Eat a balanced diet during pregnancy by taking a natural, real food approach. As you learn about the qualities of real food and consume a variety of these foods each day, balance is established naturally. A pure, healthy, whole food diet builds a pure, healthy and whole mom and baby.
The following are qualities to consider when shopping and making food selections. A food having at least one of these qualities is good, two or more is even better! You will notice many of these qualities overlap and cannot be viewed in isolation.
Whole: In many cases, food in its whole state contains more nutrients and other healthful properties than a refined or processed alternative. So for example, eating a whole apple might be considered preferable to applesauce. An exception to this guideline would be fresh vegetable juicing, which allows a dense concentration of vitamins and minerals from a large volume of vegetables that could not otherwise be consumed in one sitting.
Nutrient dense: Nutrient density amounts to getting the most bang for your nutritional buck, so to speak. Nutrient dense foods contain a large spectrum of nutrients, and are also often calorically dense. Many animal products fall into this category: eggs, cheese, butter, meat and fish, for example.
Easily assimilated: Getting the most "bang for your buck" nutritionally also means eating foods prepared in a way that the body easily absorbs and assimilates. Here think soaked, sprouted, cultured, etc. For example, soaking and/or sprouting nuts, seeds and grains breaks down enzyme inhibitors and makes the nutrients inside more easily digestible and bioavailable.
Unprocessed: This often used health food term needs to be qualified. As above, some ways of "processing" food actually enhances and increases its nutritional value. Other methods of food processing can serve to make it more shelf stable but less nourishing for humans. Unprocessed foods can be defined as those not treated with heat, preservatives, stabilizers or other additives.
Unrefined: This term usually refers to grains and sugars, and means not being stripped of nutrients in processing. Look for 100% whole grain breads and pastas, brown rice and other whole cereal grains.
Raw and/or living: The raw food health movement has become popular of late, and with good reason. Energy in the form of enzymes, probiotics and vitamins are preserved in raw and cultured foods. Living and raw foods make you feel more alive because they don't take as much energy to digest and tend to be cleansing and nutrient dense. I consider this one of the major food groups in following a balanced diet during pregnancy.
Home-cooked: Food made from scratch often tastes better and is more nutritious than anything prepared in a restaurant or a factory. It also has the priceless human touch of the loving hands that prepared it.
Organic, free-range, grass-fed, local, etc.: Labeling laws can be deceiving, but knowing where and how your food was raised is a worthwhile consideration. Generally speaking, the closer and more humanely and sustainably your food was raised, the more nutritious it will be.
Yummy: Last but not least, your food should be tasty and enjoyable. And don't worry, if you are making the transition to a healthier diet, your taste will adapt to natural foods in no time.
A balanced diet during pregnancy will become second nature as you consider the above factors and continue to follow your instincts and common sense when thinking about food choices.
