requirement.
Eliminate alcohol, caffeine and sweeteners before your first trimester. When you sweeten foods or beverages choose natural sweeteners like honey and molasses rather than artificial sweeteners.

Expectant mother Amy Maki says, "You've got to make everything count, because organs are forming and limbs, the brain, the heart. It's a lot of pressure in order to want to eat healthy."

Keep in mind that part of having a healthy pregnancy means gaining some fat weight. The average weight gain is between 26 and 32 pounds. Celebrate your gains and tell yourself that you've built a healthy body for yourself and now it's your baby's turn. Remember that eating better is just the beginning of parenthood.